שֶׂ֧ה פְזוּרָ֛ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲרָיֹ֣ות הִדִּ֑יחוּ הָרִאשֹׁ֤ון אֲכָלֹו֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְזֶ֤ה הָאַחֲרֹון֙ עִצְּמֹ֔ו נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֖ר מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃ ס
A scattered sheep is Yisraʾel; lions have driven him away. The first to devour him was the king of Ashshur, and this last one—Nevukhadretstsar, king of Bavel—has gnawed his bones.
Morphology
- שֶׂה (seh) – Root: שה; Form: Noun common singular; Translation: “sheep/lamb”; Notes: Metaphor for Yisraʾel as vulnerable.
- פְזוּרָה (pezurah) – Root: פזר; Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “scattered”; Notes: Emphasizes dispersion of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers collectively to the people.
- אֲרָיֹות (ʾarayot) – Root: ארי; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “lions”; Notes: Symbol of hostile powers or nations.
- הִדִּיחוּ (hiddiḥu) – Root: נדח; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “have driven away”; Notes: Depicts violent scattering.
- הָרִאשֹׁון (ha-rishon) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Adjective/noun masculine singular definite; Translation: “the first”; Notes: Refers to earliest devourer of Israel.
- אֲכָלוֹ (akhalo) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “devoured him”; Notes: Refers to Assyria consuming Israel.
- מֶלֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “king”; Notes: Title for the ruler.
- אַשּׁוּר (Ashshur) – Root: אשׁור; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ashshur/Assyria”; Notes: Empire that exiled the northern kingdom.
- וְזֶה (ve-zeh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “and this”; Notes: Introduces the second devourer.
- הָאַחֲרֹון (ha-aḥaron) – Root: אחר; Form: Adjective/noun masculine singular definite; Translation: “the last”; Notes: Indicates the latter devourer after Assyria.
- עִצְּמוֹ (ʿitsmo) – Root: עצם; Form: Noun masculine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his bone”; Notes: Figurative for his very being.
- נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (Nevukadretzar) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Nebukadretzar”; Notes: King of Babylon, later form of Nebuchadnezzar’s name.
- מֶלֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “king”; Notes: Repeated for apposition.
- בָּבֶל (Bavel) – Root: בבל; Form: Proper noun feminine singular; Translation: “Bavel/Babylon”; Notes: Empire that conquered Judah.