וַאֲנִ֕י כְּכֶ֥בֶשׂ אַלּ֖וּף יוּבַ֣ל לִטְבֹ֑וחַ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֜עְתִּי כִּֽי־עָלַ֣י חָשְׁב֣וּ מַחֲשָׁבֹ֗ות נַשְׁחִ֨יתָה עֵ֤ץ בְּלַחְמֹו֙ וְנִכְרְתֶ֨נּוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים וּשְׁמֹ֖ו לֹֽא־יִזָּכֵ֥ר עֹֽוד׃
But I was like a gentle lamb being led to slaughter, and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered.”
Morphology
- וַאֲנִי (va-ʾani) – Root: אני; Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “But I”; Notes: Marks contrast between speaker and others.
- כְּכֶבֶשׂ (ke-keves) – Root: כֶּבֶשׂ; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like a lamb”; Notes: Simile emphasizing innocence and vulnerability.
- אַלּוּף (alluf) – Root: אלף; Form: Adjective/noun masculine singular; Translation: “gentle,” “tame”; Notes: Conveys the idea of a domesticated or docile animal.
- יוּבַל (yuvval) – Root: יבל; Form: Hofal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is led”; Notes: Passive voice; the subject is being led, not acting.
- לִטְבֹחַ (litvoaḥ) – Root: טבח; Form: Infinitive construct with ל; Translation: “to slaughter”; Notes: Purpose of the leading; violent intent.
- וְלֹא־יָדַעְתִּי (ve-lo yadaʿti) – Root: ידע; Form: Conjunction + negative + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I did not know”; Notes: Ignorance of the plot being formed.
- כִּי־עָלַי (ki-ʿalay) – Root: על; Form: Causal conjunction + preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “that against me”; Notes: Introduces the content of the plot.
- חָשְׁבוּ (ḥashvu) – Root: חשב; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they devised”; Notes: Refers to mental scheming or planning.
- מַחֲשָׁבֹות (maḥashavot) – Root: חשב; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “thoughts” or “schemes”; Notes: Contextually, hostile plans.
- נַשְׁחִיתָה (nashḥitah) – Root: שׁחת; Form: Hifil cohortative 1st person plural with paragogic he; Translation: “Let us destroy!”; Notes: Expression of collective violent intent.
- עֵץ (ʿets) – Root: עץ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “tree”; Notes: Possibly metaphorical for the person being plotted against.
- בְּלַחְמֹו (be-laḥmo) – Root: לחם; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with its fruit” or “in its bread”; Notes: Likely figurative; can denote offspring, works, or provisions.
- וְנִכְרְתֶנּוּ (ve-nikhrtennu) – Root: כרת; Form: Nifal imperfect cohortative 1st person plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and let us cut him off”; Notes: Violent removal or eradication.
- מֵאֶרֶץ (me-ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the land of”; Notes: Marks source or separation.
- חַיִּים (ḥayyim) – Root: חי; Form: Noun masculine plural (abstract); Translation: “the living”; Notes: Refers to mortal life or the realm of the living.
- וּשְׁמֹו (u-shemo) – Root: שם; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and his name”; Notes: Object of the verb “will not be remembered.”
- לֹא־יִזָּכֵר (lo-yizzakher) – Root: זכר; Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “will not be remembered”; Notes: Passive form; erasure from memory.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “anymore”; Notes: Emphasizes finality of forgetting or obliteration.