בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֡וּא יְגַלַּ֣ח אֲדֹנָי֩ בְּתַ֨עַר הַשְּׂכִירָ֜ה בְּעֶבְרֵ֤י נָהָר֙ בְּמֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר אֶת־הָרֹ֖אשׁ וְשַׂ֣עַר הָרַגְלָ֑יִם וְגַ֥ם אֶת־הַזָּקָ֖ן תִּסְפֶּֽה׃ ס
On that day, my Lord shall shave with a hired razor, on the far side of the River, with the king of Ashshur, the head and the hair of the feet, and even the beard it shall consume.
Morphology
- בַּיֹּ֣ום (ba-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Temporal phrase introducing a prophetic event.
- הַהוּא (ha-hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative adjective masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “that”; Notes: Points to a future day of judgment or humiliation.
- יְגַלַּ֣ח (ye-gallaḥ) – Root: גלח (galaḥ); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall shave”; Notes: Symbol of utter humiliation and judgment.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Reverent title for YHWH.
- בְּתַעַר (be-taʿar) – Root: תער (taʿar); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “with a razor”; Notes: Instrument of the act of shaving, symbolizing agent of judgment.
- הַשְּׂכִירָה (ha-sekhirah) – Root: שכר (sakar); Form: Definite adjective feminine singular; Translation: “the hired”; Notes: Indicates the razor is not domestic—it is foreign (i.e., Assyria).
- בְּעֶבְרֵי (be-ʿevrei) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Preposition + masculine plural construct; Translation: “on the far side of”; Notes: Refers to location—beyond the Euphrates River.
- נָהָר (nahar) – Root: נהר (nahar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the River”; Notes: Refers to the Euphrates River, symbolizing the eastern imperial power.
- בְּמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר (be-melekh Ashshur) – Root: מלך (melekh), אשור (Ashshur); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “with the king of Ashshur”; Notes: Identifies the Assyrian monarch as the instrument of YHWH’s judgment.
- אֶת־הָרֹאשׁ (et-ha-roʾsh) – Root: ראש (roʾsh); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the head”; Notes: Symbolic of leadership or dignity.
- וְשַׂעַר הָרַגְלָיִם (ve-saʿar ha-raglayim) – Root: שׂער (saʿar), רגל (regel); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct + dual noun with definite article; Translation: “and the hair of the feet”; Notes: Euphemism possibly implying total humiliation.
- וְגַם (ve-gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Emphasizes the totality of the act.
- אֶת־הַזָּקָן (et-ha-zaqan) – Root: זקן (zaqan); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the beard”; Notes: In ancient Israel, shaving the beard was a sign of deep shame.
- תִּסְפֶּה (tispeh) – Root: ספה (safah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it shall consume”; Notes: Refers to the razor finishing its work even on the beard—complete disgrace.