אַשּׁ֣וּר לֹ֣א יֹושִׁיעֵ֗נוּ עַל־סוּס֙ לֹ֣א נִרְכָּ֔ב וְלֹא־נֹ֥אמַר עֹ֛וד אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֵ֑ינוּ אֲשֶׁר־בְּךָ֖ יְרֻחַ֥ם יָתֹֽום׃
Ashshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horse; and we will not say again, ‘Our gods,’ to the work of our hands, for in You the orphan finds mercy.”
Morphology
- אַשּׁוּר (Ashur) – Root: אַשּׁוּר (Ashur); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Ashur” (Assyria); Notes: Refers to the Assyrian empire, once a political ally and false source of security for Yisraʾel.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb “will save.”
- יֹושִׁיעֵנוּ (yoshiʿenu) – Root: יָשַׁע (yashaʿ); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1cp; Translation: “shall save us”; Notes: Hifil denotes causative action—“cause to be saved.” The confession renounces dependence on foreign deliverance.
- עַל־סוּס (ʿal-sus) – Root: סוּס (sus); Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine singular; Translation: “upon horse”; Notes: Symbolizes military might or reliance on human strength rather than divine help.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb, emphasizing Israel’s rejection of former military trust.
- נִרְכָּב (nirkav) – Root: רָכַב (rakhav); Form: Nifal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we will ride”; Notes: Indicates passive or reflexive nuance—Israel’s renunciation of dependence on horses for defense or escape.
- וְלֹא־נֹאמַר (velo-noʾmar) – Root: אָמַר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle + Qal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “and we will not say”; Notes: Declares a vow not to repeat idolatrous declarations—part of Israel’s confession of faith and repentance.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “again” or “anymore”; Notes: Denotes cessation of former behavior—no more idol worship or attributing divinity to human works.
- אֱלֹהֵינוּ (ʾeloheinu) – Root: אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 1cp; Translation: “our gods”; Notes: Refers to false gods—an admission of past sin, contrasting with monotheistic faith in YHWH alone.
- לְמַעֲשֵׂה (lemaʿaseh) – Root: עָשָׂה (ʿasah); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “to the work”; Notes: Indicates possession or attribution—calling idols “the work” of human hands, underscoring the absurdity of idolatry.
- יָדֵינוּ (yadeinu) – Root: יָד (yad); Form: Noun feminine dual construct + suffix 1cp; Translation: “of our hands”; Notes: Represents human craftsmanship—metaphor for idols fashioned by people, rejecting the Creator for the created.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason clause—why Israel renounces idolatry and foreign alliances.
- בְּךָ (bekha) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 2ms; Translation: “in You”; Notes: Expresses exclusive dependence on YHWH—the one in whom mercy and deliverance reside.
- יְרֻחַם (yeruḥam) – Root: רָחַם (raḥam); Form: Pual imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is shown mercy”; Notes: The passive voice underscores divine compassion as the sole source of redemption.
- יָתוֹם (yatom) – Root: יָתַם (yatam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “orphan”; Notes: Symbol of helplessness; represents Israel as the dependent child receiving mercy from YHWH alone.