שַׁאֲלוּ־נָ֣א וּרְא֔וּ אִם־יֹלֵ֖ד זָכָ֑ר מַדּוּעַ֩ רָאִ֨יתִי כָל־גֶּ֜בֶר יָדָ֤יו עַל־חֲלָצָיו֙ כַּיֹּ֣ולֵדָ֔ה וְנֶהֶפְכ֥וּ כָל־פָּנִ֖ים לְיֵרָקֹֽון׃
Ask now, and see if a male gives birth. Why have I seen every man, his hands on his loins like a woman giving birth, and all faces turned to paleness?
Morphology
- שַׁאֲלוּ (shaʾalu) – Root: שׁאל (shaʾal); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “ask”; Notes: Command to inquire or seek information.
- נָא (na) – Root: particle of entreaty; Form: Enclitic particle; Translation: “now” / “please”; Notes: Softens the command into a polite request.
- וּרְאוּ (u-reʾu) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural with conjunction; Translation: “and see”; Notes: Urges visual or mental confirmation.
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “if”; Notes: Introduces a hypothetical condition.
- יֹלֵד (yoled) – Root: ילד (yalad); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “gives birth”; Notes: Used here in a rhetorical question to stress impossibility.
- זָכָר (zakhar) – Root: זכר (zakhar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “male”; Notes: Specifies the gender in the rhetorical scenario.
- מַדּוּעַ (madduaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “why”; Notes: Introduces a question about cause or reason.
- רָאִיתִי (raʾiti) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have seen”; Notes: Expresses the prophet’s observation.
- כָל־גֶּבֶר (kol-gever) – Root: גבר (gever); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “every man”; Notes: Generic term for an adult male.
- יָדָיו (yadav) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun feminine dual with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his hands”; Notes: Dual form referring to both hands.
- עַל־חֲלָצָיו (ʿal-ḥalatsav) – Root: חלץ (ḥalats); Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “on his loins”; Notes: Position indicative of severe pain.
- כַיֹּולֵדָה (ka-yoleidah) – Root: ילד (yalad); Form: Preposition כְּ + Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “like a woman giving birth”; Notes: Simile emphasizing intense agony.
- וְנֶהֶפְכוּ (ve-nehefkhu) – Root: הפך (hafakh); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with conjunction; Translation: “and have turned”; Notes: Describes a complete transformation.
- כָל־פָּנִים (kol-panim) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Noun masculine plural (plural in form, singular in meaning) construct; Translation: “all faces”; Notes: Refers collectively to people’s expressions.
- לְיֵרָקֹון (le-yerakon) – Root: ירק (yaraq); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to paleness”; Notes: Suggests the loss of color from fear or shock.