הָאֹ֣מְרִ֔ים לֹ֥א בְקָרֹ֖וב בְּנֹ֣ות בָּתִּ֑ים הִ֣יא הַסִּ֔יר וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ הַבָּשָֽׂר׃
The ones saying, ‘It is not near to build houses; she is the pot, and we are the flesh.’
Morphology
- הָאֹמְרִים (ha-ʾomrim) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal participle masculine plural with article; Translation: “the ones saying”; Notes: Introduces the group’s speech, indicating continuous action.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies imminence of the event.
- בְקָרֹוב (ve-qarov) – Root: קרב; Form: Preposition + noun/adverb masculine singular; Translation: “near”; Notes: Indicates distance in time: “not soon.”
- בְּנֹות (benot) – Root: בנה; Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to build”; Notes: Infinitive construct used after negative for verbal idea.
- בָּתִּים (batim) – Root: בית; Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “houses”; Notes: Object of “to build.”
- הִיא (hi) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she/it”; Notes: Feminine pronoun referring to “the city” understood from context.
- הַסִּיר (ha-sir) – Root: סיר; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the pot”; Notes: Metaphor for containment and protection.
- וַאֲנַחְנוּ (va-anaḥnu) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun 1st person plural; Translation: “and we”; Notes: Subject of the metaphorical equation.
- הַבָּשָׂר (ha-basar) – Root: בשר; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the flesh”; Notes: Completes the imagery: the people liken themselves to meat within the pot (the city).