Isaiah 29:16

הַ֨פְכְּכֶ֔ם אִם־כְּחֹ֥מֶר הַיֹּצֵ֖ר יֵֽחָשֵׁ֑ב כִּֽי־יֹאמַ֨ר מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה לְעֹשֵׂ֨הוּ֙ לֹ֣א עָשָׂ֔נִי וְיֵ֛צֶר אָמַ֥ר לְיֹוצְרֹ֖ו לֹ֥א הֵבִֽין׃

Your turning of things upside down—shall it be regarded as the potter’s clay? For shall the work say to its maker, “He did not make me,” or shall the thing formed say to its former, “He has no understanding”?

Morphology

1. הַ֨פְכְּכֶ֔ם (hafkekhem) – Root: הפך; Form: Hifil infinitive construct with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your turning (things) upside down”; Notes: Refers to their perverse reversal of moral or theological order.
2. אִם־ (im) – Root: אם; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “shall…?” or “if…?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
3. כְּחֹ֥מֶר (ke-ḥomer) – Root: חמר; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “as clay”; Notes: Refers to pliable substance shaped by a potter.
4. הַיֹּצֵ֖ר (ha-yotser) – Root: יצר; Form: Definite article + Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “the potter”; Notes: Used metaphorically for the Creator.
5. יֵֽחָשֵׁ֑ב (yeḥashev) – Root: חשב; Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “be considered”; Notes: Passive form—“shall it be reckoned?”
6. כִּֽי־יֹאמַ֨ר (ki-yomar) – Root: אמר; Form: Conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “for shall say”; Notes: Introduces hypothetical or rhetorical speech.
7. מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה (maʿaseh) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the work” or “thing made”; Notes: Refers to the product of a maker.
8. לְעֹשֵׂ֨הוּ֙ (le-ʿosehu) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Preposition + Qal active participle masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to its maker”; Notes: The one who made it—metaphor for God.
9. לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the creator’s role.
10. עָשָׂ֔נִי (ʿasani) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “He made me”; Notes: Statement of creation denied by the object.
11. וְיֵ֛צֶר (ve-yetser) – Root: יצר; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the thing formed”; Notes: Refers to the shaped product, similar to “work.”
12. אָמַ֥ר (amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Used here in a rhetorical question context.
13. לְיֹוצְרֹ֖ו (le-yotsero) – Root: יצר; Form: Preposition + Qal active participle masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to its former”; Notes: Refers again to the Creator.
14. לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denial of the former’s intelligence.
15. הֵבִֽין (hevin) – Root: בין; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he understood”; Notes: Used here sarcastically—“He had no understanding.”