וְיֹֽשְׁבֵיהֶן֙ קִצְרֵי־יָ֔ד חַ֖תּוּ וַיֵּבֹ֑שׁוּ הָי֞וּ עֵ֤שֶׂב שָׂדֶה֙ וִ֣ירַק דֶּ֔שֶׁא חֲצִ֣יר גַּגֹּ֔ות וּשְׁדֵפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י קָמָֽה׃
And their inhabitants were short of hand, dismayed and ashamed; they were like grass of the field and green herb, like grass on rooftops, scorched before it grows up.
Morphology
- וְיֹֽשְׁבֵיהֶן֙ (ve-yoshveihen) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal active participle masculine plural with 3rd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “and their inhabitants”; Notes: Refers to the people of the cities just mentioned.
- קִצְרֵי־יָ֔ד (qitstrei-yad) – Root: קצר (qatsar), יד (yad); Form: Adjective plural construct + noun feminine singular; Translation: “short of hand”; Notes: Idiom meaning powerless or feeble.
- חַ֖תּוּ (ḥatu) – Root: חתת (ḥatat); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they were dismayed”; Notes: Expresses fear or collapse in morale.
- וַיֵּבֹ֑שׁוּ (va-yevoshu) – Root: בושׁ (bosh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they were ashamed”; Notes: Consequence of defeat or humiliation.
- הָי֞וּ (hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they were”; Notes: Introductory verb to similes that follow.
- עֵ֤שֶׂב שָׂדֶה֙ (ʿesev sadeh) – Root: עשׂב (ʿesev), שׂדה (sadeh); Form: Noun masculine singular + noun masculine singular; Translation: “grass of the field”; Notes: Common biblical image for frailty or transience.
- וִ֣ירַק דֶּ֔שֶׁא (viraq desheʾ) – Root: ירק (yaraq), דשׁא (desheʾ); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and green herb”; Notes: Reinforces image of fragile, fresh vegetation.
- חֲצִ֣יר גַּגֹּ֔ות (ḥatsir gagot) – Root: חציר (ḥatsir), גג (gag); Form: Noun masculine singular + construct plural noun; Translation: “grass of rooftops”; Notes: Rooftop grass has shallow roots and withers easily.
- וּשְׁדֵפָ֖ה (u-shedeifah) – Root: שׁדף (shadaph); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and scorched”; Notes: Refers to parching heat or wind destroying vegetation.
- לִפְנֵ֥י קָמָֽה (lifnei qamah) – Root: פני (paneh), קום (qum); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular (infinitive or verbal noun); Translation: “before it grows up”; Notes: Describes being destroyed before maturity or strength.