וְכִֽי־אֲנַ֤חְנוּ מְקַטְּרִים֙ לִמְלֶ֣כֶת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּלְהַסֵּ֥ךְ לָ֖הּ נְסָכִ֑ים הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵ֣י אֲנָשֵׁ֗ינוּ עָשִׂ֨ינוּ לָהּ כַּוָּנִים֙ לְהַעֲצִבָ֔ה וְהַסֵּ֥ךְ לָ֖הּ נְסָכִֽים׃ פ
“And when we were burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out libations to her, was it without our husbands that we made cakes for her to worship her, and poured out libations to her?”
Morphology
- וְכִי (ve-ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and when / and was it that”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical emphasis.
- אֲנַחְנוּ (anakhnu) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person plural; Translation: “we”; Notes: Marks the subject emphatically.
- מְקַטְּרִים (meqattērim) – Root: קטר (qatar); Form: Piel participle masculine plural; Translation: “burning incense”; Notes: Describes habitual action.
- לִמְלֶכֶת (li-melekhet) – Root: מלך (melek); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “to the Queen of”; Notes: Title of the goddess.
- הַשָּׁמַיִם (ha-shamayim) – Root: שׁמים (shamayim); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the heavens”; Notes: Celestial domain.
- וּלְהַסֵּךְ (u-le-hassekh) – Root: נסך (nasakh); Form: Conjunction + Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “and to pour out”; Notes: Drink offering ritual.
- לָהּ (lah) – Root: הוא; Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers to the goddess.
- נְסָכִים (nesakhim) – Root: נסך (nesekh); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “libations”; Notes: Drink offerings in worship.
- הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵי (ha-mi-valʿadei) – Root: בלע (balaʿ); Form: Interrogative + preposition; Translation: “was it without”; Notes: Expresses rhetorical question.
- אֲנָשֵׁינוּ (anashenu) – Root: אנשׁ (ʾanash); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our husbands”; Notes: Men as family heads.
- עָשִׂינוּ (ʿasinu) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we made”; Notes: Refers to ritual acts.
- לָהּ (lah) – Root: הוא; Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “for her”; Notes: Directed to the goddess.
- כַּוָּנִים (kavvanim) – Root: כו”ן (unknown exact root, traditionally “cakes” or “forms”); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “cakes / forms”; Notes: Ritual cakes in honor of the goddess.
- לְהַעֲצִבָה (le-haʿatzivah) – Root: עצ”ב (ʿatzav); Form: Hifil infinitive construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to worship her / to honor her”; Notes: Cultic dedication.
- וְהַסֵּךְ (ve-hassekh) – Root: נסך (nasakh); Form: Conjunction + Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “and to pour out”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- לָהּ (lah) – Root: הוא; Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to her”; Notes: The recipient again emphasized.
- נְסָכִים (nesakhim) – Root: נסך (nesekh); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “libations”; Notes: Closing repetition of ritual action.