הֲלֹ֣וא הִנֵּ֔ה מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֑ות וְיִֽיגְע֤וּ עַמִּים֙ בְּדֵי־אֵ֔שׁ וּלְאֻמִּ֖ים בְּדֵי־רִ֥יק יִעָֽפוּ׃
Is it not, behold, from YHWH of hosts, that peoples toil for the fire and nations weary themselves for emptiness.
Morphology
- הֲלֹוא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle + negative; Translation: “is it not”; Notes: Rhetorical question expecting an affirmative answer.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Adds emphasis and immediacy.
- מֵאֵת (me-et) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin—this comes from YHWH.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of Israel’s God.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “hosts”; Notes: Military or heavenly hosts—title of power.
- וְיִיגְעוּ (ve-yigʿu) – Root: יגע (yagaʿ); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperfect 3mp; Translation: “and peoples shall toil”; Notes: Futile labor under divine judgment.
- עַמִּים (ʿammim) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “peoples”; Notes: General nations or ethnic groups.
- בְּדֵי־אֵשׁ (be-dei-esh) – Root: די (day) + אשׁ (esh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for the fire”; Notes: Their work fuels destruction.
- וּלְאֻמִּים (u-leʾummim) – Root: אום (ʾum); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and nations”; Notes: Parallel term widening the scope.
- בְּדֵי־רִיק (be-dei-riq) – Root: די (day) + ריק (riq); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for emptiness”; Notes: Their efforts end in nothing.
- יִעָפוּ (yaʿafu) – Root: יעף (yaʿef); Form: Qal imperfect 3mp; Translation: “shall weary themselves”; Notes: Expresses exhaustion without achievement.