כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה הִנְנִ֣י נֹ֠תֵן אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֨ה חָפְרַ֤ע מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ בְּיַ֣ד אֹֽיְבָ֔יו וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשֹׁ֑ו כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֜תִּי אֶת־צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה בְּיַ֨ד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֧ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל אֹיְבֹ֖ו וּמְבַקֵּ֥שׁ נַפְשֹֽׁו׃ ס
Thus said YHWH: ‘Behold, I am giving Parʿo Ḥofraʿ, king of Mitsrayim, into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave Tsidqiyyahu, king of Yehuda, into the hand of Nevukhadretstsar, king of Bavel, his enemy and seeker of his life.’”
Morphology
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces a prophetic declaration formula.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Standard verb for introducing divine speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- הִנְנִי (hinneni) – Root: הן; Form: Interjection + 1cs suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Emphatic introduction of divine action.
- נֹתֵן (noten) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “am giving”; Notes: Indicates ongoing or imminent action.
- אֶת־פַּרְעֹה חָפְרַע (et-Parʿo Ḥofraʿ) – Root: unknown (Egyptian name); Form: Direct object marker + proper nouns; Translation: “Parʿo Ḥofraʿ”; Notes: Pharaoh Hophra, king of Mitsrayim.
- מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם (melekh-Mitsrayim) – Root: מלך, מצרים; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “king of Mitsrayim”; Notes: Parʿo’s royal title.
- בְּיַד אֹיְבָיו (be-yad ʾoyevav) – Root: יד, איב; Form: Preposition + noun in construct + 3ms suffix; Translation: “into the hand of his enemies”; Notes: Idiomatic expression for being delivered to hostile power.
- וּבְיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשׁוֹ (u-ve-yad mevakshei nafsho) – Root: יד, בקש, נפש; Form: Conjunction + preposition + construct phrase + 3ms suffix; Translation: “and into the hand of those who seek his life”; Notes: Reinforces the danger facing Parʿo.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Comparative conjunction; Translation: “just as”; Notes: Sets up a historical comparison.
- נָתַתִּי (natatti) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I gave”; Notes: Past action referring to a prior judgment.
- אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ (et-Tsidqiyyahu) – Root: צדק; Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “Tsidqiyyahu”; Notes: The last king of Yehudah before the Babylonian exile.
- מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה (melekh-Yehudah) – Root: מלך, יהודה; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “king of Yehudah”; Notes: Title clarifying the identity of Tsidqiyyahu.
- בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (be-yad Nevukhadretstsar) – Root: יד; Form: Preposition + noun in construct with proper noun; Translation: “into the hand of Nevukhadretstsar”; Notes: King of Bavel who conquered Yehudah.
- מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך, בבל; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “king of Bavel”; Notes: Title of Nevukhadretstsar.
- אֹיְבוֹ (ʾoyvo) – Root: איב; Form: Noun, masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “his enemy”; Notes: Paralleled to “his enemies” earlier for symmetry.
- וּמְבַקֵּשׁ נַפְשׁוֹ (u-mevaqqesh nafsho) – Root: בקש, נפש; Form: Conjunction + Piel participle masculine singular + noun with 3ms suffix; Translation: “and seeker of his life”; Notes: Repetition for rhetorical impact, showing complete defeat.