Jeremiah 31:18

שָׁמֹ֣ועַ שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶפְרַ֨יִם֙ מִתְנֹודֵ֔ד יִסַּרְתַּ֨נִי֙ וָֽאִוָּסֵ֔ר כְּעֵ֖גֶל לֹ֣א לֻמָּ֑ד הֲשִׁיבֵ֣נִי וְאָשׁ֔וּבָה כִּ֥י אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃

Hearing I have surely heard Efrayim lamenting, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; cause me to return and I will return, for You are YHWH my God.

Morphology

1. שָׁמֹעַ (shamoaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “Hearing”; Notes: Used here with the following finite verb for emphasis.
2. שָׁמַעְתִּי (shamaʿti) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have heard”; Notes: Combined with the infinitive absolute for intensification: “surely heard.”
3. אֶפְרַיִם (ʾEfrayim) – Root: אפרים; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ephrayim”; Notes: Refers to the northern kingdom or its people.
4. מִתְנֹודֵד (mitnoded) – Root: נוד; Form: Hitpolel participle masculine singular; Translation: “lamenting” / “wavering”; Notes: Depicts emotional restlessness or grief.
5. יִסַּרְתַּנִי (yissartani) – Root: יסר; Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “You have disciplined me”; Notes: Piel conveys intensity or thoroughness in discipline.
6. וָאִוָּסֵר (vaʾiwwaser) – Root: יסר; Form: Nifal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I was disciplined”; Notes: Nifal is passive, indicating receiving the discipline.
7. כְּעֵגֶל (ke-ʿegel) – Root: עגל; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like a calf”; Notes: The image emphasizes lack of training.
8. לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following participle.
9. לֻמָּד (lummad) – Root: למד; Form: Pual participle masculine singular; Translation: “trained”; Notes: Pual denotes a passive intensive state: “having been taught.”
10. הֲשִׁיבֵנִי (hashiveni) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Hiphil imperative 2nd person masculine singular + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “cause me to return”; Notes: Hiphil causative—asking God to bring about repentance.
11. וְאָשׁוּבָה (veʾashuvah) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal cohortative 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I will return”; Notes: The cohortative expresses determination or resolve.
12. כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the preceding request.
13. אַתָּה (attah) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent personal pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “You”; Notes: Emphasizes the subject, here referring to YHWH.
14. יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal covenant name of God.
15. אֱלֹהָי (Elohai) – Root: אלהים; Form: Noun masculine plural (majestic) with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “my God”; Notes: Denotes personal relationship with the divine.