מִזַּעֲקַ֨ת חֶשְׁבֹּ֜ון עַד־אֶלְעָלֵ֗ה עַד־יַ֨הַץ֙ נָתְנ֣וּ קֹולָ֔ם מִצֹּ֨עַר֙ עַד־חֹ֣רֹנַ֔יִם עֶגְלַ֖ת שְׁלִֽשִׁיָּ֑ה כִּ֚י גַּם־מֵ֣י נִמְרִ֔ים לִמְשַׁמֹּ֖ות יִהְיֽוּ׃
From the cry of Ḥeshbon unto Elʿale, unto Yahats they have given their voice; from Tsoʿar unto Ḥoronayim, a three-year-old heifer. For even the waters of Nimrim shall be desolations.
Morphology
- מִזַּעֲקַת (mi-zaʿaqat) – Root: זעק; Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “from the cry of”; Notes: Sets the origin of the lamentation.
- חֶשְׁבֹּון (Ḥeshbon) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun, place name; Translation: “Ḥeshbon”; Notes: Moabite city, formerly Amorite, significant in the Mishor region.
- עַד־ (ʿad-) – Root: —; Form: Preposition with maqaf; Translation: “unto”; Notes: Marks the extent of the cry.
- אֶלְעָלֵה (Elʿaleh) – Root: עלה; Form: Proper noun, place name; Translation: “Elʿaleh”; Notes: Town east of the Yarden, paired with Ḥeshbon in geographic lists.
- עַד־ (ʿad-) – Root: —; Form: Preposition with maqaf; Translation: “unto”; Notes: Continues the geographical reach.
- יַהַץ (Yahats) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun, place name; Translation: “Yahats”; Notes: Site of battles in Moʾav, here marking the limit of lamentation.
- נָתְנוּ (natnu) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person common plural; Translation: “they gave”; Notes: Idiomatic for “they raised” or “lifted” their voice.
- קֹולָם (qolam) – Root: קול; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their voice”; Notes: Refers to the collective cry of Moʾav’s inhabitants.
- מִצֹּעַר (mi-Tsoʿar) – Root: —; Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun; Translation: “from Tsoʿar”; Notes: City at the southern end of the Dead Sea.
- עַד־ (ʿad-) – Root: —; Form: Preposition with maqaf; Translation: “unto”; Notes: Extends the boundary of the lament.
- חֹרֹנַיִם (Ḥoronayim) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun, dual form; Translation: “Ḥoronayim”; Notes: Moabite city, dual ending may indicate a two-part settlement.
- עֶגְלַת (ʿeglat) – Root: עגל; Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “heifer of”; Notes: In construct with the following number, figurative lament image.
- שְׁלִשִׁיָּה (shelishiyyah) – Root: שלשׁ; Form: Adjective/noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “three years old”; Notes: “A three-year-old heifer,” proverbial expression of vulnerability or lament.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the lament.
- גַּם (gam) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “also, even”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the devastation.
- מֵי (mei) – Root: מים; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “waters of”; Notes: Governs the following place-name.
- נִמְרִים (Nimrim) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun, place name; Translation: “Nimrim”; Notes: Stream or spring in Moʾav, here symbolically turned to desolation.
- לִמְשַׁמֹּות (li-meshamot) – Root: שׁמם; Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine plural; Translation: “for desolations”; Notes: Indicates total ruin or wasteland condition.
- יִהְיוּ (yihyu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall be”; Notes: Predicts the future devastation of the waters of Nimrim.