מִֽי־יֹודֵ֣עַ יָשׁ֔וּב וְנִחַ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְשָׁ֛ב מֵחֲרֹ֥ון אַפֹּ֖ו וְלֹ֥א נֹאבֵֽד׃
Who knows? God may turn and relent and He may turn from the burning of His anger, and we shall not perish.
Morphology
- מִי (mi) – Root: מי (mi); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Who?”; Notes: Introduces uncertainty and hope.
- יֹודֵעַ (yodeaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “knows”; Notes: Participle expressing ongoing or general possibility.
- יָשׁוּב (yashuv) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “he may turn”; Notes: Expresses potential divine reversal.
- וְנִחַם (ve-nikham) – Root: נחם (nakham); Form: Conjunction וְ + Nifal perfect 3ms (with modal nuance); Translation: “and relent”; Notes: Nifal used for divine compassion or change of response.
- הָאֱלֹהִים (ha-elohim) – Root: אלוה (eloah); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the true God recognized in Nineweh’s repentance.
- וְשָׁב (ve-shav) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3ms (with modal nuance); Translation: “and he may turn”; Notes: Parallel to יָשׁוּב, reinforcing the hope.
- מֵחֲרוֹן (me-ḥaron) – Root: חרה (ḥarah); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the burning of”; Notes: Refers to intense anger.
- אַפּוֹ (appo) – Root: אף (af); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his anger”; Notes: Anthropomorphic expression of divine wrath.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces the hoped-for outcome.
- נֹאבֵד (noʾved) – Root: אבד (avad); Form: Qal imperfect 1cp; Translation: “we perish”; Notes: Expresses the desired avoidance of destruction.