וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ יְהוָה֙ אַתָּ֨ה דִבַּ֜רְתָּ אֶל־הַמָּקֹ֤ום הַזֶּה֙ לְהַכְרִיתֹ֔ו לְבִלְתִּ֤י הֱיֹֽות־בֹּו֙ יֹושֵׁ֔ב לְמֵאָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה כִּֽי־שִׁמְמֹ֥ות עֹולָ֖ם תִּֽהְיֶֽה׃
and you shall say: ‘YHWH, You have spoken against this place, to cut it off, so that there shall not be in it an inhabitant, from man even to beast, for it shall be desolations forever.’
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Jeremiah instructs Seraiah to declare aloud.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Divine Name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of Israel’s God.
- אַתָּה (atta) – Root: אתה (ʾatta); Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “You”; Notes: Used emphatically here addressing YHWH directly.
- דִבַּרְתָּ (dibarta) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You have spoken”; Notes: Emphasizes divine decree.
- אֶל (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “against / concerning”; Notes: Marks the target of YHWH’s pronouncement.
- הַמָּקוֹם (ha-maqom) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the place”; Notes: Refers specifically to Babylon.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Identifies Babylon as the object.
- לְהַכְרִיתוֹ (le-hakhrito) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Hifil infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to cut it off”; Notes: Refers to destruction and annihilation.
- לְבִלְתִּי (le-vilti) – Root: בל (bal); Form: Preposition + negative particle + infinitive marker; Translation: “so that not / in order not”; Notes: Negative purpose construction.
- הֱיוֹת (heyot) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to be / being”; Notes: Expresses existence or presence.
- בּוֹ (bo) – Root: הוא (huʾ); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in it”; Notes: Refers to Babylon as the location.
- יֹושֵׁב (yoshev) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “inhabitant”; Notes: Refers to any person dwelling in the city.
- לְמֵאָדָם (le-meʾadam) – Root: אדם (adam); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from man”; Notes: Beginning of the extent of depopulation.
- וְעַד (ve-ʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition; Translation: “and unto”; Notes: Denotes extent or range.
- בְּהֵמָה (behemah) – Root: בהם (bahem); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “beast”; Notes: Includes domestic animals as well as wild creatures.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Explains the reason for the decree.
- שִׁמְמוֹת (shimemot) – Root: שׁמם (shamam); Form: Noun feminine plural absolute; Translation: “desolations”; Notes: Describes total devastation.
- עוֹלָם (ʿolam) – Root: עלם (ʿalam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “forever / eternal”; Notes: Indicates permanence of the destruction.
- תִּהְיֶה (tihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it shall be”; Notes: Concludes the decree of Babylon’s eternal ruin.