הֲבֵן֩ יַקִּ֨יר לִ֜י אֶפְרַ֗יִם אִ֚ם יֶ֣לֶד שַׁעֲשֻׁעִ֔ים כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֤י דַבְּרִי֙ בֹּ֔ו זָכֹ֥ר אֶזְכְּרֶ֖נּוּ עֹ֑וד עַל־כֵּ֗ן הָמ֤וּ מֵעַי֙ לֹ֔ו רַחֵ֥ם אֲֽרַחֲמֶ֖נּוּ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס
“Is Efrayim a precious son to Me, or a delightful child? For as often as I speak against him, I will surely remember him still; therefore My inner parts are stirred for him, I will surely have compassion on him,” declares YHWH.
Morphology
- הֲבֵן (ha-ven) – Root: בן; Form: Interrogative particle + noun masculine singular; Translation: “Is [he] a son”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- יַקִּיר (yaqqir) – Root: יקר; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “precious”; Notes: Denotes value, dearness, or high esteem.
- לִי (li) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: Indicates personal possession or relationship.
- אֶפְרַיִם (ʾEfrayim) – Root: אפרים; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ephrayim”; Notes: Represents the northern kingdom or its people.
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: אם; Form: Interrogative/conjunction; Translation: “or”; Notes: Presents an alternative in a rhetorical structure.
- יֶלֶד (yeled) – Root: ילד; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “child”; Notes: Common term for a young person.
- שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים (shaʿashuʿim) – Root: שעשׁע; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “delights” / “playthings”; Notes: Conveys the idea of something cherished or a source of joy.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the rhetorical question.
- מִדֵּי (middei) – Root: די; Form: Preposition with mem prefix; Translation: “as often as”; Notes: Indicates repetition or frequency.
- דַבְּרִי (dabbri) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel infinitive construct with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “I speak” / “my speaking”; Notes: Piel emphasizes the act of speaking or addressing.
- בֹּו (bo) – Root: בוא; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against him” / “about him”; Notes: Contextually indicates the object of speech.
- זָכֹר (zakhor) – Root: זכר; Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “Remembering”; Notes: Intensifies the following finite verb.
- אֶזְכְּרֶנּוּ (ʾezkerennu) – Root: זכר; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I will remember him”; Notes: Combined with the infinitive absolute for emphasis: “surely remember him.”
- עוֹד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “still” / “yet again”; Notes: Indicates continuity.
- עַל־כֵּן (ʿal-ken) – Root: כן; Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks logical consequence.
- הָמוּ (hamu) – Root: המה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person common plural; Translation: “are stirred”; Notes: Indicates emotional agitation or deep compassion.
- מֵעַי (meʿay) – Root: מעי; Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “my inner parts”; Notes: Figuratively refers to deep-seated emotions.
- לוֹ (lo) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Indicates the object of compassion.
- רַחֵם (raḥem) – Root: רחם; Form: Piel infinitive absolute; Translation: “Having compassion”; Notes: Used with the finite verb for emphasis.
- אֲרַחֲמֶנּוּ (ʾaraḥamennu) – Root: רחם; Form: Piel imperfect 1st person common singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I will have compassion on him”; Notes: Piel expresses intensity of mercy.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: A prophetic formula affirming divine speech.