הָאִשָּׁ֖ה הַמְּנָאָ֑פֶת תַּ֣חַת אִישָׁ֔הּ תִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־זָרִֽים׃
The woman, the adulteress, instead of her husband she takes strangers.
Morphology
- הָאִשָּׁה (ha-’ishah) – Root: אִשָּׁה; Form: Noun, feminine singular, with definite article; Translation: “the woman”; Notes: The article marks definiteness; serves as the head noun to which the following participle is appositional.
- הַמְּנָאָפֶת (ha-mĕna’ofet) – Root: נָאַף; Form: Piel participle, feminine singular, with definite article; Translation: “the adulteress / the one committing adultery”; Notes: Apposition to הָאִשָּׁה, intensifying identity; Piel conveys habitual/characteristic action; dagesh in מּ from article assimilation.
- תַּחַת (taḥat) – Root: תַּחַת; Form: Preposition; Translation: “instead of / in place of”; Notes: Here idiomatic for substitution of marital loyalty (“instead of her husband”).
- אִישָׁהּ (’ishah) – Root: אִישׁ; Form: Noun, masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her husband”; Notes: “Man” with possessive suffix functions as “husband”; the 3fs suffix agrees with the subject woman.
- תִּקַּח (tiqqaḥ) – Root: לָקַח; Form: Qal imperfect (yiqtol) 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she takes” (or “she will take”); Notes: 3fs agrees with הָאִשָּׁה; imperfect portrays habitual/generic action in context; gemination of middle radical visible in dagesh of קּ.
- אֶת־ (’et) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker (particle); Translation: “[marks definite direct object]”; Notes: Introduces the object זָרִים; not translated in English but signals case role.
- זָרִים (zarim) – Root: זָר; Form: Noun/adj., masculine plural, used substantively; Translation: “strangers / foreign men”; Notes: In prophetic metaphor, denotes illicit partners, emphasizing covenantal infidelity.