כִּ֣י שְׁאַל־נָא֩ לְיָמִ֨ים רִֽאשֹׁנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְמִן־הַיֹּום֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ בָּרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים אָדָם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּלְמִקְצֵ֥ה הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם הֲנִֽהְיָ֗ה כַּדָּבָ֤ר הַגָּדֹול֙ הַזֶּ֔ה אֹ֖ו הֲנִשְׁמַ֥ע כָּמֹֽהוּ׃
For ask now about the former days that were before you, from the day that God created man on the earth, and from one end of the heavens to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or anything like it has been heard.
Morphology
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces a reason or explanation.
- שְׁאַל־נָא֩ (sheʾal-na) – Root: שאל (shaʾal); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular with particle of entreaty; Translation: “Ask, please”; Notes: A polite request to inquire.
- לְיָמִ֨ים (le-yamim) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine plural; Translation: “about the days”; Notes: Refers to past time periods.
- רִֽאשֹׁנִ֜ים (riʾshonim) – Root: ראש (rosh); Form: Adjective, masculine plural; Translation: “former”; Notes: Describes previous days.
- אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ (ʾasher-hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Relative pronoun with Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “that were”; Notes: Refers to past events.
- לְפָנֶ֗יךָ (lefanekha) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine plural construct and 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before you”; Notes: Refers to earlier generations.
- לְמִן־הַיֹּום֙ (le-min-hayyom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “from the day”; Notes: Marks the starting point of inquiry.
- אֲשֶׁר֩ (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Connects clauses.
- בָּרָ֨א (bara) – Root: ברא (bara); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “created”; Notes: Refers to divine creation.
- אֱלֹהִ֤ים (ʾelohim) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the Creator.
- אָדָם֙ (adam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “man”; Notes: Refers to humanity.
- עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ (ʿal-haʾaretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾaretz); Form: Preposition with definite article and noun, feminine singular; Translation: “on the earth”; Notes: Refers to the physical world.
- וּלְמִקְצֵ֥ה (u-le-miqtzeh) – Root: קצה (qatzeh); Form: Conjunction with preposition and noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “and from the end of”; Notes: Refers to a distant point.
- הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם (ha-shamayim) – Root: שמים (shamayim); Form: Definite article with noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the heavens”; Notes: Refers to the sky or celestial realm.
- וְעַד־קְצֵ֣ה (ve-ʿad-qetzeh) – Root: קצה (qatzeh); Form: Conjunction with preposition and noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “and to the end of”; Notes: Marks an extent.
- הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם (ha-shamayim) – Root: שמים (shamayim); Form: Definite article with noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the heavens”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- הֲנִֽהְיָ֗ה (ha-nihyah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has ever happened”; Notes: Refers to an unprecedented event.
- כַּדָּבָ֤ר (ka-davar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “such a thing as”; Notes: Refers to the event described.
- הַגָּדֹול֙ (ha-gadol) – Root: גדל (gadol); Form: Definite article with adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Emphasizes the significance.
- הַזֶּ֔ה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points to the specific event.
- אֹ֖ו (ʾo) – Root: או (ʾo); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “or”; Notes: Offers an alternative question.
- הֲנִשְׁמַ֥ע (ha-nishma) – Root: שמע (shama); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has been heard”; Notes: Refers to something known through hearing.
- כָּמֹֽהוּ (kamo-hu) – Root: כמו (kamo); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “like it”; Notes: Compares to the described event.