זְאֵ֨ב וְטָלֶ֜ה יִרְע֣וּ כְאֶחָ֗ד וְאַרְיֵה֙ כַּבָּקָ֣ר יֹֽאכַל־תֶּ֔בֶן וְנָחָ֖שׁ עָפָ֣ר לַחְמֹ֑ו לֹֽא־יָרֵ֧עוּ וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֛יתוּ בְּכָל־הַ֥ר קָדְשִׁ֖י אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃
The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says YHWH.
Morphology
- זְאֵ֨ב (zəʾēv) – Root: זאב; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “wolf”; Notes: Subject of the first clause.
- וְטָלֶ֜ה (ve-tāleh) – Root: טלה; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “and lamb”; Notes: Joined to זְאֵב by conjunction.
- יִרְע֣וּ (yirʿū) – Root: רעה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall graze”; Notes: Refers to peaceful coexistence.
- כְאֶחָ֗ד (keʾeḥād) – Root: אחד; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “together”; Notes: Lit. “as one.”
- וְאַרְיֵה֙ (ve-ʾaryēh) – Root: אריה; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and lion”; Notes: New subject of the second clause.
- כַּבָּקָ֣ר (ka-bāqār) – Root: בקר; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “like the ox”; Notes: Simile for peaceful behavior.
- יֹֽאכַל־תֶּ֔בֶן (yōʾkhal-teven) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + object; Translation: “shall eat straw”; Notes: Surprising reversal of predator’s nature.
- וְנָחָ֖שׁ (ve-nāḥāsh) – Root: נחש; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and serpent”; Notes: Introduces another creature.
- עָפָ֣ר (ʿāfār) – Root: עפר; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “dust”; Notes: Symbolic of lowliness or judgment.
- לַחְמֹ֑ו (laḥmō) – Root: לחם; Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 3ms suffix; Translation: “his food”; Notes: Refers to what the serpent shall eat.
- לֹֽא־יָרֵ֧עוּ (lo-yārēʿū) – Root: רעע; Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall not hurt”; Notes: Denotes absence of harm.
- וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֛יתוּ (ve-lo-yashḥītu) – Root: שחת; Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “nor shall they destroy”; Notes: Paired with previous verb.
- בְּכָל־הַ֥ר (be-khol-ha-har) – Root: הר; Form: Preposition + noun with definite article; Translation: “in all the mountain”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s domain.
- קָדְשִׁ֖י (qodshī) – Root: קדש; Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my holy [mountain]”; Notes: Possessive referring to YHWH’s sacred space.
- אָמַ֥ר (ʾāmar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Standard prophetic closure.
- יְהוָֽה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.