Isaiah 5:21

הֹ֖וי חֲכָמִ֣ים בְּעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם וְנֶ֥גֶד פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם נְבֹנִֽים׃

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and discerning in their own sight.

Morphology

1. הֹוי (hoy) – Root: הוי (hoy); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Woe”; Notes: Prophetic lament or warning of impending judgment.
2. חֲכָמִים (ḥakhamim) – Root: חכם (ḥakham); Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “wise”; Notes: Used here ironically—self-proclaimed wisdom.
3. בְּעֵינֵיהֶם (be-ʿeinehem) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine dual in construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “in their own eyes”; Notes: Expression of subjective self-assessment.
4. וְנֶגֶד (ve-neged) – Root: נגד (neged); Form: Conjunction + preposition; Translation: “and before” or “in front of”; Notes: Spatial metaphor indicating self-perception.
5. פְּנֵיהֶם (penehem) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Noun masculine plural in construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their faces” or “their presence”; Notes: Reinforces internal, self-referential evaluation.
6. נְבֹנִים (nevonim) – Root: בין (bin); Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “discerning” or “understanding”; Notes: Ironically used, meaning they presume understanding.