וָאֶעֱבֹ֨ר עָלַ֜יִךְ וָאֶרְאֵ֗ךְ וְהִנֵּ֤ה עִתֵּךְ֙ עֵ֣ת דֹּדִ֔ים וָאֶפְרֹ֤שׂ כְּנָפִי֙ עָלַ֔יִךְ וָאֲכַסֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתֵ֑ךְ וָאֶשָּׁ֣בַֽע לָ֠ךְ וָאָבֹ֨וא בִבְרִ֜ית אֹתָ֗ךְ נְאֻ֛ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה וַתִּ֥הְיִי לִֽי׃
And I passed by you, and I saw you, and behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my wing over you and covered your nakedness. And I swore to you and entered into a covenant with you,” declares the Lord YHWH, “and you became mine.”
Morphology
- וָאֶעֱבֹר (va-eʿevor) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 1st person singular; Translation: “and I passed”; Notes: Marks divine movement toward the city/personified woman.
- עָלַיִךְ (ʿalayikh) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “over you”; Notes: Indicates encounter and oversight.
- וָאֶרְאֵךְ (va-erʾekh) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and I saw you”; Notes: God’s attentive observation of her maturity.
- וְהִנֵּה (ve-hinneh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the significant moment.
- עִתֵּךְ (ʿittekh) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your time”; Notes: Refers to the season of maturity.
- עֵת (ʿet) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “time”; Notes: Appositional, further defining עִתֵּךְ.
- דֹּדִים (dodim) – Root: דוד (dod); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “love”; Notes: Refers to erotic or marital love.
- וָאֶפְרֹשׂ (va-efros) – Root: פרשׂ (paras); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I spread”; Notes: Covenant imagery, like spreading a garment.
- כְּנָפִי (kenafi) – Root: כנף (kanaf); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my wing”; Notes: Symbol of protection, intimacy, and covenant.
- עָלַיִךְ (ʿalayikh) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “over you”; Notes: Denotes covering and acceptance.
- וָאֲכַסֶּה (va-akhasseh) – Root: כסה (kasah); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I covered”; Notes: Emphasizes intensive act of covering.
- עֶרְוָתֵךְ (ʿervatek) – Root: ערוה (ʿervah); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your nakedness”; Notes: Literal and symbolic vulnerability.
- וָאֶשָּׁבַע (va-eshavaʿ) – Root: שׁבע (shavaʿ); Form: Nifal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I swore”; Notes: Formal covenant oath.
- לָךְ (lakh) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Recipient of the covenant promise.
- וָאָבֹוא (va-avo) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I entered”; Notes: Entering a relationship, here covenantal.
- בִבְרִית (bi-berit) – Root: ברית (berit); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “into a covenant”; Notes: Refers to binding agreement.
- אֹתָךְ (otakh) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Covenant partner (Yerushalayim).
- נְאֻם (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “utterance”; Notes: Formulaic prophetic declaration.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾAdonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Proper title, emphatic plural; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Title of authority and sovereignty.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper name, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of Israel’s God.
- וַתִּהְיִי (va-tihyi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “and you became”; Notes: Transformation of status.
- לִי (li) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “mine”; Notes: Expresses possession and covenantal belonging.