הֲתֵֽיטְבִי֙ מִנֹּ֣א אָמֹ֔ון הַיֹּֽשְׁבָה֙ בַּיְאֹרִ֔ים מַ֖יִם סָבִ֣יב לָ֑הּ אֲשֶׁר־חֵ֣יל יָ֔ם מִיָּ֖ם חֹומָתָֽהּ׃
Are you better than No Amon she who sits among the rivers water is around her whose rampart is the sea from the sea is her wall.
Morphology
- הֲ (ha) — Root: —; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “are”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- תֵיטְבִי (teyṭvi) — Root: יטב (yatav); Form: Qal imperfect 2fs; Translation: “you better yourself / are you better”; Notes: Addressed to Nineweh.
- מִנֹּא (min-No) — Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun; Translation: “than No”; Notes: No = Thebes in Egypt.
- אָמֹון (Amon) — Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Amon”; Notes: Egyptian deity associated with Thebes.
- הַיֹּשְׁבָה (ha-yoshevah) — Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Definite article הַ + Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “she who sits”; Notes: Describes the dwelling of Thebes.
- בַּיְאֹרִים (ba-ye’orim) — Root: יאור (ye’or); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “among the rivers”; Notes: Refers to Nile branches or canals.
- מַיִם (mayim) — Root: מים (mayim); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “water”; Notes: Emphasizes geographical security.
- סָבִיב (saviv) — Root: סבב (savav); Form: Adverb; Translation: “around”; Notes: Describes total encirclement.
- לָהּ (lah) — Root: ל (lamed); Form: Preposition לְ + 3fs suffix; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers to No Amon.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) — Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whose / who”; Notes: Introduces defining clause.
- חֵיל (ḥeil) — Root: חיל (ḥayil); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “rampart”; Notes: Wall of defense.
- יָם (yam) — Root: ים (yam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the sea”; Notes: Metaphor for great waters or Nile expanse.
- מִיָּם (mi-yam) — Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the sea”; Notes: Means water served as her natural defense.
- חֹומָתָהּ (ḥomatah) — Root: חמה (ḥomah); Form: Noun feminine singular + 3fs suffix; Translation: “her wall”; Notes: The protection surrounding Thebes.