כִּ֣י הַ֭שָּׁתֹות יֵֽהָרֵס֑וּן צַ֝דִּ֗יק מַה־פָּעָֽל׃
For the foundations are being torn down. The righteous, what has he done?
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | כִּי | ki | “for” | Conjunction |
| 2 | הַשָּׁתֹות | ha-shatot | “the foundations” | Def. art. הַ + N fp |
| 3 | יֵהָרֵסוּן | yeharesun | “they are being destroyed” | Nifal imperfect 3mp |
| 4 | צַדִּיק | tsaddiq | “righteous” | Adj/N ms |
| 5 | מַה | mah | “what” | Interrogative pronoun |
| 6 | פָּעָל | paʿal | “has he done” | Qal perfect 3ms |
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reasoning behind the rhetorical question that follows.
- הַשָּׁתֹות (ha-shatot) – Root: שׁית (shit); Root Type: III-Yod (weak); Form: Definite article הַ + noun feminine plural; Translation: “the foundations”; Notes: Figuratively refers to the moral or societal foundations being destroyed.
- יֵהָרֵסוּן (yeharesun) – Root: הרס (haras); Root Type: I-Guttural (ה); Binyan: Nifal; Form: Imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they are being destroyed”; Notes: Passive nuance highlighting the collapse of foundational structures.
- צַדִּיק (tsaddiq) – Root: צדק (tsadaq); Root Type: Strong; Form: Adjective masculine singular functioning substantively; Translation: “the righteous”; Notes: Refers to a person characterized by justice and moral integrity.
- מַה (mah) – Root: —; Root Type: Interrogative particle; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces the rhetorical question.
- פָּעָל (paʿal) – Root: פעל (paʿal); Root Type: I-Guttural (פ); Binyan: Qal; Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has he done”; Notes: Expresses completed action and forms the rhetorical challenge regarding the righteous person’s conduct.