מִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מֹ֣ות יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ׃
Who can count the dust of Yaʿaqov, or number the fourth part of Yisra’el? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”
Morphology
- מִ֤י (mi) – Root: מי (mi); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- מָנָה֙ (manah) – Root: מנה (manah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “can count”; Notes: Refers to measuring or enumerating.
- עֲפַ֣ר (ʿafar) – Root: עפר (ʿafar); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “dust”; Notes: Symbolizes the countless descendants of Ya’aqov.
- יַעֲקֹ֔ב (Yaʿaqov) – Root: עקב (ʿqb); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Ya’aqov”; Notes: Refers to the patriarch Jacob.
- וּמִסְפָּ֖ר (u-mispar) – Root: ספר (safar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “or number”; Notes: Refers to the act of quantifying.
- אֶת־רֹ֣בַע (et-rovaʿ) – Root: רבע (ravaʿ); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the fourth part”; Notes: Suggests a fraction of the whole.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Yisra’el) – Root: שרי (sarah); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Israel.
- תָּמֹ֤ת (tamot) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “Let die”; Notes: Expresses a wish or desire.
- נַפְשִׁי֙ (nafshi) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my soul”; Notes: Refers to the speaker’s life or being.
- מֹ֣ות (mot) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the death”; Notes: Refers to the end of life.
- יְשָׁרִ֔ים (yesharim) – Root: ישר (yashar); Form: Adjective, masculine plural; Translation: “of the upright”; Notes: Refers to those who live righteously.
- וּתְהִ֥י (u-tehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and let be”; Notes: A request or wish.
- אַחֲרִיתִ֖י (acharitiy) – Root: אחר (achar); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my end”; Notes: Refers to one’s ultimate destiny.
- כָּמֹֽהוּ׃ (kamohu) – Root: כמו (kemo); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “like his”; Notes: Indicates a comparison.