עַל־הֶ֨הָרִ֜ים אֶשָּׂ֧א בְכִ֣י וָנֶ֗הִי וְעַל־נְאֹ֤ות מִדְבָּר֙ קִינָ֔ה כִּ֤י נִצְּתוּ֙ מִבְּלִי־אִ֣ישׁ עֹבֵ֔ר וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ קֹ֣ול מִקְנֶ֑ה מֵעֹ֤וף הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה נָדְד֖וּ הָלָֽכוּ׃
Upon the mountains I will lift weeping and lamentation, and upon the pastures of the wilderness a dirge, for they are burned up, without anyone passing through, and they have not heard the sound of livestock. From the bird of the heavens even to the beast, they have wandered off, they have gone away.
Morphology
- עַל־הֶהָרִים (ʿal-he-harim) – Root: הר (har); Form: Preposition עַל + definite plural noun masculine; Translation: “upon the mountains”; Notes: Introduces the object of the lamentation, emphasizes elevation and scope.
- אֶשָּׂא (eśśa) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will lift”; Notes: Expresses future intention or resolve to express sorrow.
- בְכִי (bekhi) – Root: בכה (bakha); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “weeping”; Notes: Noun complement to the verb “I will lift.”
- וָנֶהִי (va-nehi) – Root: נהה (naha); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and lamentation”; Notes: Parallel expression reinforcing the sorrowful tone.
- וְעַל־נְאֹות מִדְבָּר (ve-ʿal-neʾot midbar) – Root: נאה (naʾeh), דבר (davar); Form: Preposition וְעַל + construct plural noun + absolute singular noun; Translation: “and upon the pastures of the wilderness”; Notes: Construct chain expressing location of devastation.
- קִינָה (qinah) – Root: קונ (qin); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a dirge”; Notes: Concludes the parallel structure of lamentation.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the lament.
- נִצְּתוּ (nitsʿu) – Root: נצה (natsa); Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they are burned up”; Notes: Passive form indicating destruction.
- מִבְּלִי־אִישׁ (mi-beli-ish) – Root: בל״י (beli), אנש (ish); Form: Preposition + negative particle + noun masculine singular; Translation: “without a man”; Notes: Describes the complete desolation of the area.
- עֹבֵר (ʿover) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “passing through”; Notes: Describes someone moving through the land—now absent.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces a second statement of absence.
- שָׁמְעוּ (shamʿu) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they have heard”; Notes: Refers to lack of sound in the land.
- קֹול (qol) – Root: קול (qol); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “sound”; Notes: The sound is absent, specifically of animal life.
- מִקְנֶה (miqneh) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Noun masculine singular in construct form; Translation: “of livestock”; Notes: No sound of domestic animals is heard.
- מֵעֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם (me-ʿof ha-shamayim) – Root: עוף (ʿof), שׁמים (shamayim); Form: Preposition + noun construct + definite noun plural; Translation: “from the bird of the heavens”; Notes: Expresses range of life affected—from bird to beast.
- וְעַד־בְּהֵמָה (ve-ʿad-behemah) – Root: בהם (behemah); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and unto the beast”; Notes: Emphasizes total animal evacuation.
- נָדְדוּ (naddu) – Root: נדד (nadad); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they have wandered”; Notes: Describes involuntary displacement or flight.
- הָלָכוּ (halakhu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they have gone”; Notes: Reinforces the total departure of animal life.