הִנְנִ֣י מֵבִיא֩ עֲלֵיכֶ֨ם גֹּ֧וי מִמֶּרְחָ֛ק בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה גֹּ֣וי אֵיתָ֣ן ה֗וּא גֹּ֤וי מֵעֹולָם֙ ה֔וּא גֹּ֚וי לֹא־תֵדַ֣ע לְשֹׁנֹ֔ו וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁמַ֖ע מַה־יְדַבֵּֽר׃
Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O house of Yisraʾel,” declares YHWH, “a nation enduring it is, a nation from of old it is, a nation whose language you do not know, and you will not understand what it speaks.
Morphology
- הִנְנִ֣י (hinneni) – Root: הן; Form: Interjection with 1cs suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Divine self-announcement indicating imminent action.
- מֵבִיא֩ (meviʾ) – Root: בוא; Form: Hiphil participle masculine singular; Translation: “am bringing”; Notes: Hiphil causative action; present continuous.
- עֲלֵיכֶ֨ם (ʿalekhem) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “upon you (pl.)”; Notes: Target of the action.
- גֹּ֧וי (goy) – Root: גוי; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “nation”; Notes: Subject of the verb “am bringing.”
- מִמֶּרְחָ֛ק (mi-merḥaq) – Root: מרחק; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from afar”; Notes: Indicates geographic or figurative distance.
- בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (beit Yisraʾel) – Root: בית, ישראל; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “house of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the northern kingdom or people collectively.
- נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Utterance formula; Translation: “utterance of YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic affirmation.
- גֹּ֣וי אֵיתָ֣ן (goy ʾetan) – Root: גוי, איתן; Form: Noun + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “a strong/enduring nation”; Notes: Characterizes the coming enemy.
- ה֗וּא (hu) – Root: Pronoun; Form: 3ms independent pronoun; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Emphatic identity statement.
- גֹּ֤וי מֵעֹולָם֙ (goy meʿolam) – Root: גוי, עולם; Form: Noun + preposition + noun; Translation: “a nation from of old”; Notes: Stresses ancient, persistent nature.
- ה֔וּא (hu) – Root: Pronoun; Form: 3ms independent pronoun; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis and parallelism.
- גֹּ֚וי לֹא־תֵדַ֣ע (goy lo-tedaʿ) – Root: גוי, ידע; Form: Noun + negative + Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “a nation you do not know”; Notes: Refers to lack of familiarity with the people and their customs.
- לְשֹׁנֹ֔ו (leshono) – Root: לשן; Form: Noun masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “its language”; Notes: Emphasizes foreignness.
- וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁמַ֖ע (ve-lo tishmaʿ) – Root: שמע; Form: Conjunction + negative + Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “and you will not hear/understand”; Notes: Not just auditory, but cognitive comprehension.
- מַה־יְדַבֵּֽר (mah-yedabber) – Root: דבר; Form: Interrogative + Piel imperfect 3ms; Translation: “what it speaks”; Notes: Stresses total incomprehensibility.