וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ מָ֤ה אִמְּךָ֙ לְבִיָּ֔א בֵּ֥ין אֲרָיֹ֖ות רָבָ֑צָה בְּתֹ֥וךְ כְּפִרִ֖ים רִבְּתָ֥ה גוּרֶֽיהָ׃
And you shall say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness; among lions she lay down, in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs.
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive (wayyiqtol force); Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: Prophetic instruction for the prophet’s speech.
- מָה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What?”; Notes: Introduces the rhetorical question about identity.
- אִמְּךָ (ʾimmekha) – Root: אם (ʾem); Form: Noun feminine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your mother”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to Yisraʾel or its leadership.
- לְבִיָּא (leviyya) – Root: לביא (leviʾ); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “a lioness”; Notes: Feminine form, image of strength and ferocity.
- בֵּין (bein) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition; Translation: “among”; Notes: Expresses location or association.
- אֲרָיֹות (ʾarayot) – Root: אריה (ʾaryeh); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “lions”; Notes: Refers to full-grown lions in contrast to young lions.
- רָבָצָה (ravatsah) – Root: רבץ (ravats); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she lay down”; Notes: Describes the lioness dwelling among lions.
- בְּתוֹךְ (be-tokh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the midst of”; Notes: Emphasizes central placement among the group.
- כְּפִרִים (kefirim) – Root: כפר (kefir); Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “young lions”; Notes: Refers to adolescent lions, symbolizing youthful leaders or princes.
- רִבְּתָה (ribbetah) – Root: רבה (ravah); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she reared”; Notes: Intensive stem emphasizes careful raising or nurturing.
- גוּרֶיהָ (gureha) – Root: גור (gur); Form: Noun masculine plural + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her cubs”; Notes: Depicts the offspring of the lioness, symbol of future rulers.