שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵלֶּה֮ בְּתֹוכָהּ֒ חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה אִם־בָּנִ֥ים וְאִם־בָּנֹ֖ות יַצִּ֑ילוּ הֵ֤מָּה לְבַדָּם֙ יִנָּצֵ֔לוּ וְהָאָ֖רֶץ תִּהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמָמָֽה׃
Though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord YHWH, “even sons and daughters they would not deliver; they alone by themselves would be delivered, but the land would become desolate.
Morphology
- שְׁלֹשֶׁת (sheloshet) – Root: שלשׁ (shalosh); Form: Masculine singular construct; Translation: “three (of)”; Notes: Construct introducing the group.
- הָאֲנָשִׁים (ha-anashim) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Definite article + noun masculine plural; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Refers to the three righteous figures.
- הָאֵלֶּה (ha-elleh) – Root: אלה (ʾelleh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the named individuals.
- בְּתֹוכָהּ (be-tokhah) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in its midst”; Notes: Refers to the land under judgment.
- חַי־אָנִי (ḥai-ʾani) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Adjective masculine singular + independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “by my life”; Notes: Divine oath formula.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “declaration”; Notes: Prophetic affirmation of divine speech.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Plural of majesty with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Reverential title paired with YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hawah); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “even if”; Notes: Used here in an oath formula for emphasis.
- בָּנִים (banim) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Offspring, heirs.
- וְאִם־בָּנֹות (ve-ʾim-banot) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Conjunction + conditional particle + noun feminine plural absolute; Translation: “and even daughters”; Notes: Completes the phrase of offspring.
- יַצִּילוּ (yatsilu) – Root: נצל (natsal); Form: Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they would deliver”; Notes: Causative sense of rescue or saving others.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphatic subject pronoun.
- לְבַדָּם (levaddam) – Root: בדד (badad); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “by themselves alone”; Notes: Restricts deliverance to the individuals only.
- יִנָּצֵלוּ (yinnatselu) – Root: נצל (natsal); Form: Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they would be delivered”; Notes: Passive voice, they themselves would escape.
- וְהָאָרֶץ (ve-ha-ʾarets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Conjunction + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the land”; Notes: Refers to the nation or territory judged.
- תִּהְיֶה (tihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Describes the state of the land.
- שְׁמָמָה (shemamah) – Root: שׁמם (shamem); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “desolation”; Notes: Total ruin, result of judgment.