הֲיַעֲזֹ֥ב מִצּ֛וּר שָׂדַ֖י שֶׁ֣לֶג לְבָנֹ֑ון אִם־יִנָּתְשׁ֗וּ מַ֛יִם זָרִ֥ים קָרִ֖ים נֹוזְלִֽים׃
Does the snow of Levanon forsake the rock of the field? Or are strange, cold, flowing waters uprooted?
Morphology
- הֲיַעֲזֹב (ha-yaʿazov) – Root: עזב; Form: Interrogative particle הֲ + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Does he/it forsake?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question implying improbability.
- מִצּוּר (mi-tsur) – Root: צור; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the rock”; Notes: Refers to a rocky cliff or crag, possibly symbolizing strength or constancy.
- שָׂדַי (sadai) – Root: שׂדה; Form: Noun masculine singular in construct with 1st person singular suffix (but possibly understood as absolute here: “of the field”); Translation: “of the field”; Notes: The location or setting for the snow’s presence.
- שֶׁלֶג (sheleg) – Root: שׁלג; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “snow”; Notes: Subject of the rhetorical question; associated with Lebanon’s peaks.
- לְבָנֹן (Levanon) – Root: לבנ; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Lebanon”; Notes: Snow-capped mountain range; symbolizes purity or permanence.
- אִם (im) – Root: אם; Form: Conditional/interrogative particle; Translation: “Or”; Notes: Introduces alternative rhetorical question.
- יִנָּתְשׁוּ (yinnatshu) – Root: נתשׁ; Form: Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “are uprooted”; Notes: Passive sense, depicting disruption of natural flow.
- מַיִם (mayim) – Root: מים; Form: Noun masculine plural (dual in form but treated as plural); Translation: “waters”; Notes: Refers to natural streams or springs.
- זָרִים (zarim) – Root: זור; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “strange”; Notes: Possibly foreign or wild, indicating unpredictability.
- קָרִים (qarim) – Root: קרר; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “cold”; Notes: Qualifies the water’s freshness and purity.
- נֹוזְלִים (nozlim) – Root: נזל; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “flowing”; Notes: Describes continual motion of streams or springs.