נַחֲלָתֵ֨נוּ֙ נֶֽהֶפְכָ֣ה לְזָרִ֔ים בָּתֵּ֖ינוּ לְנָכְרִֽים׃
(Lamentations 5:2)
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
Word-by-Word Explanation
- נַחֲלָתֵנוּ – “our inheritance” Noun from נַחֲלָה meaning “inheritance,” “land,” or “heritage.”
– The suffix ֵנוּ = “our”
This refers to the ancestral land of Yisraʾel—something sacred and identity-defining. - נֶהֶפְכָה – “has been turned over” Verb, 3rd person feminine singular niphal perfect of הָפַךְ, “to turn, overturn.”
– Passive/reflexive form: “has been turned over”
– Feminine singular to agree with נַחֲלָה
This shows involuntary reversal—a tragic change of condition. - לְזָרִים – “to strangers” Preposition + plural noun.
– לְ = “to”
– זָרִים = “strangers,” outsiders, non-Israelites
Indicates dispossession—the land has passed to those with no rightful claim. - בָּתֵּינוּ – “our houses” Noun from בַּיִת, “house.”
– בָּתִּים = plural
– ֵנוּ suffix = “our”
The speaker now moves from national land to personal dwellings—also lost. - לְנָכְרִים – “to foreigners” Preposition + plural noun.
– לְ = “to”
– נָכְרִים = “foreigners” or “aliens”
Often paired with זָרִים, but נָכְרִים emphasizes alienation or unfamiliarity.
The verse ends with a tragic parallel—both land and home have been taken.
Word Order and Sentence Flow
Hebrew poetic style uses parallelism:
→ נַחֲלָתֵנוּ נֶהֶפְכָה לְזָרִים
→ בָּתֵּינוּ לְנָכְרִים
Each line features:
- A possessive noun (“our inheritance,” “our houses”)
- A verb or implied action
- A recipient (“strangers,” “foreigners”)
This parallel amplifies the grief—loss of nationhood and home.
Visual Breakdown: A Double Loss
Phrase | English Meaning | Type of Loss |
---|---|---|
נַחֲלָתֵנוּ נֶהֶפְכָה לְזָרִים | Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers | National / covenantal identity |
בָּתֵּינוּ לְנָכְרִים | Our houses to foreigners | Personal / domestic security |
Brick by Brick: Building Hebrew Understanding
“You just read a line of lamentation that holds both structure and sorrow—layer by layer in Hebrew.”
This verse taught you:
- How possessive forms like נַחֲלָתֵנוּ and בָּתֵּינוּ express identity
- How niphal verbs like נֶהֶפְכָה show passive tragedy
- How poetic parallelism delivers emotional power in balanced phrasing
It’s poetry. It’s prophecy. It’s grief in grammar.
And you’re learning to read it all—line by sacred line.