כִּֽי־קֵרְב֧וּ כַתַּנּ֛וּר לִבָּ֖ם בְּאָרְבָּ֑ם כָּל־הַלַּ֨יְלָה֙ יָשֵׁ֣ן אֹֽפֵהֶ֔ם בֹּ֕קֶר ה֥וּא בֹעֵ֖ר כְּאֵ֥שׁ לֶהָבָֽה׃
For their heart is like an oven, they draw near in their ambush; all the night their baker sleeps, in the morning it burns like a flaming fire.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason or explanation for the previous statement.
- קֵרְבוּ (qervu) – Root: קרב (qarav); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they drew near”; Notes: Indicates both physical and emotional nearness, expressing passion or intent.
- כַתַּנּוּר (ka-tannur) – Root: תנר (tannur); Form: Preposition כְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “like an oven”; Notes: Simile of uncontrolled heat symbolizing lust or violent desire.
- לִבָּם (libbam) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their heart”; Notes: Denotes the inner seat of passion and thought.
- בְּאָרְבָּם (be-orbam) – Root: ארב (ʾarab); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “in their ambush”; Notes: Refers to their secret plotting or premeditated schemes.
- כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה (kol-ha-laylah) – Root: לילה (laylah); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “all the night”; Notes: Duration of inactivity before their plan ignites into action.
- יָשֵׁן (yashen) – Root: ישן (yashan); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “sleeps”; Notes: Describes rest or stillness of the baker, waiting for the right time.
- אֹפֵהֶם (ofehem) – Root: אפה (afah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their baker”; Notes: The image continues the oven metaphor; the baker represents their leadership or instigator.
- בֹּקֶר (boqer) – Root: בקר (boqer); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “morning”; Notes: Marks the moment when their hidden schemes flare into visible action.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to the oven — the metaphorical heart or their passion.
- בֹעֵר (boʿer) – Root: בער (baʿar); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “burns”; Notes: Continuous action, expressing consuming intensity or passion.
- כְּאֵשׁ (ke-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “like fire”; Notes: Simile emphasizing destructive force or fervor.
- לֶהָבָה (lehavah) – Root: להב (lahav); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “flame”; Notes: Conveys the final eruption of passion or violence, completing the metaphor.