Jeremiah 38:2

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת יָמוּת בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר וְהַיֹּצֵא אֶל־הַכַּשְׂדִּים יִחְיֶה וְהָיְתָה־לֹּו נַפְשֹׁו לְשָׁלָל וָחָי׃ ס

“Thus says YHWH: ‘He who dwells in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes out to the Kasdim shall live, and his life shall be to him for a spoil, and he shall live.’

Morphology

1. כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces a prophetic oracle.
2. אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula.
3. יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God.
4. הַיֹּשֵׁב (ha-yoshev) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Definite article + Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “he who dwells”; Notes: Subject of conditional statement.
5. בָּעִיר (ba-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the city”; Notes: Refers to Jerusalem.
6. הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies Jerusalem.
7. יָמוּת (yamot) – Root: מות; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall die”; Notes: Consequence for remaining in the city.
8. בַּחֶרֶב (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “by the sword”; Notes: One means of divine judgment.
9. בָּרָעָב (ba-raʿav) – Root: רעב; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “by the famine”; Notes: Another means of judgment.
10. וּבַדָּבֶר (u-va-daver) – Root: דבר; Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and by the pestilence”; Notes: Third instrument of destruction.
11. וְהַיֹּצֵא (ve-ha-yotseʾ) – Root: יצא; Form: Conjunction + definite article + Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “but he who goes out”; Notes: Contrasting clause.
12. אֶל־הַכַּשְׂדִּים (ʾel-ha-Kasdim) – Root: כשׂד; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “to the Kasdim”; Notes: Refers to the Babylonians.
13. יִחְיֶה (yiḥyeh) – Root: חיה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall live”; Notes: Promise of survival.
14. וְהָיְתָה (ve-hayetah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Refers to the outcome for his life.
15. לֹּו (lo) – Root: ל + הוא; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the one who surrenders.
16. נַפְשֹׁו (nafsho) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Noun feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his life”; Notes: Personal survival equated with spoil.
17. לְשָׁלָל (le-shalal) – Root: שׁלל; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for a spoil”; Notes: Life spared as though taken as plunder.
18. וָחָי (va-ḥay) – Root: חיה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and he shall live”; Notes: Concludes with emphasis on survival.