וּפָקַדְתִּ֨י עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אַרְבַּ֤ע מִשְׁפָּחֹות֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־הַחֶ֣רֶב לַֽהֲרֹ֔ג וְאֶת־הַכְּלָבִ֖ים לִסְחֹ֑ב וְאֶת־עֹ֧וף הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְאֶת־בֶּהֱמַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לֶאֱכֹ֥ל וּלְהַשְׁחִֽית׃
And I will appoint over them four kinds,” declares YHWH, “the sword to slay, and the dogs to drag, and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to eat and to destroy.
Morphology
- וּפָקַדְתִּי (u-faqadti) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And I will appoint”; Notes: Divine decree introducing punishment.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “over them”; Notes: Indicates those receiving the punishment.
- אַרְבַּע (arbaʿ) – Root: ארבע (ʾarbaʿ); Form: Cardinal number, feminine singular; Translation: “four”; Notes: Governs a feminine noun (mishpaḥot).
- מִשְׁפָּחֹות (mishpaḥot) – Root: משׁפח (mishpaḥ); Form: Noun feminine plural absolute; Translation: “kinds” or “families”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to categories of destruction.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun construct + proper noun; Translation: “utterance of YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic declaration formula indicating divine speech.
- אֶת־הַחֶרֶב (et-ha-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Definite direct object marker + noun feminine singular; Translation: “the sword”; Notes: Instrument of death in divine judgment.
- לַהֲרֹג (la-harog) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to slay”; Notes: Purpose clause expressing intended action.
- וְאֶת־הַכְּלָבִים (ve-et-ha-kelavim) – Root: כלב (kelev); Form: Conjunction + definite direct object marker + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and the dogs”; Notes: Scavengers associated with desecration of corpses.
- לִסְחֹב (lisḥov) – Root: סחב (saḥav); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to drag”; Notes: Violent handling of bodies.
- וְאֶת־עֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם (ve-et-ʿof ha-shamayim) – Root: עוף (ʿof); Form: Conjunction + definite direct object marker + noun masculine singular in construct with definite noun; Translation: “and the birds of the heavens”; Notes: Scavengers who devour corpses, representing natural agents of judgment.
- וְאֶת־בֶּהֱמַת הָאָרֶץ (ve-et-behemat ha-aretz) – Root: בהם (behemah); Form: Conjunction + definite direct object marker + noun feminine singular construct with definite noun; Translation: “and the beasts of the earth”; Notes: Parallel to the birds as consuming agents of destruction.
- לֶאֱכֹל (leʾekhol) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to eat”; Notes: Graphic imagery of consumption of human remains.
- וּלְהַשְׁחִית (u-lehashḥit) – Root: שחת (shakhat); Form: Conjunction + preposition + Hiphil infinitive construct; Translation: “and to destroy”; Notes: Final intensification of the judgment through active ruin.