וּדְמ֨וּת הַחַיֹּ֜ות מַרְאֵיהֶ֣ם כְּגַחֲלֵי־אֵ֗שׁ בֹּֽעֲרֹות֙ כְּמַרְאֵ֣ה הַלַּפִּדִ֔ים הִ֕יא מִתְהַלֶּ֖כֶת בֵּ֣ין הַחַיֹּ֑ות וְנֹ֣גַהּ לָאֵ֔שׁ וּמִן־הָאֵ֖שׁ יֹוצֵ֥א בָרָֽק׃
And the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches; it was walking about among the living creatures, and brightness was to the fire, and from the fire came out lightning.
Morphology
- וּדְמוּת (u-demut) – Root: דמה; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the likeness”; Notes: Introduces a comparison or visionary description.
- הַחַיֹּות (ha-ḥayyot) – Root: חיה; Form: Noun feminine plural with article; Translation: “the living creatures”; Notes: Refers to the beings seen in the vision, later identified as cherubim.
- מַרְאֵיהֶם (marʾehem) – Root: ראה; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their appearance”; Notes: Refers to the visible form of the creatures.
- כְּגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ (ke-gaḥalei-ʾesh) – Root: גחל; Form: Preposition כְּ + plural construct “coals of” + noun feminine singular “fire”; Translation: “like coals of fire”; Notes: Metaphor for glowing radiance and energy.
- בֹּעֲרֹות (boʿarot) – Root: בער; Form: Qal participle feminine plural; Translation: “burning”; Notes: Modifies “coals of fire,” emphasizing active combustion.
- כְּמַרְאֵה (ke-marʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “like the appearance of”; Notes: Introduces a further simile.
- הַלַּפִּדִים (ha-lappidim) – Root: לפד; Form: Noun masculine plural with article; Translation: “the torches”; Notes: Symbolic of flashing, fiery brightness.
- הִיא (hiʾ) – Root: הוא; Form: Independent pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to the fiery appearance as a whole.
- מִתְהַלֶּכֶת (mithaleket) – Root: הלך; Form: Hitpaʿel participle feminine singular; Translation: “was walking about”; Notes: Depicts dynamic movement of the fiery likeness among the creatures.
- בֵּין (bein) – Root: בין; Form: Preposition; Translation: “between / among”; Notes: Locative term; situates the fiery manifestation in relation to the creatures.
- הַחַיֹּות (ha-ḥayyot) – Root: חיה; Form: Noun feminine plural with article; Translation: “the living creatures”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis, marking the locus of activity.
- וְנֹגַהּ (ve-nogah) – Root: נגה; Form: Noun masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and brightness”; Notes: Radiance associated with fire, marking divine splendor.
- לָאֵשׁ (la-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular definite; Translation: “to the fire”; Notes: Possessive or associative: brightness belonged to the fire.
- וּמִן־הָאֵשׁ (u-min-ha-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Conjunction + preposition מִן + noun feminine singular definite; Translation: “and from the fire”; Notes: Marks source of the next phenomenon (lightning).
- יֹוצֵא (yotsei) – Root: יצא; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “was coming out”; Notes: Continuous action, indicating what proceeded from the fire.
- בָּרָק (baraq) – Root: ברק; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “lightning”; Notes: Conveys violent flashing energy proceeding from the fiery core.