מַדּ֖וּעַ נִסְחַ֣ף אַבִּירֶ֑יךָ לֹ֣א עָמַ֔ד כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה הֲדָפֹֽו׃
Why has your mighty one been swept away? He did not stand, for YHWH has thrust him down.
Morphology
- מַדּוּעַ (madduaʿ) – Root: ידע (semantic root of “knowing” in interrogatives); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- נִסְחַף (nisḥaf) – Root: סחף; Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has been swept away”; Notes: Passive/reflexive, depicting forceful removal.
- אַבִּירֶיךָ (ʾabbirekha) – Root: אביר; Form: Noun masculine plural + 2ms suffix; Translation: “your mighty ones” / “your strong ones”; Notes: Refers to Egypt’s champions or warriors.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: Negative particle; Form: Adverb of negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- עָמַד (ʿamad) – Root: עמד; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he stood”; Notes: Here with negation: “he did not stand,” expressing collapse.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides the reason clause.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The subject and agent of the action.
- הֲדָפֹו (hadafo) – Root: דפה; Form: Hifil infinitive construct with 3ms suffix (used adverbially); Translation: “has thrust him down”; Notes: Causative sense: YHWH caused his downfall.