אַ֣ף בַּל־נִטָּ֗עוּ אַ֚ף בַּל־זֹרָ֔עוּ אַ֛ף בַּל־שֹׁרֵ֥שׁ בָּאָ֖רֶץ גִּזְעָ֑ם וְגַם־נָשַׁ֤ף בָּהֶם֙ וַיִּבָ֔שׁוּ וּסְעָרָ֖ה כַּקַּ֥שׁ תִּשָּׂאֵֽם׃ ס
Indeed, they were not planted; indeed, they were not sown; indeed, their stem did not take root in the earth, He also blew on them and they withered, and a storm shall carry them off like stubble.
Morphology
- אַ֣ף (ʾaf) – Root: אף; Form: Adverb/conjunction; Translation: “indeed” or “even”; Notes: Used here to intensify the parallel structure.
- בַּל־נִטָּ֗עוּ (bal-nittaʿu) – Root: נטע; Form: Qal passive perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they were not planted”; Notes: “בַל” is a poetic negative particle equivalent to “לא.”
- אַ֚ף (ʾaf) – Repetition of adverb; see earlier note.
- בַּל־זֹרָ֔עוּ (bal-zoraʿu) – Root: זרע; Form: Qal passive perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they were not sown.”
- אַ֛ף (ʾaf) – Repetition of intensifying adverb; see above.
- בַּל־שֹׁרֵ֥שׁ (bal-shoresh) – Root: שרש; Form: Qal infinitive; Translation: “take root”; Notes: Used in poetic negation.
- בָּאָ֖רֶץ (baʾarets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “in the earth.”
- גִּזְעָ֑ם (gizʿam) – Root: גזע; Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their stem.”
- וְגַם־נָשַׁ֤ף (vegam-nashaф) – Root: נשף; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He blew”; Notes: The subject is YHWH, implied.
- בָּהֶם֙ (bahem) – Root: הם; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “on them.”
- וַיִּבָ֔שׁוּ (vayyibashu) – Root: יבש; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they withered.”
- וּסְעָרָ֖ה (useʿarah) – Root: סער; Form: Noun, feminine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and a storm.”
- כַּקַּ֥שׁ (kakkash) – Root: קש; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “like stubble.”
- תִּשָּׂאֵֽם (tissaʾem) – Root: נשא; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “shall carry them”; Notes: The subject is the feminine noun “storm.”