Amos 3:5

הֲתִפֹּ֤ל צִפֹּור֙ עַל־פַּ֣ח הָאָ֔רֶץ וּמֹוקֵ֖שׁ אֵ֣ין לָ֑הּ הֲיַֽעֲלֶה־פַּח֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וְלָכֹ֖וד לֹ֥א יִלְכֹּֽוד׃

Will a bird fall into a snare upon the earth when there is no bait for her? Will a snare spring up from the ground unless it has caught something?

Morphology

1. הֲתִפֹּ֤ל (ha-tippol) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Interrogative particle הֲ + Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “Will fall”; Notes: Begins a rhetorical question—asks whether events occur without cause, paralleling divine justice.
2. צִפֹּור֙ (tsippor) – Root: צפר (tsafar); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a bird”; Notes: Represents innocence or vulnerability, a metaphor for the unsuspecting who fall into danger.
3. עַל־פַּ֣ח (ʿal-paḥ) – Root: פח (paḥ); Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine singular; Translation: “into a snare”; Notes: Refers to a trap laid on the ground for birds, emphasizing cause and effect.
4. הָאָ֔רֶץ (ha-ʾarets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Specifies location—traps set upon the ground, grounding the metaphor in tangible imagery.
5. וּמֹוקֵ֖שׁ (u-moqesh) – Root: יקשׁ (yaqash); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and a trap”; Notes: A device for catching prey; often symbolizes temptation or divine judgment.
6. אֵ֣ין (ʾein) – Root: —; Form: Negative existential particle; Translation: “there is none”; Notes: Denotes the absence of something essential—in this case, the bait or trigger for the trap.
7. לָ֑הּ (lah) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “for her”; Notes: Refers back to “the bird”; the preposition marks the relationship of the missing bait to the bird.
8. הֲיַֽעֲלֶה־פַּח֙ (ha-yaʿaleh-paḥ) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Interrogative particle הֲ + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + noun masculine singular; Translation: “Will a snare spring up”; Notes: “Spring up” conveys sudden release of the trap, illustrating a reaction that occurs only with a trigger.
9. מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה (min-ha-adamah) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Preposition מִן + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the ground”; Notes: Indicates origin—where the snare is embedded, providing an earthy metaphor for divine retribution arising from established justice.
10. וְלָכֹ֖וד (ve-lakhod) – Root: לכד (lakad); Form: Conjunction וְ + infinitive absolute; Translation: “unless it has caught”; Notes: Infinitive absolute used idiomatically to emphasize the condition of having captured prey.
11. לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies possibility in the rhetorical question.
12. יִלְכֹּֽוד׃ (yilkod) – Root: לכד (lakad); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “catch”; Notes: Expresses the condition of having ensnared prey; emphasizes cause and effect—nothing happens without purpose, illustrating YHWH’s just order.