Jeremiah 23:29

הֲלֹ֨וא כֹ֧ה דְבָרִ֛י כָּאֵ֖שׁ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וּכְפַטִּ֖ישׁ יְפֹ֥צֵֽץ סָֽלַע׃ ס

“Is not My word like fire?” declares YHWH, “and like a hammer that shatters the rock?

Morphology

1. הֲלֹ֨וא (halo) – Root: לא; Form: Interrogative particle with negative; Translation: “Is not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting affirmation.
2. כֹ֧ה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Demonstrative adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Often used in prophetic speech to present or emphasize a statement.
3. דְבָרִ֛י (devari) – Root: דבר; Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My word”; Notes: Refers to the word of YHWH, often prophetic in nature.
4. כָּאֵ֖שׁ (ka-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “like fire”; Notes: Simile indicating the power and consuming force of YHWH’s word.
5. נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + divine name; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula asserting divine speech.
6. וּכְפַטִּ֖ישׁ (u-kefattiysh) – Root: פטשׁ; Form: Conjunction + preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and like a hammer”; Notes: Continues the simile, implying crushing or decisive power.
7. יְפֹ֥צֵֽץ (yefotsets) – Root: פצץ; Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “that shatters”; Notes: Intensive stem emphasizes the breaking effect.
8. סָֽלַע (salaʿ) – Root: סלע; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “rock”; Notes: Symbol of hardness, resistance, or strength—broken by the power of YHWH’s word.