Jeremiah 8:23

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

מִֽי־יִתֵּ֤ן רֹאשִׁי֙ מַ֔יִם וְעֵינִ֖י מְק֣וֹר דִּמְעָ֑ה וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֵ֖ת חַֽלְלֵ֥י בַת־עַמִּֽי׃

Transliteration

Mî-yittēn rōʾšî mayim and-ʿênî mᵊqôr dimʿāh, and-I would wᵊʾebkeh yômām wālaylāh ʾēt ḥalᵊlê bat-ʿammî.

Grammar Details

• *Mî*: interrogative pronoun - who
• *yittēn*: qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular - will give
• *rōʾšî*: noun with 1st person singular suffix - my head
• *mayim*: plural noun - water
• *ʿênî*: noun with 1st person singular suffix - my eye
• *mᵊqôr*: construct state - fountain/spring of
• *dimʿāh*: noun - tear
• *wᵊʾebkeh*: qal imperfect 1st person singular with waw conjunction - and I would weep
• *yômām*: adverb - by day
• *wālaylāh*: noun with waw conjunction - and night
• *ʾēt*: direct object marker
• *ḥalᵊlê*: construct plural of *ḥālāl* - slain ones of
• *bat*: construct state - daughter of
• *ʿammî*: noun with 1st person singular suffix - my people

Word Meanings

• *Mî*-*yittēn*: who will give/oh that/would that
• *rōʾšî*: my head
• *mayim*: water/waters
• *ʿênî*: my eye
• *mᵊqôr*: fountain/spring/source
• *dimʿāh*: tear/weeping
• *wᵊʾebkeh*: and I would weep/mourn/lament
• *yômām*: by day/daytime
• *ḥalᵊlê*: slain ones/wounded ones/pierced ones