הֲלֹ֨וא יָדַ֜עְתָּ אִם־לֹ֣א שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ אֱלֹהֵ֨י עֹולָ֤ם יְהוָה֙ בֹּורֵא֙ קְצֹ֣ות הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יִיעַ֖ף וְלֹ֣א יִיגָ֑ע אֵ֥ין חֵ֖קֶר לִתְבוּנָתֹֽו׃
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The eternal God is YHWH, Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint and does not grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.
Morphology
- הֲלֹ֨וא (halo) – Root: לא; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Have you not…?”; Notes: Used rhetorically to call attention or correct misunderstanding.
- יָדַ֜עְתָּ (yadaʿta) – Root: ידע; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have known”; Notes: Refers to intellectual or experiential knowledge.
- אִם־לֹ֣א (im-lo) – Root: אם, לא; Form: Conditional conjunction + negation; Translation: “if not”; Notes: Alternative rhetorical formula—“Have you not…?”
- שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ (shamaʿta) – Root: שמע; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have heard”; Notes: Parallel to “you have known” for rhetorical force.
- אֱלֹהֵ֨י (Elohei) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person suffix implied by context; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Construct chain with “eternity.”
- עֹולָ֤ם (ʿolam) – Root: עלם; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “eternity”; Notes: Refers to timeless duration—”everlasting.”
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- בֹּורֵא֙ (boreʾ) – Root: ברא; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “Creator”; Notes: Ongoing creative function.
- קְצֹ֣ות (qetsot) – Root: קצה; Form: Noun, feminine plural construct; Translation: “ends”; Notes: Part of a construct chain with “the earth.”
- הָאָ֔רֶץ (haʾarets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Global scope implied.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- יִיעַ֖ף (yiyyaʿef) – Root: יעף; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “faints”; Notes: Denotes physical exhaustion.
- וְלֹ֣א (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continuation of the negation.
- יִיגָ֑ע (yiygaʿ) – Root: יגע; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “becomes weary”; Notes: Emphasizes God’s tireless nature.
- אֵ֥ין (ʾen) – Root: —; Form: Existential particle; Translation: “there is no”; Notes: Introduces an absolute negation.
- חֵ֖קֶר (ḥeqer) – Root: חקר; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “searching,” “inquiry”; Notes: Implies unreachable depth.
- לִתְבוּנָתֹֽו (litvunato) – Root: בין; Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix and preposition; Translation: “to His understanding”; Notes: Refers to divine wisdom or discernment.