וְהֶעָרִ֤ים הַנֹּֽושָׁבֹות֙ תֶּחֱרַ֔בְנָה וְהָאָ֖רֶץ שְׁמָמָ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֑ה וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ
And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate, and you shall know that I am YHWH.”’”
Morphology
- וְהֶעָרִים (ve-heʿārīm) — Root: עיר; Form: Conjunction + definite plural noun feminine; Translation: “And the cities”; Notes: Refers to urban settlements of Yisraʾel.
- הַנֹּושָׁבֹות (hannōshāvōt) — Root: ישׁב; Form: Nifal participle feminine plural with definite article; Translation: “the inhabited [ones]”; Notes: Qualifies the cities as currently settled.
- תֶּחֱרַבְנָה (teḥeravnāh) — Root: חרב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “shall be laid waste”; Notes: Describes devastation of the cities.
- וְהָאָרֶץ (ve-hāʾārets) — Root: ארץ; Form: Conjunction + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the land”; Notes: Broader than the cities, encompassing all the territory.
- שְׁמָמָה (shemāmāh) — Root: שׁמם; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “desolate”; Notes: Emphasizes ruin and emptiness.
- תִּהְיֶה (tihyeh) — Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall become”; Notes: Describes the future state of the land.
- וִידַעְתֶּם (vi-yidaʿtem) — Root: ידע; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and you shall know”; Notes: Formula expressing recognition of YHWH through judgment.
- כִּי (ki) — Root: Particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces the content of recognition.
- אֲנִי (ʾănī) — Root: Independent pronoun; Form: 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic self-reference of YHWH.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) — Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God, revealed in His acts of judgment and sovereignty.