כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְלָקַ֣חְתִּי אָ֗נִי מִצַּמֶּ֧רֶת הָאֶ֛רֶז הָרָמָ֖ה וְנָתָ֑תִּי מֵרֹ֤אשׁ יֹֽנְקֹותָיו֙ רַ֣ךְ אֶקְטֹ֔ף וְשָׁתַ֣לְתִּי אָ֔נִי עַ֥ל הַר־גָּבֹ֖הַ וְתָלֽוּל׃
Thus says the Lord YHWH: “I, even I, will take from the top of the lofty cedar and will set it. From the chief of its young twigs, a tender one I will pluck, and I will plant it upon a high and exalted mountain.
Morphology
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Standard introduction to divine proclamation.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Part of the prophetic formula.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾAdonai) – Root: אדן; Form: Noun of majesty; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Title paired with the divine name.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of Israel’s God.
- וְלָקַחְתִּי (ve-laqaḥti) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with conjunction; Translation: “and I will take”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s decisive action.
- אָנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Adds emphasis to YHWH’s personal involvement.
- מִצַּמֶּרֶת (mi-tsammeret) – Root: צמר; Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “from the top”; Notes: Refers to the uppermost growth or shoot.
- הָאֶרֶז (ha-ʾerez) – Root: ארז; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the cedar”; Notes: Symbol of strength, often used for rulers or kingdoms.
- הָרָמָה (ha-ramah) – Root: רום; Form: Adjective feminine singular with article; Translation: “the lofty”; Notes: Describes the cedar’s elevated stature.
- וְנָתַתִּי (ve-natatti) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with conjunction; Translation: “and I will set”; Notes: YHWH’s action of establishing.
- מֵרֹאשׁ (me-rosh) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the top”; Notes: Points to the choicest portion.
- יֹנְקֹותָיו (yonqotav) – Root: ינק; Form: Noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “its young twigs”; Notes: Refers to tender new shoots of growth.
- רַךְ (rakh) – Root: רך; Form: Adjective masculine singular absolute; Translation: “tender”; Notes: Describes the delicate quality of the twig.
- אֶקְטֹף (ʾeqtof) – Root: קטף; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will pluck”; Notes: Future action of divine selection.
- וְשָׁתַלְתִּי (ve-shataltī) – Root: שתל; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with conjunction; Translation: “and I will plant”; Notes: Cultivation metaphor for divine establishment.
- אָנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על; Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Introduces location of planting.
- הַר (har) – Root: הר; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute with article; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: Symbol of prominence.
- גָּבֹהַ (gavoah) – Root: גבה; Form: Adjective masculine singular absolute; Translation: “high”; Notes: Height conveys exaltation.
- וְתָלוּל (ve-talul) – Root: תלל; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “and exalted”; Notes: Enhances the image of the mountain as elevated above others.