וְנָעוּ֙ מִיָּ֣ם עַד־יָ֔ם וּמִצָּפֹ֖ון וְעַד־מִזְרָ֑ח יְשֹֽׁוטְט֛וּ לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ אֶת־דְּבַר־יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יִמְצָֽאוּ׃
And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north and even to the east; they shall roam about to seek the word of YHWH, but they shall not find it.
Morphology
- וְנָעוּ (ve-naʿu) – Root: נוע (nuaʿ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “and they shall wander”; Notes: Describes restless, aimless movement across the land.
- מִיָּם (mi-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from sea”; Notes: Likely from the Mediterranean Sea.
- עַד־ (ʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition; Translation: “unto”; Notes: Marks directional extent.
- יָם (yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “sea”; Notes: Often refers to another boundary sea, indicating total span—sea to sea.
- וּמִצָּפֹון (u-mitzafon) – Root: צפון (tzafon); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and from the north”; Notes: Introduces a second point of origin.
- וְעַד־ (ve-ʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition עַד; Translation: “and unto”; Notes: Further extends the directional scope.
- מִזְרָח (mizrakh) – Root: זרח (zarach); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “east”; Notes: Represents another directional extremity—eastward searching.
- יְשֹׁטְטוּ (yeshotetu) – Root: שׁוט (shut); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall roam about”; Notes: Indicates frantic or extensive searching.
- לְבַקֵּשׁ (le-vakkesh) – Root: בקשׁ (baqash); Form: Preposition לְ + Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to seek”; Notes: Piel expresses intensive action—they earnestly seek.
- אֵת (et) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: (untranslated); Notes: Marks “the word of YHWH” as the object of the seeking.
- דְּבַר (devar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “the word of”; Notes: In construct with YHWH, referring to divine revelation.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The source of revelation they desperately seek.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “but not”; Notes: Indicates refusal or impossibility of obtaining divine speech.
- יִמְצָאוּ (yimtzaʾu) – Root: מצא (matzaʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall find”; Notes: Negated—despite exhaustive searching, revelation remains inaccessible.