כִּ֣י הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֡י מֵעִיר֩ וּמַעֲלֶ֨ה עַל־בָּבֶ֜ל קְהַל־גֹּויִ֤ם גְּדֹלִים֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפֹ֔ון וְעָ֣רְכוּ לָ֔הּ מִשָּׁ֖ם תִּלָּכֵ֑ד חִצָּיו֙ כְּגִבֹּ֣ור מַשְׁכִּ֔יל לֹ֥א יָשׁ֖וּב רֵיקָֽם׃
For behold, I am stirring up and bringing up against Bavel an assembly of great nations from the land of the north, and they shall set themselves in array against her. From there she shall be captured. His arrows are like a mighty warrior who makes wise, they shall not return empty.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the coming judgment.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Emphasizes immediacy and certainty of divine action.
- אָנֹכִי (anokhi) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Stresses YHWH as the subject.
- מֵעִיר (meʿir) – Root: עור; Form: Hifil participle masculine singular with prefixed מִן; Translation: “stirring up”; Notes: Indicates arousing or inciting nations to battle.
- וּמַעֲלֶה (u-maʿaleh) – Root: עלה; Form: Hifil participle masculine singular with prefixed conjunction; Translation: “and bringing up”; Notes: Parallel participle reinforcing divine initiative.
- עַל־בָּבֶל (ʿal-Bavel) – Root: בבל; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “against Bavel”; Notes: Target of YHWH’s action.
- קְהַל־גּוֹיִם (qehal-goyim) – Root: קהל / גוי; Form: Construct chain: noun masculine singular construct + plural masculine noun; Translation: “assembly of nations”; Notes: Depicts a coalition army.
- גְּדֹלִים (gedolim) – Root: גדל; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “great”; Notes: Qualifies the multitude of nations.
- מֵאֶרֶץ (me-ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the land of”; Notes: Source location of the invading nations.
- צָפוֹן (tsafon) – Root: צפון; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the north”; Notes: Prophetic imagery for danger and invasion.
- וְעָרְכוּ (ve-ʿarkhu) – Root: ערך; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine plural with vav-consecutive nuance; Translation: “and they shall set themselves in array”; Notes: Military term for battle formation.
- לָהּ (lah) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “against her”; Notes: Refers to Babylon.
- מִשָּׁם (mi-sham) – Root: שם; Form: Preposition מִן + adverb; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Marks the place of Babylon’s capture.
- תִּלָּכֵד (tillaked) – Root: לכד; Form: Niphal imperfect 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “she shall be captured”; Notes: Passive sense, Babylon as the object of conquest.
- חִצָּיו (ḥitzav) – Root: חץ; Form: Noun masculine plural + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his arrows”; Notes: Metaphor for the invaders’ weapons.
- כְּגִבּוֹר (ke-gibbor) – Root: גבר; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like a mighty man/warrior”; Notes: Simile emphasizing strength.
- מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) – Root: שׂכל; Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “one who acts wisely/makes successful”; Notes: Describes the effectiveness of the warrior or arrows.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- יָשׁוּב (yashuv) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “shall return”; Notes: Refers to the arrows not coming back unused.
- רֵיקָם (reqam) – Root: ריק; Form: Adverb; Translation: “empty”; Notes: Indicates without effect, emphasizing certainty of Babylon’s downfall.