וְהוּא֙ לֹא־כֵ֣ן יְדַמֶּ֔ה וּלְבָבֹ֖ו לֹא־כֵ֣ן יַחְשֹׁ֑ב כִּ֚י לְהַשְׁמִ֣יד בִּלְבָבֹ֔ו וּלְהַכְרִ֥ית גֹּויִ֖ם לֹ֥א מְעָֽט׃
But he does not think so, and his heart does not reckon so; for it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off nations not a few.
Morphology
- וְהוּא (ve-hu) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Conjunction + 3rd person masculine singular pronoun; Translation: “But he”; Notes: Refers to Ashshur as previously mentioned.
- לֹא־כֵן (lo-khen) – Root: לא + כן; Form: Negative particle + adverb; Translation: “not so”; Notes: Indicates contrast with YHWH’s intent.
- יְדַמֶּה (yedammeh) – Root: דמה (damah); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he thinks”; Notes: Suggests purposeful planning or imagining.
- וּלְבָבֹו (u-levavo) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and his heart”; Notes: Emphasizes internal intent.
- לֹא־כֵן (lo-khen) – Root: לא + כן; Form: Negative particle + adverb; Translation: “not so”; Notes: Reiterates the discrepancy between intent and divine purpose.
- יַחְשֹׁב (yaḥshov) – Root: חשב (ḥashav); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he reckons”; Notes: Refers to inward planning or intention.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces reason or explanation.
- לְהַשְׁמִיד (le-hashmid) – Root: שׁמד (shamad); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to destroy”; Notes: Hifil indicates causative action—total annihilation.
- בִּלְבָבֹו (bilvavo) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in his heart”; Notes: Reinforces personal intent.
- וּלְהַכְרִית (u-lehakrit) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Conjunction + Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “and to cut off”; Notes: Used of exterminating or wiping out nations.
- גֹּויִם (goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Objects of Ashshur’s destructive intent.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the smallness or insignificance of the number.
- מְעָט (meʿat) – Root: מעט (maʿat); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “few”; Notes: Ironically emphasizes the magnitude of the destruction intended.