מִ֥י יִתֵּ֣ן מִצִּיֹּון֮ יְשֻׁעֹ֪ות יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל בְּשׁ֣וּב אֱ֭לֹהִים שְׁב֣וּת עַמֹּ֑ו יָגֵ֥ל יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב יִשְׂמַ֥ח יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Who will give from Tsiyyon the salvations of Yisraʾel? When God returns the captivity of His people, Yaʿaqov will rejoice, Yisraʾel will be glad.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | מִי | mi | “who” | Interrogative pronoun |
| 2 | יִתֵּן | yitten | “he will give” | Qal imperfect 3ms |
| 3 | מִצִּיֹּון | mi-Tsiyyon | “from Tsiyyon” | Prep מִן + Proper noun |
| 4 | יְשֻׁעֹות | yeshuʿot | “salvations” | N(fp) |
| 5 | יִשְׂרָאֵל | Yisraʾel | “Yisraʾel” | Proper noun |
| 6 | בְּשׁוּב | be-shuv | “when returning” | Prep בְּ + Qal infinitive construct |
| 7 | אֱלֹהִים | ʾElohim | “God” | N(mp) |
| 8 | שְׁבוּת | shevut | “captivity of” | N(fs) construct |
| 9 | עַמֹּו | ʿammo | “His people” | N(ms) + suff 3ms |
| 10 | יָגֵל | yagel | “he will rejoice” | Qal imperfect 3ms |
| 11 | יַעֲקֹב | Yaʿaqov | “Yaʿaqov” | Proper noun |
| 12 | יִשְׂמַח | yismaḥ | “he will be glad” | Qal imperfect 3ms |
| 13 | יִשְׂרָאֵל | Yisraʾel | “Yisraʾel” | Proper noun |
Morphology
- מִי (mi) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Expresses longing or rhetorical desire for deliverance.
- יִתֵּן (yitten) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Root Type: I-Nun; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will give”; Notes: Often expresses wish or longing in such constructions. In Biblical Hebrew, this idiom expresses a fervent wish or longing: “Oh, that [someone] would give!” Retaining the literal “Who will give” preserves the interrogative form, though it risks obscuring the wish aspect unless the reader recognizes the idiomatic force. It remains a bold literalist choice, balancing fidelity to form with the challenge of conveying intent.
- מִצִּיֹּון (mi-Tsiyyon) – Root: ציון (ṣ-y-w-n); Root Type: Hollow; Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun; Translation: “from Tsiyyon”; Notes: Tsiyyon represents the dwelling place of God and source of salvation.
- יְשֻׁעֹות (yeshuʿot) – Root: ישׁע (y-š-ʿ); Root Type: III-Guttural (ע); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “salvations”; Notes: Plural may indicate abundance or repeated acts of deliverance. While most translations singularize this to “salvation,” the plural rendering highlights the multi-faceted nature of God’s deliverance, implying many acts of saving or a complete, overflowing rescue.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שרר/אל; Root Type: Compound proper noun; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people as recipients of salvation.
- בְּשׁוּב (be-shuv) – Root: שׁוב (š-w-b); Root Type: Hollow; Binyan: Qal; Form: Preposition בְּ + infinitive construct; Translation: “when returning”; Notes: Indicates the time of restoration.
- אֱלֹהִים (ʾElohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine plural (used as singular for God); Translation: “God”; Notes: The subject who brings restoration.
- שְׁבוּת (shevut) – Root: שׁבה (š-b-h); Root Type: III-He; Form: Noun feminine singular construct (state: construct); Translation: “captivity of”; Notes: Refers to the state of exile or affliction. The Polysemy of “Returns the Captivity” (בְּשׁוּב… שְׁבּוּת) — this is a classic Hebrew wordplay (Shub/Shebut). Many scholars argue this idiom actually means “restore the fortunes” (from the root shub, to return). The rendering “returns the captivity,” however, follows the traditional etymological link to שָׁבָה (shavah, “to take captive”), preserving the exile imagery that is central to Jewish consciousness.
- עַמֹּו (ʿammo) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Root Type: II-Guttural; Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “His people”; Notes: The restored community belonging to God.
- יָגֵל (yagel) – Root: גיל (g-y-l); Root Type: Hollow; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will rejoice”; Notes: Expresses outward joy.
- יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿaqov) – Root: עקב (ʿ-q-b); Root Type: II-Guttural; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yaʿaqov”; Notes: Represents the nation in patriarchal identity.
- יִשְׂמַח (yismaḥ) – Root: שׂמח (ś-m-ḥ); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will be glad”; Notes: Expresses inward joy or gladness. The verbs יָגֵל and יִשְׂמַח form a rich synonymy of joy. Their pairing intensifies the expression, and the translation preserves this layered sense of delight.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שרר/אל; Root Type: Compound proper noun; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Final parallel term emphasizing the collective joy of the nation.