אָ֣ז יַכֶּֽה־֠מְנַחֵם אֶת־תִּפְסַ֨ח וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֤הּ וְאֶת־גְּבוּלֶ֨יהָ֙ מִתִּרְצָ֔ה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א פָתַ֖ח וַיַּ֑ךְ אֵ֛ת כָּל־הֶהָ֥רֹותֶ֖יהָ בִּקֵּֽעַ׃ פ
Then Menaḥem struck Tifsaḥ and all who were in it and its borders from Tirtsa, because it did not open up to him, and he struck it; he ripped open all its pregnant women.
Morphology
- אָ֣ז (ʾaz) – Root: אז; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Then”; Notes: Introduces a subsequent or consequential action.
- יַכֶּֽה־ (yakkeh) – Root: נכה; Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular (with maqqef); Translation: “he struck”; Notes: Refers to a violent attack.
- מְנַחֵם (Menaḥem) – Root: נחם; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Menaḥem”; Notes: King of Yisraʾel who took violent action to consolidate power.
- אֶת־תִּפְסַ֨ח (et-Tifsaḥ) – Root: תפסח; Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “Tifsaḥ”; Notes: A city on the eastern border of Yisraʾel.
- וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֤הּ (ve-et kol ʾasher bah) – Root: כל, אשר, בוא; Form: Conjunction + object marker + totality noun + relative pronoun + preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and all who were in it”; Notes: Expands the target of the assault.
- וְאֶת־גְּבוּלֶ֨יהָ (ve-et-gevuleha) – Root: גבול; Form: Conjunction + object marker + noun masculine plural with 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and its borders”; Notes: Refers to surrounding territories.
- מִתִּרְצָ֔ה (mi-Tirtsah) – Root: תרצה; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “from Tirtsah”; Notes: Indicates direction or origin of military action.
- כִּ֛י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces a causal clause.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- פָתַ֖ח (pataḥ) – Root: פתח; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it opened”; Notes: The city refused to surrender or submit.
- וַיַּ֑ךְ (va-yak) – Root: נכה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he struck [it]”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis of brutal action.
- אֵ֛ת כָּל־הֶהָ֥רֹותֶ֖יהָ (et kol he-haroteha) – Root: הרָה; Form: Direct object marker + totality noun + noun feminine plural with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “all her pregnant women”; Notes: Targets the most vulnerable for emphasis on cruelty.
- בִּקֵּֽעַ (biqqeʿa) – Root: בקע; Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he ripped open”; Notes: Gruesome act of violence condemned elsewhere (cf. Amos 1:13).