וְאָֽמְרוּ֙ כָּל־הַגֹּויִ֔ם עַל־מֶ֨ה עָשָׂ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה כָּ֖כָה לָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את מֶ֥ה חֳרִ֛י הָאַ֥ף הַגָּדֹ֖ול הַזֶּֽה׃
And all the nations will say, ‘Why has YHWH done thus to this land? What is the meaning of this great burning anger?’
Morphology
- וְאָֽמְרוּ֙ (ve-ʾameru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Conjunction “and” + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “And they will say”; Notes: Refers to the nations observing Israel’s fate.
- כָּל־הַגֹּויִ֔ם (kol-ha-goyim) – Root: גוי (g-w-y); Form: Construct form “all” + definite article + masculine plural noun; Translation: “all the nations”; Notes: Refers to surrounding peoples witnessing the destruction.
- עַל־מֶ֨ה (ʿal-meh) – Root: Preposition “upon” + interrogative pronoun; Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Expresses inquiry about the cause of the devastation.
- עָשָׂ֧ה (ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿ-ś-h); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has done”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s actions.
- יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, referring to the God of Israel.
- כָּ֖כָה (kakhah) – Root: Demonstrative adverb; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Indicates the manner in which the action was performed.
- לָאָ֣רֶץ (la-aretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Preposition “to” + feminine singular noun with definite article; Translation: “to the land”; Notes: Refers to the land of Israel.
- הַזֹּ֑את (ha-zot) – Root: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the particular land in question.
- מֶ֥ה (meh) – Root: Interrogative pronoun; Form: Question word; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces a second question.
- חֳרִ֛י (ḥori) – Root: חרה (ḥ-r-h); Form: Construct form masculine singular noun; Translation: “burning”; Notes: Refers to intense anger or wrath.
- הָאַ֥ף (ha-af) – Root: אף (ʾ-p); Form: Definite article + masculine singular noun; Translation: “anger”; Notes: Often metaphorically tied to the idea of flaring nostrils, indicating wrath.
- הַגָּדֹ֖ול (ha-gadol) – Root: גדל (g-d-l); Form: Definite article + masculine singular adjective; Translation: “the great”; Notes: Emphasizes the intensity or magnitude of YHWH’s anger.
- הַזֶּֽה (ha-zeh) – Root: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers back to the previously mentioned “great anger.”