Isaiah 8:8

וְחָלַ֤ף בִּֽיהוּדָה֙ שָׁטַ֣ף וְעָבַ֔ר עַד־צַוָּ֖אר יַגִּ֑יעַ וְהָיָה֙ מֻטֹּ֣ות כְּנָפָ֔יו מְלֹ֥א רֹֽחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל׃ ס

And it shall sweep through Yehuda, overflowing and passing through; it shall reach up to the neck. And the outspread of its wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O ʿImmanu El.”

Morphology

1. וְחָלַ֤ף (ve-ḥalaf) – Root: חלף (ḥalaf); Form: Qal perfect with vav-consecutive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it shall sweep through”; Notes: Describes a destructive or overwhelming passage.
2. בִּֽיהוּדָה֙ (bi-Yehudah) – Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yehudah”; Notes: The southern kingdom, target of Assyrian invasion.
3. שָׁטַ֣ף (shataf) – Root: שטף (shataf); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it overflowed”; Notes: Paired with “ḥalaf” to convey flooding and devastation.
4. וְעָבַ֔ר (ve-ʿavar) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal perfect with vav-consecutive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it passed through”; Notes: Continues the imagery of military advance like a flood.
5. עַד־צַוָּ֖אר (ʿad-tsavvar) – Root: צואר (tsavvar); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “up to the neck”; Notes: Symbolizes extreme danger—nearly total submersion or destruction.
6. יַגִּ֑יעַ (yaggiʿa) – Root: נגע (nagaʿ); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it shall reach”; Notes: Highlights the extent of the invasion’s reach.
7. וְהָיָה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (haya); Form: Qal perfect with vav-consecutive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Introduces the result of the previous actions.
8. מֻטֹּ֣ות (muttot) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Pual plural noun (from participle); Translation: “the outspread”; Notes: Refers to the stretched wings, metaphorically describing the reach of Assyria.
9. כְּנָפָ֔יו (kenafav) – Root: כנף (kanaf); Form: Noun feminine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “its wings”; Notes: Often used to describe the extremities of armies or divine figures.
10. מְלֹ֥א (melo) – Root: מלא (maleʾ); Form: Construct noun masculine singular; Translation: “the fullness of”; Notes: Emphasizes total coverage or extent.
11. רֹֽחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖ (roḥav-artzekha) – Root: רחב (raḥav), ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Construct noun + noun feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “the breadth of your land”; Notes: Refers to the total expanse of Yehudah’s territory.
12. עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל (ʿImmanu El) – Root: עם (ʿim), אל (ʾel); Form: Phrase = “God is with us”; Translation: “Immanu El”; Notes: A prophetic name, here likely used with irony—though YHWH is with them, judgment comes.