כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵרֵד֩ הַגֶּ֨שֶׁם וְהַשֶּׁ֜לֶג מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וְשָׁ֨מָּה֙ לֹ֣א יָשׁ֔וּב כִּ֚י אִם־הִרְוָ֣ה אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהֹולִידָ֖הּ וְהִצְמִיחָ֑הּ וְנָ֤תַן זֶ֨רַע֙ לַזֹּרֵ֔עַ וְלֶ֖חֶם לָאֹכֵֽל׃
For just as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return there but rather water the earth and make it bear and sprout, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
Morphology
- כִּ֡י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces an explanatory comparison.
- כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (kaʾasher) – Root: כאשר; Form: Compound of preposition כְּ + relative particle אֲשֶׁר; Translation: “just as”; Notes: Introduces the simile.
- יֵרֵד (yēred) – Root: ירד; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “comes down”; Notes: Verb for descent, describing the action of rain and snow.
- הַגֶּשֶׁם (ha-geshem) – Root: גשם; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the rain”; Notes: Subject of the verb “comes down.”
- וְהַשֶּׁלֶג (ve-ha-sheleg) – Root: שלג; Form: Conjunction + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the snow”; Notes: Joined to the rain as compound subject.
- מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם (min-ha-shamayim) – Root: שמים; Form: Preposition מִן + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “from the heavens”; Notes: Source of the descending elements.
- וְשָׁ֨מָּה (ve-shammah) – Root: שם; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and there”; Notes: Refers back to the heavens.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes negation of the verb “return.”
- יָשׁ֔וּב (yashuv) – Root: שוב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “returns”; Notes: The subject (rain and snow) does not return.
- כִּ֚י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces an exception or contrast.
- אִם־ (im) – Root: אם; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “rather”; Notes: Functions idiomatically as concessive in context: “rather” or “unless.”
- הִרְוָ֣ה (hirvah) – Root: רוה; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “waters”; Notes: Causative sense—makes the earth wet or saturated.
- אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ (et-ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ; Form: Direct object marker + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Direct object of the verb “waters.”
- וְהֹולִידָ֖הּ (ve-holidah) – Root: ילד; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and makes it bear”; Notes: The earth is the object, and the verb is causative.
- וְהִצְמִיחָ֑הּ (ve-hitsmiḥah) – Root: צמח; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and makes it sprout”; Notes: Parallel causative verb referring to vegetation.
- וְנָ֤תַן (ve-natan) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and gives”; Notes: Introduces the result or purpose of the rain’s action.
- זֶ֨רַע (zeraʿ) – Root: זרע; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “seed”; Notes: The noun denotes both agricultural seed and offspring in other contexts.
- לַזֹּרֵ֔עַ (la-zoreʿa) – Root: זרע; Form: Preposition + participle Qal masculine singular; Translation: “to the sower”; Notes: Active participle used substantivally.
- וְלֶ֖חֶם (ve-leḥem) – Root: לחם; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and bread”; Notes: Parallel to “seed,” outcome of the earth’s yield.
- לָאֹכֵֽל (la-okhel) – Root: אכל; Form: Preposition + Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “to the eater”; Notes: Expresses purpose or recipient of the bread.