וְנָתַתִּ֤י חחיים בִּלְחָיֶ֔יךָ וְהִדְבַּקְתִּ֥י דְגַת־יְאֹרֶ֖יךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶ֑יךָ וְהַעֲלִיתִ֨יךָ֙ מִתֹּ֣וךְ יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־דְּגַ֣ת יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶ֖יךָ תִּדְבָּֽק׃
And I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales, and I will bring you up from the midst of your rivers, and all the fish of your rivers will stick to your scales.
Morphology
- וְנָתַתִּי (ve-natatti) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “And I will put”; Notes: Marks YHWH’s deliberate action; the waw links this future act to prior divine declarations.
- חחיים (ḥaḥayim) – Root: חח (ḥaḥ); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “hooks”; Notes: Refers to sharp hooks used for catching or restraining large creatures, symbolizing divine control over Parʿo.
- בִּלְחָיֶיךָ (bilḥayekha) – Root: לחי (laḥi); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine dual + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in your jaws”; Notes: Symbolizes being forcibly led or restrained by divine power.
- וְהִדְבַּקְתִּי (ve-hidbaqti) – Root: דבק (davaq); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hifil perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I will cause to stick”; Notes: Expresses causative action; YHWH ensures the attachment of the fish to Parʿo’s scales.
- דְגַת־יְאֹרֶיךָ (degat-yeʾoreikha) – Root: דג (dag), יאר (yeʾor); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + noun masculine plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “the fish of your rivers”; Notes: The construct chain links the fish to Parʿo’s domain—the Nile system.
- בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶיךָ (be-qasqesotekha) – Root: קשׂקשׂ (qasqas); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to your scales” or “on your scales”; Notes: Likens Parʿo to a great fish whose scales are covered with the fish of his rivers.
- וְהַעֲלִיתִיךָ (ve-haʿalitikha) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hifil perfect 1st person common singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and I will bring you up”; Notes: Causative form expressing divine removal of Parʿo from his secure domain.
- מִתֹּוךְ (mi-tokh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the midst of”; Notes: Indicates separation or extraction from within a space, here from the Nile.
- יְאֹרֶיךָ (yeʾoreikha) – Root: יאר (yeʾor); Form: Noun masculine plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your rivers”; Notes: The suffix marks possession; refers to Pharaoh’s claim of ownership over the Nile.
- וְאֵת (ve-et) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + direct object marker; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces the additional object of the divine action.
- כָּל־דְּגַת (kol-degat) – Root: כל (kol), דג (dag); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “all the fish of”; Notes: The construct chain stresses totality—every fish within the Nile.
- יְאֹרֶיךָ (yeʾoreikha) – Root: יאר (yeʾor); Form: Noun masculine plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your rivers”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis on Pharaoh’s domain and its impending judgment.
- בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶיךָ (be-qasqesotekha) – Root: קשׂקשׂ (qasqas); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to your scales”; Notes: Repeated phrase intensifies the image of adhesion, emphasizing that all will cling to Pharaoh.
- תִּדְבָּק (tidbaq) – Root: דבק (davaq); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “will stick”; Notes: Refers to the collective “fish” (feminine) adhering to Pharaoh’s scales, symbolizing those who follow him in downfall.