בַּת־עַמִּ֤י חִגְרִי־שָׂק֙ וְהִתְפַּלְּשִׁ֣י בָאֵ֔פֶר אֵ֤בֶל יָחִיד֙ עֲשִׂ֣י לָ֔ךְ מִסְפַּ֖ד תַּמְרוּרִ֑ים כִּ֣י פִתְאֹ֔ם יָבֹ֥א הַשֹּׁדֵ֖ד עָלֵֽינוּ׃
Daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth and wallow in ashes! Make mourning as for an only one, lamentation of bitterness, for suddenly the destroyer shall come upon us.
Morphology
- בַּת־עַמִּ֤י (bat-ʿammī) – Root: בת, עם; Form: Construct chain: noun feminine singular construct + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “daughter of my people”; Notes: A poetic or emotional address to the nation.
- חִגְרִי־שָׂק֙ (ḥigrī-saq) – Root: חגר, שק; Form: Imperative feminine singular + noun masculine singular; Translation: “gird on sackcloth”; Notes: Mourning imagery.
- וְהִתְפַּלְּשִׁ֣י (ve-hitpallešī) – Root: פלשׁ; Form: Hitpael imperative feminine singular; Translation: “wallow yourself”; Notes: Reflexive verb of mourning or humiliation.
- בָאֵ֔פֶר (ba-ʾefer) – Root: אפר; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular definite; Translation: “in the ashes”; Notes: Ashes symbolize grief or mourning.
- אֵ֤בֶל (ʾevel) – Root: אבל; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “mourning”; Notes: Often paired with lament and garments of grief.
- יָחִיד֙ (yaḥid) – Root: יחד; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “only one”; Notes: Used to intensify the grief, as for an only child.
- עֲשִׂ֣י (ʿasī) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal imperative feminine singular; Translation: “make”; Notes: Command to enact mourning.
- לָ֔ךְ (lakh) – Root: לך; Form: Preposition + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Reflexive pronoun of action.
- מִסְפַּ֖ד (mispad) – Root: ספד; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “lamentation”; Notes: Used for public mourning or funeral weeping.
- תַּמְרוּרִ֑ים (tamrurim) – Root: מרר; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “bitterness”; Notes: Abstract term conveying intense sorrow or anguish.
- כִּ֣י (kī) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for / because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the mourning.
- פִתְאֹ֔ם (pitʾom) – Root: פתם; Form: Adverb; Translation: “suddenly”; Notes: Denotes the unexpectedness of the event.
- יָבֹ֥א (yavō) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall come”; Notes: Refers to the coming destroyer.
- הַשֹּׁדֵ֖ד (ha-shoded) – Root: שדד; Form: Definite article + Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “the destroyer”; Notes: Agent of judgment or calamity.
- עָלֵֽינוּ (ʿalēnu) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “upon us”; Notes: Object of the attack or invasion.