אַל־תִּבְכּ֣וּ לְמֵ֔ת וְאַל־תָּנֻ֖דוּ לֹ֑ו בְּכ֤וּ בָכֹו֙ לַֽהֹלֵ֔ךְ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָשׁוּב֙ עֹ֔וד וְרָאָ֖ה אֶת־אֶ֥רֶץ מֹולַדְתֹּֽו׃ ס
Do not weep for the dead, and do not mourn for him; weep, weep for the one who goes away, for he shall not return again, and see his native land.
Morphology
- אַל־ (ʾal) – Root: אל; Form: Negative particle for prohibitions; Translation: “Do not”; Notes: Introduces a negative command.
- תִּבְכּ֣וּ (tivku) – Root: בכה; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural jussive; Translation: “weep”; Notes: Negative jussive indicating a prohibited action.
- לְמֵ֔ת (le-met) – Root: מות; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for the dead”; Notes: The object of the weeping.
- וְאַל־תָּנֻ֖דוּ (ve-ʾal-tanudu) – Root: נדד; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural jussive; Translation: “and do not mourn”; Notes: Possibly from a root meaning “to lament” or “show sympathy.”
- לֹ֑ו (lo) – Root: לו; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Refers back to the dead person.
- בְּכ֤וּ (bekhu) – Root: בכה; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Weep!”; Notes: Direct command, emphatic in its repetition.
- בָכֹו֙ (bako) – Root: בכה; Form: Infinitive absolute; Translation: “weeping”; Notes: Used here to intensify the imperative: “weep bitterly” or “surely weep.”
- לַֽהֹלֵ֔ךְ (la-holekh) – Root: הלך; Form: Preposition + Qal participle masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “for the one who goes away”; Notes: Refers to exile or deportation, not death.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the weeping.
- לֹ֤א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- יָשׁוּב֙ (yashuv) – Root: שוב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall return”; Notes: Refers to irreversible exile.
- עֹ֔וד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “again”; Notes: Modifies the verb to express repetition or future possibility.
- וְרָאָ֖ה (ve-raʾah) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and he shall see”; Notes: Future action as a result of prior condition.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [not translated]; Notes: Marks “land” as the object of the verb.
- אֶ֥רֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to native or ancestral homeland.
- מֹולַדְתֹּֽו (moladetó) – Root: ילד; Form: Noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his birthplace” / “native land”; Notes: Evokes deep emotional and cultural loss through exile.