וַנְּהִ֤י כַטָּמֵא֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וּכְבֶ֥גֶד עִדִּ֖ים כָּל־צִדְקֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַנָּ֤בֶל כֶּֽעָלֶה֙ כֻּלָּ֔נוּ וַעֲוֹנֵ֖נוּ כָּר֥וּחַ יִשָּׂאֻֽנוּ׃
And we became like one who is unclean, all of us; and all our righteous deeds like a garment of filth. And we all withered like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, carry us away.
Morphology
- וַנְּהִ֤י (va-nehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And we became”; Notes: Introduces a collective state of impurity.
- כַטָּמֵא֙ (ka-tame) – Root: טמא (ṭame); Form: Preposition כְּ + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “like the unclean”; Notes: Symbolic of ritual or moral impurity.
- כֻּלָּ֔נוּ (kullanu) – Root: כלל (kul); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “all of us”; Notes: Emphasizes totality of corruption.
- וּכְבֶ֥גֶד (u-ke-veged) – Root: בגד (beged); Form: Conjunction + preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and like a garment”; Notes: Begins second simile describing righteousness.
- עִדִּ֖ים (ʿiddim) – Root: עדי (ʿaddi); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “of filth” or “soiled”; Notes: Rare word, likely refers to garments stained by impurity—suggesting utter defilement.
- כָּל־צִדְקֹתֵ֑ינוּ (kol-tsidqoteinu) – Root: צדק (tsedeq); Form: Construct noun masculine singular + plural noun + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “all our righteous deeds”; Notes: Even their virtues are depicted as defiled.
- וַנָּ֤בֶל (va-navel) – Root: נבל (naval); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And we withered”; Notes: Describes fading or decaying, like a leaf.
- כֶּֽעָלֶה֙ (ke-ʿaleh) – Root: עלה (ʿaleh); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like a leaf”; Notes: Simile portraying fragility and decay.
- כֻּלָּ֔נוּ (kullanu) – Form: Repetition of earlier noun; Translation: “all of us”; Notes: Reemphasizing collective downfall.
- וַעֲוֹנֵ֖נוּ (va-ʿavonenu) – Root: עון (ʿavon); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “and our iniquities”; Notes: Moral guilt or sin bearing destructive consequences.
- כָּר֥וּחַ (ka-ruaḥ) – Root: רוח (ruaḥ); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “like the wind”; Notes: Expresses uncontrollable force that sweeps them away.
- יִשָּׂאֻֽנוּ (yissaʾunu) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “carries us away”; Notes: Depicts the effect of iniquity uprooting and dispersing them like leaves.