מִֽי־שָׁמַ֣ע כָּזֹ֗את מִ֤י רָאָה֙ כָּאֵ֔לֶּה הֲי֤וּחַל אֶ֨רֶץ֙ בְּיֹ֣ום אֶחָ֔ד אִם־יִוָּ֥לֵֽד גֹּ֖וי פַּ֣עַם אֶחָ֑ת כִּֽי־חָ֛לָה גַּם־יָלְדָ֥ה צִיֹּ֖ון אֶת־בָּנֶֽיהָ׃
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen things like these? Shall a land be brought forth in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For Tsiyyon both labored and also gave birth to her children.
Morphology
- מִֽי־ (mi) – Root: מי; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Begins a rhetorical question emphasizing astonishment.
- שָׁמַ֣ע (shamaʿ) – Root: שמע; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has heard”; Notes: Refers to an unprecedented event.
- כָּזֹ֗את (kazot) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative feminine singular; Translation: “such a thing”; Notes: Feminine to agree with an implied noun like “thing” (דבר).
- מִ֤י (mi) – Root: מי; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- רָאָה֙ (raʾah) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has seen”; Notes: Parallels “has heard.”
- כָּאֵ֔לֶּה (kaʾelleh) – Root: אלה; Form: Preposition + demonstrative masculine plural; Translation: “things like these”; Notes: Emphasizes extraordinary nature of the events.
- הֲי֤וּחַל (hayyuḥal) – Root: יחל; Form: Hofal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Shall be brought forth”; Notes: Rare passive form, possibly expressing birth or shaking loose.
- אֶ֨רֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a land”; Notes: Often used of a nation or territory.
- בְּיֹ֣ום (be-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in a day”; Notes: Denotes suddenness or rapidity.
- אֶחָ֔ד (eḥad) – Root: אחד; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Highlights singularity of the time frame.
- אִם־יִוָּ֥לֵֽד (im-yivvaled) – Root: ילד; Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Shall be born”; Notes: Passive form of the verb “to give birth.”
- גֹּ֖וי (goy) – Root: גוי; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a nation”; Notes: Used of a people or ethnic group.
- פַּ֣עַם (paʿam) – Root: פעם; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “once”; Notes: Literally “a step” or “a time.”
- אֶחָ֑ת (eḥat) – Root: אחד; Form: Feminine singular adjective; Translation: “one”; Notes: Agrees with פַּעַם grammatically.
- כִּֽי־חָ֛לָה (ki-ḥalah) – Root: חול; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “For labored”; Notes: Refers to labor pains, introducing the reason or cause.
- גַּם־יָלְדָ֥ה (gam-yaldah) – Root: ילד; Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “also she gave birth”; Notes: Parallel structure: both labor and delivery complete.
- צִיֹּ֖ון (Tsiyyon) – Root: ציון; Form: Proper noun feminine singular; Translation: “Tsiyyon”; Notes: Personification of Yerushalayim or the people of YHWH.
- אֶת־בָּנֶֽיהָ (et-baneha) – Root: בן; Form: Accusative marker + noun masculine plural with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her children”; Notes: Emphasizes fulfillment of promise and restoration.