וְעַתָּ֗ה דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ בְּשָׁלֹ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ כִּשְׁנֵ֣י שָׂכִ֔יר וְנִקְלָה֙ כְּבֹ֣וד מֹואָ֔ב בְּכֹ֖ל הֶהָמֹ֣ון הָרָ֑ב וּשְׁאָ֥ר מְעַ֛ט מִזְעָ֖ר לֹ֥וא כַבִּֽיר׃ ס
And now YHWH has spoken, saying: In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moʾav shall be brought low, with all his great multitude; and the remnant shall be few, small, not mighty.
Morphology
- וְעַתָּה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Introduces a new, immediate declaration.
- דִּבֶּר (dibber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has spoken”; Notes: Strong form of declaring or uttering.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Subject of the prophecy.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech from YHWH.
- בְּשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים (be-shalosh shanim) – Root: שלשׁ (shalosh); Form: Preposition + cardinal number + noun feminine plural; Translation: “In three years”; Notes: Timeframe for the fulfillment of the prophecy.
- כִּשְׁנֵי שָׂכִיר (ki-shenei sakhir) – Root: שנה (shanah), שכר (sakhar); Form: Comparative clause + construct plural noun + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the years of a hired worker”; Notes: Implies fixed and precise duration.
- וְנִקְלָה (ve-niklah) – Root: קלל (qalal); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “shall be brought low”; Notes: Indicates humbling or loss of status.
- כְּבֹוד (kevōd) – Root: כבד (kaved); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “the glory of”; Notes: Refers to wealth, honor, or splendor.
- מוֹאָב (Moʾav) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Moʾav”; Notes: Nation under divine judgment.
- בְּכֹל הֶהָמוֹן הָרָב (be-kol he-hamon ha-rav) – Root: המה (hamon), רב (rav); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + construct + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “with all his great multitude”; Notes: Refers to Moʾav’s population or power.
- וּשְׁאָר (u-sheʾar) – Root: שׁאר (shaʾar); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the remnant”; Notes: Those who survive the judgment.
- מְעַט מִזְעָר (meʿat mizʿar) – Root: מעט (maʿat), זער (zaʿar); Form: Adjective + adjective; Translation: “few, very small”; Notes: Double emphasis on scarcity.
- לֹוא כַבִּיר (lo kabbir) – Root: כבר (kavar); Form: Negative particle + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “not mighty”; Notes: Final statement of their insignificance and weakness.