לָ֤מָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ־כֶ֨סֶף֙ בְּֽלֹוא־לֶ֔חֶם וִיגִיעֲכֶ֖ם בְּלֹ֣וא לְשָׂבְעָ֑ה שִׁמְע֨וּ שָׁמֹ֤ועַ אֵלַי֙ וְאִכְלוּ־טֹ֔וב וְתִתְעַנַּ֥ג בַּדֶּ֖שֶׁן נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃
Why do you weigh silver for that which is not bread, and your labor for what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul shall delight itself in abundance.
Morphology
- לָ֤מָּה (lammah) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative particle with preposition; Translation: “Why?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question of rebuke.
- תִשְׁקְלוּ־כֶ֨סֶף (tishqelu-kesef) – Root: שׁקל; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural + object noun; Translation: “do you weigh silver”; Notes: Implies payment or expenditure.
- בְּֽלֹוא־לֶ֔חֶם (belo-leḥem) – Root: בל / לחם; Form: Preposition + negative + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for that which is not bread”; Notes: Metaphor for what lacks true sustenance.
- וִיגִיעֲכֶ֖ם (vi-yigīaʿakhem) – Root: יגע; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and your labor”; Notes: Effort or toil that yields no real gain.
- בְּלֹ֣וא לְשָׂבְעָ֑ה (belo-lesovaʿ) – Root: בל / שׂבע; Form: Preposition + negative + noun feminine singular; Translation: “for what does not satisfy”; Notes: Refers to emptiness or futility.
- שִׁמְע֨וּ (shimʿu) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Listen!”; Notes: Urgent call to heed divine words.
- שָׁמֹ֤ועַ (shamoaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “surely listen” / “indeed hear”; Notes: Reinforces the command for emphasis.
- אֵלַי֙ (elai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as speaker.
- וְאִכְלוּ־טֹ֔וב (ve-ikhlu-tov) – Root: אכל / טוב; Form: Conjunction + Qal imperative masculine plural + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and eat what is good”; Notes: Invitation to receive true spiritual nourishment.
- וְתִתְעַנַּ֥ג (ve-titʿannag) – Root: ענג; Form: Hitpael imperfect 3rd person feminine singular (used as jussive); Translation: “and let delight itself”; Notes: Reflexive delight—enjoyment of abundance.
- בַּדֶּ֖שֶׁן (ba-deshen) – Root: דשן; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in abundance” / “fatness”; Notes: Symbol of prosperity and blessing.
- נַפְשְׁכֶֽם (nafshekhem) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Noun feminine singular + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your soul”; Notes: The whole being or inner self of the people.