כִּ֤י נִבְעֲרוּ֙ הָֽרֹעִ֔ים וְאֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א דָרָ֑שׁוּ עַל־כֵּן֙ לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ וְכָל־מַרְעִיתָ֖ם נָפֹֽוצָה׃ ס
For the shepherds have become brutish, and YHWH they have not sought; therefore they did not act wisely, and all their flock is scattered.
Morphology
- כִּ֤י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces reason or cause.
- נִבְעֲרוּ (nivʿaru) – Root: בער; Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “have become brutish”; Notes: Denotes a moral or spiritual dullness or senselessness.
- הָֽרֹעִ֔ים (ha-roʿim) – Root: רעה; Form: Noun masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “the shepherds”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to leaders of the people.
- וְאֶת־יְהוָ֖ה (veʾet-YHWH) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker + proper name; Translation: “and YHWH”; Notes: Emphasizes whom they did not seek.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- דָרָ֑שׁוּ (darashu) – Root: דרש; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they sought”; Notes: Often used of seeking God or His will.
- עַל־כֵּן֙ (ʿal-ken) – Root: כן; Form: Preposition + demonstrative particle; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Introduces a result or consequence.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Repeated negation emphasizing failure.
- הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ (hiskilu) – Root: שׂכל; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they acted wisely” or “they succeeded”; Notes: Causative, i.e., “to show insight.”
- וְכָל־מַרְעִיתָ֖ם (ve-khol-marʿitam) – Root: רעה; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular in construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and all their flock”; Notes: Refers to the people under their care.
- נָפֹֽוצָה (nafotzah) – Root: פוץ; Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “is scattered”; Notes: Collective subject (flock) treated as singular feminine.