כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה קֹ֣ול בְּרָמָ֤ה נִשְׁמָע֙ נְהִי֙ בְּכִ֣י תַמְרוּרִ֔ים רָחֵ֖ל מְבַכָּ֣ה עַל־בָּנֶ֑יהָ מֵאֲנָ֛ה לְהִנָּחֵ֥ם עַל־בָּנֶ֖יהָ כִּ֥י אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ ס
Thus says YHWH: “A voice is heard in Rama, lamentation, bitter weeping, Raḥel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, for they are no more.”
Morphology
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces the divine proclamation formula.
- אָמַר (ʾāmar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says/said”; Notes: Here in a prophetic present sense.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- קֹול (qol) – Root: קול; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “voice”; Notes: A sound or cry that is heard.
- בְּרָמָה (be-Ramah) – Root: רמה; Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “in Ramah”; Notes: Town in the territory of Binyamin.
- נִשְׁמָע (nishmaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is heard”; Notes: Passive voice indicating the sound is perceived.
- נְהִי (nehi) – Root: נהה; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “lamentation”; Notes: Formal mourning expression.
- בְּכִי (bekhi) – Root: בכה; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “weeping”; Notes: General term for shedding tears.
- תַמְרוּרִים (tamrurim) – Root: מרר; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “bitterness”; Notes: Here modifies weeping as “bitter weeping.”
- רָחֵל (Raḥel) – Root: רחל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Raḥel”; Notes: Matriarch of Yisraʾel, symbolic mother of the tribes.
- מְבַכָּה (mevakkah) – Root: בכה; Form: Piel participle feminine singular; Translation: “weeping”; Notes: Intensive action of lamenting.
- עַל־בָּנֶיהָ (ʿal-baneha) – Root: בן; Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine plural + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “for her children”; Notes: Object of her lament.
- מֵאֲנָה (meʾanah) – Root: מאן; Form: Piel perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she refused”; Notes: Indicates a firm and emotional rejection.
- לְהִנָּחֵם (le-hinnaḥem) – Root: נחם; Form: Niphal infinitive construct; Translation: “to be comforted”; Notes: Passive-reflexive nuance of receiving comfort.
- עַל־בָּנֶיהָ (ʿal-baneha) – Root: בן; Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine plural + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “for her children”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for her refusal.
- אֵינֶנּוּ (ʾenennu) – Root: אין; Form: Particle of non-existence + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “he is no more”; Notes: Expression of complete loss.