לָ֤מָּה תֹאמַר֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּתְדַבֵּ֖ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל נִסְתְּרָ֤ה דַרְכִּי֙ מֵיְהוָ֔ה וּמֵאֱלֹהַ֖י מִשְׁפָּטִ֥י יַעֲבֹֽור׃
Why do you say, Yaʿaqov, and speak, Yisraʾel, “My way has been hidden from YHWH, and my justice passes over from my God”?
Morphology
- לָ֤מָּה (lammah) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative particle with preposition; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- תֹאמַר֙ (toʾmar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “do you say”; Notes: Direct speech addressed to Yaʿaqov.
- יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב (Yaʿaqov) – Root: יעקב; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yaʿaqov”; Notes: Synonymous with the people of Yisraʾel.
- וּתְדַבֵּ֖ר (utedabber) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-conjunctive; Translation: “and speak”; Notes: Intensified form of speech.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Parallel to Yaʿaqov as poetic synonym.
- נִסְתְּרָ֤ה (nisterah) – Root: סתר; Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has been hidden”; Notes: Passive meaning—concealment by circumstance or divine will.
- דַרְכִּי֙ (darki) – Root: דרך; Form: Noun, feminine singular construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my way”; Notes: Refers to one’s course of life or fate.
- מֵיְהוָ֔ה (me-YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “from YHWH”; Notes: Indicates separation or distance.
- וּמֵאֱלֹהַ֖י (umeʾelohai) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun, masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix and preposition; Translation: “and from my God”; Notes: Possessive, indicating personal relationship.
- מִשְׁפָּטִ֥י (mishpati) – Root: שפט; Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my justice”; Notes: Refers to judgment or rightful decision concerning the speaker.
- יַעֲבֹֽור (yaʿavor) – Root: עבר; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “passes over”; Notes: Conveys the sense of being bypassed or ignored.