בֹּ֣ור כָּ֭רָֽה וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל בְּשַׁ֣חַת יִפְעָֽל׃
A pit he dug, and he excavated it, and he fell into the pit he made.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | בֹּור | bor | “a pit” | N(ms) |
| 2 | כָּרָה | karah | “he dug” | Qal perfect 3ms |
| 3 | וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵהוּ | va-yaḥperehu | “and he dug it” | Qal wayyiqtol 3ms + suff 3ms |
| 4 | וַיִּפֹּל | va-yippol | “and he fell” | Qal wayyiqtol 3ms |
| 5 | בְּשַׁחַת | be-shaḥat | “into a pit” | Prep בְּ + N(fs) |
| 6 | יִפְעָל | yifʿal | “he made” | Qal perfect 3ms |
Morphology
- בֹּור (bor) – Root: בור (bor); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “a pit”; Notes: Refers to a hole or trap dug in the ground, often used metaphorically for schemes of destruction.
- כָּרָה (karah) – Root: כרה (karah); Root Type: III-He (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he dug”; Notes: Describes the deliberate action of digging the pit.
- וַיַּחְפְּרֵהוּ (va-yaḥperehu) – Root: חפר (ḥafar); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וַ + wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he excavated it”; Notes: The suffix refers back to the pit, emphasizing the completion of the trap.
- וַיִּפֹּל (va-yippol) – Root: נפל (nafal); Root Type: I-Nun (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וַ + wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he fell”; Notes: Ironically, the one who prepared the trap becomes the victim of it.
- בְּשַׁחַת (be-shaḥat) – Root: שׁחת (shaḥat); Root Type: I-Guttural (שׁ) (weak classification contextually); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “into a pit”; Notes: Often denotes a destructive pit or ruin, reinforcing the poetic parallelism with בֹּור.
- יִפְעָל (yifʿal) – Root: פעל (paʿal); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he made”; Notes: Refers to the trap previously constructed by the subject.