הֵ֣ן כֻּלָּ֔ם אָ֥וֶן אֶ֖פֶס מַעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם ר֥וּחַ וָתֹ֖הוּ נִסְכֵּיהֶֽם׃ פ
Behold, all of them are nothingness, their deeds are nothing; wind and emptiness are their molten images.”
Morphology
- הֵ֣ן (hen) – Root: הן; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Used to call attention emphatically to what follows.
- כֻּלָּ֔ם (kullam) – Root: כל; Form: Noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “all of them”; Notes: Totality, referring to idols or false counselors.
- אָ֥וֶן (ʾawen) – Root: און; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “worthlessness,” “iniquity”; Notes: Often connotes futility or evil.
- אֶ֖פֶס (ʾefes) – Root: אפס; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “nothing”; Notes: Reinforces total negation—void of value or substance.
- מַעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם (maʿăsehem) – Root: עשה; Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their deeds”; Notes: Refers to actions of the idol-makers or false gods.
- ר֥וּחַ (ruaḥ) – Root: רוח; Form: Noun, feminine (or common) singular; Translation: “wind”; Notes: Evokes emptiness or fleetingness.
- וָתֹ֖הוּ (va-tohu) – Root: תהו; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and chaos” or “formlessness”; Notes: Paired with רוח (“wind”) to express utter vanity.
- נִסְכֵּיהֶֽם (niskēhem) – Root: נסך; Form: Noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their molten images” or “cast idols”; Notes: From the context of idol-making. Not to be confused with libations (same root).