כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ לָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָרֵ֨אנוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־יַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽנוּ׃
For now they shall say, “We have no king, for we did not fear YHWH; and the king, what could he do for us?”
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason or explanation for the coming statement.
- עַתָּה (ʿattah) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Adverb of time; Translation: “now”; Notes: Indicates a shift to the present situation—judgment and realization of loss.
- יֹאמְרוּ (yoʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall say”; Notes: Predicts a confession or lamentation by the people of Yisraʾel.
- אֵין (ʾein) – Root: —; Form: Particle of nonexistence; Translation: “there is no”; Notes: Denotes absence—used here to emphasize the void of leadership or divine protection.
- מֶלֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “king”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel’s human ruler—no longer effective due to divine rejection.
- לָנוּ (lanu) – Root: ל (lamed); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1cp; Translation: “for us” or “to us”; Notes: Expresses possession—“we have no king.”
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Connects the reason for the loss of kingship with their lack of reverence for YHWH.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb “to fear.”
- יָרֵאנוּ (yareʾnu) – Root: ירא (yaraʾ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we feared”; Notes: Used here in the negative form—acknowledging their failure to revere YHWH.
- אֶת־יְהוָה (ʾet-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The object of their neglected fear—true divine authority replaced by human reliance.
- וְהַמֶּלֶךְ (ve-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Conjunction וְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the king”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question contrasting human and divine power.
- מַה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Expresses futility—implying the king’s impotence to save or lead.
- יַּעֲשֶׂה (yaʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “could he do”; Notes: Reflects rhetorical despair—acknowledging the king’s powerlessness under YHWH’s judgment.
- לָּנוּ (lanu) – Root: ל (lamed); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1cp; Translation: “for us”; Notes: Repeats the earlier phrase for emphasis—underscoring their alienation from both divine and earthly rulers.