Ezekiel 15:5

הִנֵּה֙ בִּֽהְיֹותֹ֣ו תָמִ֔ים לֹ֥א יֵֽעָשֶׂ֖ה לִמְלָאכָ֑ה אַ֣ף כִּי־אֵ֤שׁ אֲכָלַ֨תְהוּ֙ וַיֵּחָ֔ר וְנַעֲשָׂ֥ה עֹ֖וד לִמְלָאכָֽה׃ ס

Behold, when it was whole it was not made for work, how much less when fire has consumed it and it is charred, shall it yet be made for work?

Morphology

1. הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: נה (deictic particle); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Calls attention to the condition being described.
2. בִּֽהְיֹותֹו (biheyotó) – Root: היה; Form: Preposition בְּ + Qal infinitive construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “when it was”; Notes: Temporal clause setting the state of the wood as whole.
3. תָמִים (tamim) – Root: תם; Form: Adjective masculine singular absolute; Translation: “whole / complete”; Notes: Describes the unburned, intact state of the vine wood.
4. לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
5. יֵעָשֶׂה (yeʿaseh) – Root: עשה; Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “was made / is made”; Notes: Passive form emphasizing incapacity for productive use.
6. לִמְלָאכָה (limelakhah) – Root: מלאך (semantic root: מלאכה); Form: Preposition ל + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “for work”; Notes: Refers to usefulness in craftsmanship.
7. אַף (ʾaf) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “how much more / how much less”; Notes: Functions here as an intensifier introducing comparison.
8. כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “when / for”; Notes: Connects the conditional circumstance of being burned.
9. אֵשׁ (ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “fire”; Notes: The destructive agent of the vine wood.
10. אֲכָלַתְהוּ (ʾakhalat-hu) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal perfect 3rd feminine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “has consumed it”; Notes: Fire, a feminine noun, is the subject.
11. וַיֵּחָר (va-yeḥar) – Root: חרר; Form: Nifal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and it was charred”; Notes: Describes the resulting state after burning.
12. וְנַעֲשָׂה (ve-naʿasah) – Root: עשה; Form: Nifal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and shall it be made”; Notes: Expresses rhetorical incredulity—“could it still be used?”
13. עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “yet / still”; Notes: Adds emphasis on futility after burning.
14. לִמְלָאכָה (limelakhah) – Root: מלאך (semantic root: מלאכה); Form: Preposition ל + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “for work”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis, highlighting the central issue of usefulness.
15. ס (samekh) – Form: Masoretic section marker; Translation: [not translated]; Notes: Marks a parashah setumah (closed section) in the Masoretic tradition.