כִּ֠י בְּטֶ֨רֶם יֵדַ֥ע הַנַּ֛עַר מָאֹ֥ס בָּרָ֖ע וּבָחֹ֣ר בַּטֹּ֑וב תֵּעָזֵ֤ב הָאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתָּ֣ה קָ֔ץ מִפְּנֵ֖י שְׁנֵ֥י מְלָכֶֽיהָ׃
For before the boy shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread shall be forsaken.
Morphology
- כִּ֠י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces a causal or temporal explanation.
- בְּטֶ֨רֶם (be-terem) – Root: טרם (terem); Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates a point in time prior to an event.
- יֵדַ֥ע (yedaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he knows”; Notes: Refers to acquiring moral discernment.
- הַנַּ֛עַר (ha-naʿar) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the boy”; Notes: Refers to the child from the previous verses (ʿImmānūʾel).
- מָאֹ֥ס (maʾos) – Root: מאס (maʾas); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to refuse”; Notes: Refers to rejecting what is evil.
- בָּרָ֖ע (ba-raʿ) – Root: רעע (raʿ); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Moral evil.
- וּבָחֹ֣ר (u-vaḥor) – Root: בחר (baḥar); Form: Conjunction + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “and choose”; Notes: Parallel to “refuse,” emphasizing moral choice.
- בַּטֹּ֑וב (ba-tov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the good”; Notes: Moral uprightness or goodness.
- תֵּעָזֵ֤ב (teʿazev) – Root: עזב (ʿazav); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall be forsaken”; Notes: Indicates desolation or abandonment.
- הָאֲדָמָה (ha-ʾadamah) – Root: אדמה (ʾadamah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Refers to the land of the two opposing kings.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative particle; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause describing the land.
- אַתָּה (ʾattah) – Root: אתה (ʾattah); Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to King Aḥaz.
- קָ֔ץ (qats) – Root: קוץ (quts); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you dread”; Notes: Expresses emotional loathing or fear.
- מִפְּנֵ֖י (mi-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition + construct form; Translation: “before” or “from before”; Notes: Describes the source of dread or presence.
- שְׁנֵ֥י (shenei) – Root: שנים (shenayim); Form: Dual construct; Translation: “two (of)”; Notes: Refers to the two kings allied against Yehudah.
- מְלָכֶֽיהָ (melakheha) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun masculine plural + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her kings”; Notes: Refers to the kings of the land being abandoned — Retsin and the son of Remalyahu.