הַאֹותִ֨י לֹא־תִירָ֜אוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה אִ֤ם מִפָּנַי֙ לֹ֣א תָחִ֔ילוּ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי חֹול֙ גְּב֣וּל לַיָּ֔ם חָק־עֹולָ֖ם וְלֹ֣א יַעַבְרֶ֑נְהוּ וַיִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יוּכָ֔לוּ וְהָמ֥וּ גַלָּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א יַעַבְרֻֽנְהוּ׃
‘Will you not fear Me?’ says YHWH. ‘Will you not tremble before Me, who placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal statute, and it cannot pass over it? Though they roar, they are not able; and its waves rage, but they shall not pass over it.
Morphology
- הַאֹותִי (ha-oti) – Root: את; Form: Interrogative prefix + direct object with 1cs suffix; Translation: “Me?”; Notes: Rhetorical question introducing divine rebuke.
- לֹא־תִירָאוּ (lo-tiraʾu) – Root: ירא; Form: Qal imperfect 2mp; Translation: “will you not fear”; Notes: Expresses expected reverence not shown.
- נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- אִם (im) – Root: אם; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “if”; Notes: Begins rhetorical conditional clause.
- מִפָּנַי (mi-panai) – Root: פנים; Form: Preposition מִן + noun with 1cs suffix; Translation: “from before Me”; Notes: Emphasizes God’s presence as reason to tremble.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- תָחִילוּ (taḥilu) – Root: חלל or חול; Form: Qal imperfect 2mp; Translation: “will you not tremble”; Notes: Expresses awe, fear, or quaking.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as subject of the following clause.
- שַׂמְתִּי (samti) – Root: שׂים; Form: Qal perfect 1cs; Translation: “I placed”; Notes: YHWH’s sovereign act of establishing limits.
- חֹול (ḥol) – Root: חול; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “sand”; Notes: Represents the boundary of the sea.
- גְּבוּל (gevul) – Root: גבול; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “boundary”; Notes: Legal or natural limit.
- לַיָּם (la-yam) – Root: ים; Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “for the sea”; Notes: Destination or application of the boundary.
- חָק־עוֹלָם (ḥoq-ʿolam) – Root: חק / עולם; Form: Construct noun + absolute noun; Translation: “a statute forever”; Notes: Permanent decree or law of nature.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continues result clause.
- יַעַבְרֶנּוּ (yaʿavrennu) – Root: עבר; Form: Qal imperfect 3ms + 3ms suffix; Translation: “it shall pass over it”; Notes: Refers to the sea crossing the sand boundary.
- וַיִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ (va-yitgaʿashu) – Root: געש; Form: Hitpael wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “though they roar”; Notes: Depicts the violent agitation of the sea.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continues consequence.
- יוּכָלוּ (yukhalu) – Root: יכול; Form: Nifal imperfect 3mp; Translation: “they are able”; Notes: Expresses incapacity despite effort.
- וְהָמוּ (ve-hamu) – Root: המה; Form: Qal perfect 3mp with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and they rage”; Notes: Waves crashing in turmoil.
- גַלָּיו (gallav) – Root: גל; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3ms suffix; Translation: “its waves”; Notes: The sea’s breakers and swells.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative; Translation: “but not”; Notes: Final repetition emphasizing divine control.
- יַעַבְרֻנּוּ (yaʿavrunnu) – Root: עבר; Form: Qal imperfect 3mp + 3ms suffix; Translation: “they shall pass over it”; Notes: Emphasizes the futility of the sea’s effort against the boundary.