וַיְהִ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם כְּיֹונָ֥ה פֹותָ֖ה אֵ֣ין לֵ֑ב מִצְרַ֥יִם קָרָ֖אוּ אַשּׁ֥וּר הָלָֽכוּ׃
And Efrayim has become like a silly dove without heart; they call to Mitsrayim, they go to Ashshur.
Morphology
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he became”; Notes: Marks a transition in state — Ephrayim’s degeneration likened to a naïve bird.
- אֶפְרַיִם (Ephrayim) – Root: אפרים (Ephrayim); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ephrayim”; Notes: Symbolic of the northern kingdom of Yisraʾel.
- כְּיֹונָה (ke-yonah) – Root: יונה (yonah); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “like a dove”; Notes: Simile portraying gullibility or simplicity.
- פֹותָה (potah) – Root: פתה (patah); Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “silly” or “easily enticed”; Notes: Indicates naïveté and lack of discernment.
- אֵין (ʾein) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Particle of non-existence; Translation: “without”; Notes: Expresses lack or absence of a quality.
- לֵב (lev) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “heart”; Notes: Symbol of understanding, discernment, or wisdom; “without heart” means lacking judgment.
- מִצְרַיִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt, representing misplaced political reliance.
- קָרָאוּ (qarʾu) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they called”; Notes: Denotes appeal for alliance or assistance, a sign of faithlessness toward YHWH.
- אַשּׁוּר (Ashur) – Root: אשׁור (Ashur); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ashur”; Notes: Refers to Assyria, another foreign power sought by Ephrayim instead of YHWH.
- הָלָכוּ (halakhu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they went”; Notes: Expresses decisive action — they physically and politically turned to foreign nations rather than to YHWH.