מַה־תֵּזְלִ֥י מְאֹ֖ד לְשַׁנֹּ֣ות אֶת־דַּרְכֵּ֑ךְ גַּ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ תֵּבֹ֔ושִׁי כַּאֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ מֵאַשּֽׁוּר׃
Why do you go about so much to change your way? You shall also be put to shame by Mitsrayim, just as you were put to shame by Ashshur.
Morphology
- מַה־ (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question rebuking restlessness or instability.
- תֵּזְלִ֥י (tezli) – Root: זול (zalal); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “do you go about”; Notes: Suggests erratic or aimless movement.
- מְאֹ֖ד (meʾod) – Root: מאד (meʾod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “very much”; Notes: Emphasizes the excessive nature of the action.
- לְשַׁנֹּ֣ות (le-shannot) – Root: שנה (shanah); Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to change”; Notes: Piel indicates deliberate, repetitive alteration of one’s course or behavior.
- אֶת־דַּרְכֵּ֑ךְ (et-darkekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular construct + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your way”; Notes: Refers to conduct or direction of life.
- גַּ֤ם (gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “also”; Notes: Introduces another example of shame and failure.
- מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם (mi-Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun; Translation: “by Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt as a failed political alliance or false hope.
- תֵּבֹ֔ושִׁי (tevoshi) – Root: בושׁ (bosh); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you shall be put to shame”; Notes: Continues the rebuke with a predictive warning.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר־ (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Comparative conjunction; Translation: “just as”; Notes: Introduces a comparison to prior humiliation.
- בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ (bosht) – Root: בושׁ (bosh); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you were put to shame”; Notes: Refers to past failed reliance, specifically on Ashshur.
- מֵאַשּֽׁוּר (me-Ashshur) – Root: אשור (Ashshur); Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun; Translation: “by Ashshur”; Notes: Refers to Assyria as a previous source of misplaced trust.