בְּגַת֙ אַל־תַּגִּ֔ידוּ בָּכ֖וֹ אַל־תִּבְכּ֑וּ בְּבֵ֣ית לְעַפְרָ֔ה עָפָ֖ר הִתְפַּלָּֽשִׁתי׃
In Gat do not tell weeping do not weep in Beit Leʿafra dust I have rolled myself.
Morphology
- בְּגַת (be-Gat) – Root: גת (gat); Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “In Gat”; Notes: Refers to the Philistine city of Gat.
- אַל (’al) – Root: אל (’al); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Prohibits the action that follows.
- תַּגִּידוּ (taggidu) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil imperfect 2mp; Translation: “tell”; Notes: Refers to announcing or proclaiming news.
- בָּכוֹ (bako) – Root: בכה (bakha); Form: Infinitive absolute functioning adverbially; Translation: “weeping”; Notes: Intensifies the prohibition.
- אַל (’al) – Root: אל (’al); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Introduces a second prohibition.
- תִּבְכּוּ (tivku) – Root: בכה (bakha); Form: Qal imperfect 2mp; Translation: “weep”; Notes: Actual act of crying out in grief.
- בְּבֵית (be-beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “In the house of”; Notes: Begins reference to a location named for dust.
- לְעַפְרָה (le-ʿafrah) – Root: עפר (ʿafar); Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “Leʿafrah”; Notes: Place name meaning “to dust.”
- עָפָר (ʿafar) – Root: עפר (ʿafar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “dust”; Notes: Wordplay with the town’s name emphasizes grief.
- הִתְפַּלָּשׁתִּי (hitpallashti) – Root: פלשׁ (palesh); Form: Hitpael perfect 1cs; Translation: “I have rolled myself”; Notes: A mourning act symbolizing humiliation and grief.