Isaiah 10:9

הֲלֹ֥א כְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ כַּלְנֹ֑ו אִם־לֹ֤א כְאַרְפַּד֙ חֲמָ֔ת אִם־לֹ֥א כְדַמֶּ֖שֶׂק שֹׁמְרֹֽון׃

Is not Kalno like Karkemish? If not Ḥamat like Arpad? If not Dammeseq like Shomeron?

Morphology

1. הֲלֹ֥א (halo) – Root: לא; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Is not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting affirmation.
2. כְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ (ke-Karkemish) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition כְּ + proper name; Translation: “like Karkemish”; Notes: Refers to the famous city on the Euphrates.
3. כַּלְנֹ֑ו (Kalno) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Kalno”; Notes: City conquered by Ashshur; presented as equal to Karkemish.
4. אִם־לֹ֤א (im-lo) – Root: אם + לא; Form: Conditional particle + negative particle; Translation: “If not”; Notes: Introduces a parallel rhetorical question.
5. כְאַרְפַּד (ke-Arpad) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition כְּ + proper name; Translation: “like Arpad”; Notes: Another conquered city of strategic significance.
6. חֲמָת (Ḥamat) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Ḥamat”; Notes: Capital of a northern Aramean kingdom.
7. אִם־לֹ֥א (im-lo) – Root: אם + לא; Form: Conditional particle + negative particle; Translation: “If not”; Notes: Repetition continues poetic parallelism.
8. כְדַמֶּ֖שֶׂק (ke-Dammeseq) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition כְּ + proper name; Translation: “like Dammeseq”; Notes: Refers to the prominent Aramean capital, Damascus.
9. שֹׁמְרֹֽון (Shomeron) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Shomeron”; Notes: Refers to the capital of the northern kingdom of Yisraʾel.