וְנִפַּצְתִּ֤י בְךָ֙ אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֔ה וְנִפַּצְתִּ֥י בְךָ֖ זָקֵ֣ן וָנָ֑עַר וְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י בְךָ֔ בָּח֖וּר וּבְתוּלָֽה׃
And with you I will shatter man and woman, and with you I will shatter old and young, and with you I will shatter young man and virgin.
Morphology
- וְנִפַּצְתִּי (ve-nippatsti) – Root: נפץ; Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and I will shatter”; Notes: Repeated refrain stressing YHWH’s use of the instrument of judgment.
- בְךָ (vekha) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + second masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Indicates the agent used by God (Babylon’s conqueror).
- אִישׁ (ish) – Root: אישׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “man”; Notes: Generic adult male.
- וְאִשָּׁה (ve-ishah) – Root: אשה; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “and woman”; Notes: Paired with man for totality of humanity.
- וְנִפַּצְתִּי (ve-nippatsti) – Root: נפץ; Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and I will shatter”; Notes: Parallel repetition, emphasizing universality of destruction.
- בְךָ (vekha) – Form: Preposition בְּ + second masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Again stresses the instrumentality of the conqueror.
- זָקֵן (zaqen) – Root: זקן; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “old man”; Notes: Symbol of age and seniority.
- וָנַעַר (va-naʿar) – Root: נער; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute with vav; Translation: “and young man”; Notes: Represents youthfulness, contrasted with the elderly.
- וְנִפַּצְתִּי (ve-nippatsti) – Root: נפץ; Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and I will shatter”; Notes: Formulaic repetition, stressing inclusivity.
- בְךָ (vekha) – Form: Preposition בְּ + second masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with you.”
- בָּחוּר (baḥur) – Root: בחר; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “young man”; Notes: Often refers to a vigorous, strong male of fighting age.
- וּבְתוּלָה (u-vetulah) – Root: בתל; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “and virgin”; Notes: Refers to a young unmarried woman, completing the spectrum of humanity.