Micah 1:4

וְנָמַ֤סּוּ הֶֽהָרִים֙ תַּחְתָּ֔יו וְהָעֲמָקִ֖ים יִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּ כַּדֹּונַג֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י הָאֵ֔שׁ כְּמַ֖יִם מֻגָּרִ֥ים בְּמֹורָֽד׃

And the mountains shall melt beneath Him and the valleys shall split like wax before the fire like waters poured down a descent.

Morphology

1. וְנָמַסּוּ (ve-namassu) – Root: מסס (masas); Form: Qal waw-consecutive imperfect (wayyiqtol) 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “And they shall melt”; Notes: Depicts cosmic dissolution under divine presence.
2. הֶהָרִים (he-harim) – Root: הרר (har); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the mountains”; Notes: Symbolic of strength yet powerless before YHWH.
3. תַּחְתָּיו (taḥtav) – Root: תחת (taḥat); Form: Noun masculine singular with suffix 3ms; Translation: “beneath Him”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s overwhelming presence.
4. וְהָעֲמָקִים (ve-haʿamaqim) – Root: עמק (ʿamaq); Form: Conjunction + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “and the valleys”; Notes: Complements the contrast with mountains.
5. יִתְבַּקָּעוּ (yitbaqqaʿu) – Root: בקע (baqaʿ); Form: Hitpael imperfect 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “shall split”; Notes: Reflects violent geological upheaval.
6. כַּדֹּונַג (ka-donag) – Root: נוג (nog); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like wax”; Notes: Wax melting before heat illustrates cosmic vulnerability.
7. מִפְּנֵי (mi-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates causation by proximity to divine fire.
8. הָאֵשׁ (ha-’esh) – Root: אשׁ (’esh); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the fire”; Notes: Represents YHWH’s consuming presence.
9. כְּמַיִם (ke-mayim) – Root: מים (mayim); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine plural; Translation: “like waters”; Notes: Emphasizes unstoppable downward flow.
10. מֻגָּרִים (muggarim) – Root: נגר (nagar); Form: Pual participle masculine plural; Translation: “poured”; Notes: Passive imagery of being spilled or made to flow.
11. בְּמֹורָד (be-morad) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “down a descent”; Notes: Depicts water rushing down a steep slope.