כִּֽי־עָמַ֨ד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֜ל אֶל־אֵ֣ם הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ בְּרֹ֛אשׁ שְׁנֵ֥י הַדְּרָכִ֖ים לִקְסָם־קָ֑סֶם קִלְקַ֤ל בַּֽחִצִּים֙ שָׁאַ֣ל בַּתְּרָפִ֔ים רָאָ֖ה בַּכָּבֵֽד׃
For the king of Bavel stood at the mother of the way, at the head of the two ways, to practice divination. He shook the arrows, he inquired of the terafim, he looked at the liver.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason or circumstance.
- עָמַד (ʿamad) – Root: עמד; Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “stood”; Notes: Describes the action of the king halting at a decision point.
- מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך + בבל; Form: Noun construct phrase; Translation: “king of Bavel”; Notes: Refers to the Babylonian monarch, Nebuchadnezzar.
- אֶל (ʾel) – Form: Preposition; Translation: “at”; Notes: Indicates location toward which he came.
- אֵם (ʾem) – Root: אם; Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “mother”; Notes: Figurative for “main” or “chief.”
- הַדֶּרֶךְ (ha-derekh) – Root: דרך; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the way”; Notes: Refers to the primary path or crossroads.
- בְּרֹאשׁ (be-roʾsh) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “at the head”; Notes: Describes the starting point of decision.
- שְׁנֵי (shenei) – Root: שׁנים; Form: Dual construct; Translation: “two”; Notes: Indicates duality of the paths.
- הַדְּרָכִים (ha-derakhim) – Root: דרך; Form: Noun masculine plural with article; Translation: “the ways”; Notes: The two possible routes of invasion.
- לִקְסָם־קָסֶם (li-qesam-qasem) – Root: קסם; Form: Preposition + infinitive construct + noun; Translation: “to practice divination”; Notes: Expresses his purpose of seeking omens.
- קִלְקַל (qilqal) – Root: קלל; Form: Piel perfect 3ms; Translation: “he shook”; Notes: Refers to shaking arrows for divination (belomancy).
- בַּחִצִּים (ba-ḥitsim) – Root: חץ; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural with article; Translation: “the arrows”; Notes: Objects used for divination practices.
- שָׁאַל (shaʾal) – Root: שׁאל; Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “he inquired”; Notes: Refers to seeking guidance through ritual inquiry.
- בַּתְּרָפִים (ba-terafim) – Root: תרף; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural with article; Translation: “the teraphim”; Notes: Household idols or oracles consulted.
- רָאָה (raʾah) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “he looked”; Notes: Here, an act of hepatoscopy (divination by liver inspection).
- בַּכָּבֵד (ba-kaved) – Root: כבד; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the liver”; Notes: Used in ancient Near Eastern divination rituals.