לְמַ֣עַן לָמ֣וּג לֵ֗ב וְהַרְבֵּה֙ הַמִּכְשֹׁלִ֔ים עַ֚ל כָּל־שַׁ֣עֲרֵיהֶ֔ם נָתַ֖תִּי אִבְחַת־חָ֑רֶב אָ֛ח עֲשׂוּיָ֥ה לְבָרָ֖ק מְעֻטָּ֥ה לְטָֽבַח׃
In order that the heart may melt and the stumbling blocks be multiplied, at all their gates I have set the flash of the sword. Ah! Made like lightning, polished for slaughter.
Morphology
- לְמַעַן (le-maʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order that”; Notes: Introduces purpose clause.
- לָמוּג (lamug) – Root: מוג (mug); Form: Qal infinitive construct with prefixed ל; Translation: “to melt”; Notes: Expresses purpose, with subject “heart.”
- לֵב (lev) – Root: לב (lev); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “heart”; Notes: Represents courage or inner strength.
- וְהַרְבֵּה (ve-harbeh) – Root: רבה (ravah); Form: Hifil infinitive construct with prefixed ו; Translation: “and to multiply”; Notes: Purpose of increasing stumbling blocks.
- הַמִּכְשֹׁלִים (ha-miksholim) – Root: כשל (kashal); Form: Noun masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “the stumbling blocks”; Notes: Refers to causes of downfall.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “at/upon”; Notes: Locative preposition indicating place.
- כָּל־שַׁעֲרֵיהֶם (kol-shaʿareihem) – Root: שער (shaʿar); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “all their gates”; Notes: Symbolic of city entrances, where judgment occurs.
- נָתַתִּי (natatti) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 1cs; Translation: “I have set/given”; Notes: YHWH as the agent of action.
- אִבְחַת (ivḥat) – Root: בוח (ivḥ); Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “flash/stroke”; Notes: Refers to flashing movement of a sword.
- חָרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “sword”; Notes: Object of the setting, symbol of judgment.
- אָח (aḥ) – Root: אָח (aḥ); Form: Interjection; Translation: “ah!”; Notes: Expressive exclamation, possibly lament.
- עֲשׂוּיָה (ʿasuyah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “made”; Notes: Feminine agreement with sword, describing its preparation.
- לְבָרָק (le-baraq) – Root: ברק (baraq); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “for lightning”; Notes: Denotes flashing brilliance of the polished sword.
- מְעֻטָּה (meʿuttah) – Root: עטט (ʿat); Form: Pual participle feminine singular; Translation: “polished”; Notes: Describes the sword’s gleaming state, ready for slaughter.
- לְטָבַח (le-tavaḥ) – Root: טבח (ṭavaḥ); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “for slaughter”; Notes: Purpose statement marking the sword’s destiny.