הַאֲנִ֥י אַשְׁבִּ֛יר וְלֹ֥א אֹולִ֖יד יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה אִם־אֲנִ֧י הַמֹּולִ֛יד וְעָצַ֖רְתִּי אָמַ֥ר אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃ ס
Shall I bring to the point of breaking forth and not give birth?” says YHWH. “Shall I who cause to give birth restrain?” says your God.
Morphology
- הַאֲנִ֥י (ha-ʾani) – Root: אני; Form: Interrogative prefix + pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “Shall I”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question emphasizing divine intent.
- אַשְׁבִּ֛יר (ʾashbir) – Root: שבר; Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “bring to the point of breaking forth”; Notes: Related to childbirth, meaning to cause labor or parturition.
- וְלֹ֥א (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces the negated consequence in the rhetorical question.
- אֹולִ֖יד (ʾolid) – Root: ילד; Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “give birth”; Notes: Causative form, expressing divine action of completing birth.
- יֹאמַ֣ר (yomar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Standard prophetic introduction of divine speech.
- יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH) – Root: היה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: אם; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “Shall”; Notes: Used here rhetorically as part of parallel questioning.
- אֲנִ֧י (ʾani) – Root: אני; Form: Pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic subject of the rhetorical question.
- הַמֹּולִ֛יד (ha-molid) – Root: ילד; Form: Hifil participle masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the One who causes birth”; Notes: Describes YHWH as the one who brings to completion.
- וְעָצַ֖רְתִּי (ve-ʿatsarti) – Root: עצר; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I restrained”; Notes: Contrasts with the previous clause—questioning whether God would hinder His own act.
- אָמַ֥ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Echoes earlier divine speech formula.
- אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ (ʾElohayikh) – Root: אל; Form: Noun masculine plural with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Personal address to Tsiyyon as a feminine figure.