כִּ֣י כֹ֣ה אָֽמַר־֠יְהוָה בֹּורֵ֨א הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים יֹצֵ֨ר הָאָ֤רֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ֙ ה֣וּא כֹֽונְנָ֔הּ לֹא־תֹ֥הוּ בְרָאָ֖הּ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יְצָרָ֑הּ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין עֹֽוד׃
For thus said YHWH, Creator of the heavens, He is the God, Former of the earth and its Maker, He established it; He did not create it for chaos, He formed it to be inhabited: I am YHWH, and there is none else.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces an explanation or reason.
- כֹה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Common in prophetic declarations.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Past tense verb introducing divine speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal name of God.
- בֹּורֵא (boreʾ) – Root: ברא; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “Creator”; Notes: Describes God’s continuous role as Creator.
- הַשָּׁמַיִם (ha-shamayim) – Root: שׁמים; Form: Noun masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “the heavens”; Notes: Refers to the sky or celestial domain.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: הוא; Form: Independent pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He”; Notes: Clarifies subject identity.
- הָאֱלֹהִים (ha-ʾelohim) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “the God”; Notes: Used with singular verb to refer to the one true God.
- יֹצֵר (yotser) – Root: יצר; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “Former”; Notes: Denotes shaping or forming intentionally.
- הָאָרֶץ (ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Refers to the terrestrial world.
- וְעֹשָׂהּ (ve-ʿosah) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal participle masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and its Maker”; Notes: Refers to God’s creative work upon the earth.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: הוא; Form: Independent pronoun; Translation: “He”; Notes: Re-emphasizes the subject in parallel structure.
- כֹונְנָהּ (konenah) – Root: כון; Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “He established it”; Notes: Refers to laying firm foundations.
- לֹא־תֹהוּ (lo-tohu) – Root: תהו; Form: Negative particle לֹא + noun masculine singular; Translation: “not for chaos”; Notes: “Tohu” implies emptiness or purposelessness.
- בְרָאָהּ (veraʾah) – Root: ברא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “He created it”; Notes: Points to God’s deliberate design.
- לָשֶׁבֶת (la-shevet) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “to be inhabited”; Notes: Expresses purpose of creation.
- יְצָרָהּ (yetsarah) – Root: יצר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “He formed it”; Notes: Parallel verb emphasizing God’s intention.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: אנכ; Form: Independent personal pronoun, 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Strong personal declaration.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The speaker identifies Himself unequivocally.
- וְאֵין עֹוד (ve-ein ʿod) – Root: אין, עוד; Form: Conjunction + negative existential particle + adverb; Translation: “and there is none else”; Notes: Affirms YHWH’s exclusive divinity.