וּמַֽה־יַּעֲנֶ֖ה מַלְאֲכֵי־גֹ֑וי כִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ יִסַּ֣ד צִיֹּ֔ון וּבָ֥הּ יֶחֱס֖וּ עֲנִיֵּ֥י עַמֹּֽו׃ ס
And what shall one answer the messengers of a nation? That YHWH has founded Tsiyyon, and in her the afflicted of His people shall find refuge.
Morphology
- וּמַה (u-mah) – Root: מה; Form: Conjunction + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “And what”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- יַּעֲנֶה (yaʿaneh) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall answer”; Notes: Refers to the response that should be given.
- מַלְאֲכֵי־גֹוי (malʾakhei-goy) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh) + גוי (goy); Form: Construct noun masculine plural + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the messengers of a nation”; Notes: Refers to foreign envoys or diplomats.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “That” or “because”; Notes: Introduces the content of the answer.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- יִסַּד (yissad) – Root: יסד (yasad); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has founded”; Notes: Emphasizes divine establishment and permanence.
- צִיּוֹן (Tsiyon) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Feminine singular; Translation: “Tsiyon” (Zion); Notes: A poetic name for Yerushalayim, symbolic of YHWH’s presence.
- וּבָהּ (u-vah) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Conjunction + preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and in her”; Notes: Refers to Tsiyon as the place of refuge.
- יֶחֱסוּ (yekhesu) – Root: חסה (ḥasah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “shall find refuge”; Notes: Expresses trust and shelter in divine provision.
- עֲנִיֵּי (ʿaniyyei) – Root: עָנִי (ʿani); Form: Construct plural masculine; Translation: “the afflicted of”; Notes: Describes the humble and oppressed members of YHWH’s people.
- עַמּוֹ (ʿammo) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “His people”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel as YHWH’s covenant community.