וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ יֹום־צָרָ֧ה וְתֹוכֵחָ֛ה וּנְאָצָ֖ה הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י בָ֤אוּ בָנִים֙ עַד־מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר וְכֹ֥חַ אַ֖יִן לְלֵדָֽה׃
And they said to him, “Thus says Ḥizqiyahu: ‘A day of distress and rebuke and disgrace is this day, for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to give birth.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech from the messengers.
- אֵלָ֗יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Yeshaʿyahu the prophet.
- כֹּ֚ה (koh) – Root: demonstrative particle; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Common prophetic formula introducing a message.
- אָמַ֣ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Refers to Ḥizqiyahu as the speaker.
- חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ (Ḥizqiyahu) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq) + divine element יהו; Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Ḥizqiyahu”; Notes: King of Yisraʾel (Judah) delivering a message through emissaries.
- יֹום־צָרָ֧ה (yom-tsarah) – Root: יום (yom), צרה (tsarah); Form: Construct noun + noun feminine singular; Translation: “a day of distress”; Notes: Construct chain expressing nature of the day.
- וְתֹוכֵחָ֛ה (ve-tokheḥah) – Root: יכח (yakhaḥ); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and rebuke”; Notes: Adds another characterization of the day.
- וּנְאָצָ֖ה (u-neʾatsah) – Root: נאץ (naʾats); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and disgrace”; Notes: Implies scorn or contempt, possibly directed against YHWH or Yisraʾel.
- הַיֹּ֣ום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Refers to the current moment of crisis.
- הַזֶּ֑ה (ha-zeh) – Root: demonstrative pronoun; Form: Definite masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Demonstrates emphasis on the immediacy of the situation.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: conjunction; Form: Causal conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the distress.
- בָ֤אוּ (vaʾu) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have come”; Notes: Refers to children approaching birth.
- בָנִים֙ (banim) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “children”; Notes: Symbolic or literal, often used metaphorically for a nation’s future or promise.
- עַד־מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר (ʿad-mashber) – Root: שבר (shavar); Form: Preposition עַד + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the point of birth”; Notes: *Mashber* refers to the birthing stool or crisis moment.
- וְכֹ֥חַ (ve-koaḥ) – Root: כח (koaḥ); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and strength”; Notes: The energy or capacity to complete the task.
- אַ֖יִן (ayin) – Root: negative existential; Form: Particle; Translation: “there is no”; Notes: Denotes total lack or absence.
- לְלֵדָֽה (le-leidah) – Root: ילד (yalad); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular (infinitive or verbal noun); Translation: “to give birth”; Notes: The culmination of the labor is unattainable, expressing helplessness.