וְהָיָ֣ה הַנִּשְׁאָ֣ר בְּצִיֹּ֗ון וְהַנֹּותָר֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם קָדֹ֖ושׁ יֵאָ֣מֶר לֹ֑ו כָּל־הַכָּת֥וּב לַחַיִּ֖ים בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
(Isaiah 4:3)
And it will be, the one remaining in Tsiyon and the one left in Yerushalayim, “holy” will be said to him, everyone written for life in Yerushalayim.
Word-by-Word Explanation
- וְהָיָ֣ה – Means “and it will be.” The וְ (“and”) joins this sentence to what came before. The core verb הָיָה (“to be, happen”) is in the imperfect tense here, showing future time.
- הַנִּשְׁאָ֣ר – “the one remaining.” The הַ at the start is the definite article (“the”). The form is a passive participle from the root שָׁאַר (“to remain, be left”), meaning someone who is left behind or remains.
- בְּצִיֹּ֗ון – “in Tsiyon (Zion).” The בְּ is the preposition “in,” followed by the proper name Tsiyon, the special name for Jerusalem’s sacred hill.
- וְהַנֹּותָר֙ – “and the one left.” Again וְ is “and,” הַ is “the,” and נֹּותָר is another passive participle from the root יָתַר (“to remain, be left over”). Similar to the previous phrase, but a different root with a similar meaning—Hebrew likes this parallelism for emphasis.
- בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם – “in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).” בִּ is “in,” followed by the name Yerushalayim.
- קָדֹ֖ושׁ – “holy.” This is an adjective, meaning set apart or sacred.
- יֵאָ֣מֶר – “will be said.” This is a future passive form of the root אָמַר (“to say”). It means someone will say this about the person.
- לֹ֑ו – “to him.” The לְ means “to,” and וֹ is “him.” Together they form “to him” or “about him.”
- כָּל־הַכָּת֥וּב – “everyone written.” כָּל means “all” or “everyone.” The הַ is “the,” and כָּתוּב is a passive participle from כָּתַב (“to write”), here meaning “written.”
- לַחַיִּ֖ים – “for life.” The לְ is “for,” and חַיִּים means “life.” In context, it means those recorded as alive or destined for life.
- בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם – “in Yerushalayim.” Same as earlier, the preposition בִּ (“in”) plus the name Yerushalayim.
Word Order and Sentence Flow
Hebrew often starts with a verb, but here the sentence begins with וְהָיָה (“and it will be”), which signals a future situation. The two participle phrases—הַנִּשְׁאָר בְּצִיּוֹן and הַנֹּותָר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם—work like descriptive labels (“the one remaining in Tsiyon” / “the one left in Yerushalayim”). Then comes the pronouncement קָדֹושׁ יֵאָמֶר לוֹ (“holy will be said to him”), followed by the explanation of who qualifies: כָּל־הַכָּתוּב לַחַיִּים בִּירוּשָׁלִָם.
Flow Diagram
| Opening | Who | Pronouncement | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָה (“and it will be”) | הַנִּשְׁאָר בְּצִיּוֹן + הַנֹּותָר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם | קָדֹושׁ יֵאָמֶר לוֹ | כָּל־הַכָּתוּב לַחַיִּים בִּירוּשָׁלִָם |
Hebrew Sentence Building
In English, we might say: “Everyone left in Jerusalem will be called holy.” Hebrew builds it differently, layering each piece: “And it will be—the one remaining in Tsiyon, and the one left in Yerushalayim—holy will be said to him, everyone written for life in Yerushalayim.” It’s like stacking bricks: start with the event, describe the people, then give the verdict.
Hebrew Unlocked!
It might look strange now, but every word you just learned is another brick in your Hebrew foundation! You’ve not only read a real Hebrew verse—you’ve unpacked its grammar, its flow, and its meaning. Step by step, the patterns will become familiar, and you’ll start recognizing them across the whole Tanakh. This verse gave you two different words for “remaining” (נשׁאר and נותר), a passive future verb (יֵאָמֶר), and the joy of following Hebrew’s unique sentence rhythm. You’re already on your way to thinking in Biblical Hebrew!
