כְּהָקִ֥יר בור מֵימֶ֔יהָ כֵּ֖ן הֵקֵ֣רָה רָעָתָ֑הּ חָמָ֣ס וָ֠שֹׁד יִשָּׁ֨מַע בָּ֧הּ עַל־פָּנַ֛י תָּמִ֖יד חֳלִ֥י וּמַכָּֽה׃
As a cistern keeps its waters cool, so she has kept her evil fresh; violence and spoil are heard in her, before Me continually are sickness and wound.
Morphology
- כְּהָקִ֥יר (ke-haqir) – Root: קיר; Form: Preposition כְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “As the wall” or “as the cistern wall”; Notes: Figurative comparison; may refer to retaining structure for water.
- בור (bor) – Root: בור; Form: Noun masculine singular in construct; Translation: “of a cistern”; Notes: Underground pit for storing water.
- מֵימֶ֔יהָ (meimeha) – Root: מים; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “its waters”; Notes: Refers to the cistern’s contents.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: Adverbial particle; Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Introduces the comparison’s conclusion.
- הֵקֵ֣רָה (heqerah) – Root: קרר; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has kept cool” or “has preserved”; Notes: Used metaphorically here to imply continual or undisturbed presence of evil.
- רָעָתָ֑הּ (raʿatah) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun feminine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her evil”; Notes: Refers to the moral corruption of the city.
- חָמָ֣ס (ḥamas) – Root: חמס; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “violence”; Notes: Indicates unjust aggression or cruelty.
- וָשֹׁד (va-shod) – Root: שׁדד; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and spoil” or “devastation”; Notes: Often paired with ḥamas to intensify imagery of destruction.
- יִשָּׁמַע (yishamaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is heard”; Notes: Ongoing presence of violence as an audible reality.
- בָּהּ (bah) – Root: ב; Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in her”; Notes: Refers again to the city (Yerushalayim).
- עַל־פָּנַ֛י (ʿal-panai) – Root: על, פנים; Form: Preposition + plural noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “before Me”; Notes: Declares YHWH’s awareness and observation.
- תָּמִיד (tamid) – Root: תמד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “continually”; Notes: Emphasizes ongoing offense in divine presence.
- חֳלִי (ḥoli) – Root: חלה; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “sickness”; Notes: Figurative of moral or physical disease within the city.
- וּמַכָּֽה (u-makkah) – Root: נכה; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and wound”; Notes: May describe both literal and figurative affliction or punishment.