אֶפְרַ֛יִם כַּאֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥יתִי לְצֹ֖ור שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בְנָוֶ֑ה וְאֶפְרַ֕יִם לְהֹוצִ֥יא אֶל־הֹרֵ֖ג בָּנָֽיו׃
Efrayim, as I have seen, is planted like Tsor in a pleasant dwelling; but Efrayim shall bring out his children to the slayer.
Morphology
- אֶפְרַיִם (Ephrayim) – Root: אפרים (Ephrayim); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ephrayim”; Notes: Represents the northern kingdom of Yisraʾel, often depicted as prosperous yet spiritually unfaithful.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Compound particle כְּ + relative pronoun; Translation: “as” or “just as”; Notes: Introduces a comparison between Ephrayim and the city of Tsor (Tyre).
- רָאִיתִי (raʾiti) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have seen”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s observation — a divine assessment of Ephrayim’s apparent prosperity.
- לְצֹור (le-Tsor) – Root: צור (Tsor); Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “like Tyre”; Notes: Tsor (Tyre) was a rich Phoenician city; the comparison emphasizes material wealth and security before divine judgment.
- שְׁתוּלָה (shetulah) – Root: שתל (shatal); Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “planted”; Notes: Metaphor of stability and flourishing — Ephrayim, like Tyre, seemed firmly established before ruin.
- בְנָוֶה (be-naweh) – Root: נוה (navah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in a pleasant dwelling”; Notes: Refers to a comfortable, prosperous habitation — an image of ease and abundance.
- וְאֶפְרַיִם (ve-Ephrayim) – Root: אפרים (Ephrayim); Form: Conjunction וְ + proper noun; Translation: “but Ephrayim”; Notes: The conjunction introduces contrast — prosperity turns to destruction.
- לְהֹוצִיא (le-hotziʾ) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Preposition לְ + Hiphil infinitive construct; Translation: “to bring out”; Notes: Indicates causative action — Ephrayim will deliver his own children into death or exile.
- אֶל (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “to” or “unto”; Notes: Marks direction or recipient of the action — the slayer as the one who receives the victims.
- הֹרֵג (horeg) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “the slayer” or “the killer”; Notes: Represents invading enemies or divine agents of judgment.
- בָּנָיו (banav) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his sons” or “his children”; Notes: Symbolic of offspring or the future generation — doomed by their parents’ sins and idolatry.