אֵ֤יךְ נִגְדַּע֙ וַיִּשָּׁבֵ֔ר פַּטִּ֖ישׁ כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֵ֣יךְ הָיְתָ֧ה לְשַׁמָּ֛ה בָּבֶ֖ל בַּגֹּויִֽם׃
How the hammer of all the earth is cut down and broken! How Bavel has become a desolation among the nations!
Morphology
- אֵיךְ (ʾekh) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “How!”; Notes: Expresses astonishment and lament.
- נִגְדַּע (nigdaʿ) – Root: גדע; Form: Niphal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “is cut down”; Notes: Passive, describes Babylon’s downfall.
- וַיִּשָּׁבֵר (va-yishaver) – Root: שׁבר; Form: Niphal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and is broken”; Notes: Emphasizes the shattering of Babylon’s power.
- פַּטִּישׁ (pattish) – Root: פטשׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “hammer”; Notes: Metaphor for Babylon’s crushing power over nations.
- כָּל־הָאָרֶץ (kol-ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “of all the earth”; Notes: Babylon was once dominator of the world.
- אֵיךְ (ʾekh) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative adverb repeated; Translation: “How!”; Notes: Repetition heightens astonishment.
- הָיְתָה (hayetah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “she has become”; Notes: Refers to Babylon in the feminine.
- לְשַׁמָּה (le-shammah) – Root: שׁמם; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “a desolation”; Notes: Depicts utter ruin.
- בָּבֶל (Bavel) – Root: בבל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Bavel”; Notes: The subject of judgment.
- בַּגֹּויִם (ba-goyim) – Root: גוי; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural definite; Translation: “among the nations”; Notes: Babylon, once exalted among nations, is now shamed.