אֲנִ֧י יְהוָ֛ה חֹקֵ֥ר לֵ֖ב בֹּחֵ֣ן כְּלָיֹ֑ות וְלָתֵ֤ת לְאִישׁ֙ כדרכו כִּפְרִ֖י מַעֲלָלָֽיו׃ ס
I, YHWH, search the heart, I test the kidneys, to give to a man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.
Morphology
- אֲנִ֧י (ʾani) – Root: אנכי/אני; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic subject marking divine self-identification.
- יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel, speaker of this declaration.
- חֹקֵ֥ר (ḥoqer) – Root: חקר; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “searching” or “who searches”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s ongoing examination or investigation.
- לֵ֖ב (lev) – Root: לב; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “heart”; Notes: Refers to the inner being—thoughts, emotions, intentions.
- בֹּחֵ֣ן (boḥen) – Root: בחן; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “testing”; Notes: Parallels “searching”—used of divine examination.
- כְּלָיֹ֑ות (kelayot) – Root: כליה; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “kidneys”; Notes: In Hebrew thought, symbolic of innermost thoughts or emotions.
- וְלָתֵ֤ת (ve-latet) – Root: נתן; Form: Conjunction וְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “and to give”; Notes: Purpose or result of YHWH’s searching and testing.
- לְאִישׁ (le-ish) – Root: איש; Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to a man”; Notes: Recipient of divine reward or recompense.
- כדרכו (ke-darko) – Root: דרך; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “according to his way”; Notes: Refers to moral conduct or lifestyle.
- כִּפְרִ֖י (ki-fri) – Root: פרי; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular in construct; Translation: “according to the fruit of”; Notes: Introduces the result or consequence of one’s deeds.
- מַעֲלָלָֽיו (maʿalalav) – Root: עלל; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his deeds”; Notes: Emphasizes human actions and their outcomes as judged by YHWH.