וְכִ֥י תֹאמַ֖ר בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ אֵיכָה֙ נֵדַ֣ע אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־דִבְּרֹ֖ו יְהוָֽה׃
And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which YHWH has not spoken?’
Morphology
- וְכִ֥י (ve-ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “And if”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- תֹאמַ֖ר (to’amar) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you say”; Notes: Refers to the internal question of the listener.
- בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ (bilvavekha) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with preposition and 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in your heart”; Notes: Refers to internal thoughts or feelings.
- אֵיכָה֙ (eikha) – Root: איך (eikh); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “How”; Notes: Introduces the question of discernment.
- נֵדַ֣ע (neda) – Root: ידע (yada); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “shall we know”; Notes: Refers to discerning or understanding.
- אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר (et-ha-davar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article and direct object marker; Translation: “the word”; Notes: Refers to the message or prophecy in question.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects the clause to the preceding noun.
- לֹא־דִבְּרֹ֖ו (lo-dibbero) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix and negative particle; Translation: “He has not spoken”; Notes: Refers to words not uttered by YHWH.
- יְהוָֽה׃ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.