וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה דְמוּת֙ כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵ֔שׁ מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה מָתְנָ֛יו וּלְמַ֖טָּה אֵ֑שׁ וּמִמָּתְנָ֣יו וּלְמַ֔עְלָה כְּמַרְאֵה־זֹ֖הַר כְּעֵ֥ין הַחַשְׁמַֽלָה׃
And I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins and downward, fire, and from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, like the look of ḥashmal.
Morphology
- וָאֶרְאֶה (va-ʾerʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I saw”; Notes: Ezekiel’s visionary perception.
- וְהִנֵּה (ve-hinneh) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Marks the sudden appearance of a vision.
- דְמוּת (demut) – Root: דמה; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “a likeness”; Notes: A resemblance, not exact form.
- כְּמַרְאֵה־ (ke-marʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Preposition כ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “as the appearance of”; Notes: Comparative expression.
- אֵשׁ (ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “fire”; Notes: Symbol of divine presence and consuming power.
- מִמַּרְאֵה (mi-marʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Preposition מ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “from the appearance of”; Notes: Marks the source of perception.
- מָתְנָיו (motnav) – Root: מתן; Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his loins”; Notes: Central part of the body, symbolic of strength.
- וּלְמַטָּה (u-le-mattah) – Root: מטה; Form: Conjunction + preposition + adverb; Translation: “and downward”; Notes: Indicates direction.
- אֵשׁ (ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute (repetition); Translation: “fire”; Notes: Stresses fiery appearance.
- וּמִמָּתְנָיו (u-mi-motnav) – Root: מתן; Form: Conjunction + preposition מ + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and from his loins”; Notes: Parallel directional emphasis.
- וּלְמַעְלָה (u-le-maʿlah) – Root: עלה; Form: Conjunction + preposition + adverb; Translation: “and upward”; Notes: Opposite directional perspective.
- כְּמַרְאֵה־ (ke-marʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Preposition כ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “as the appearance of”; Notes: Comparative description repeated.
- זֹהַר (zohar) – Root: זהר; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “brightness”; Notes: Radiance, shining light.
- כְּעֵין (ke-ʿein) – Root: עין; Form: Preposition כ + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “like the look of”; Notes: Used for simile.
- הַחַשְׁמַלָה (ha-ḥashmalah) – Root: חשׁמל; Form: Noun feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the ḥashmal”; Notes: A mysterious radiant substance seen in Ezekiel’s visions, often rendered “electrum” or “glowing metal.”