לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֗ה הִנְנִי֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם וְשָֽׁבַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־זְרֹ֣עֹתָ֔יו אֶת־הַחֲזָקָ֖ה וְאֶת־הַנִּשְׁבָּ֑רֶת וְהִפַּלְתִּ֥י אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב מִיָּדֹֽו׃
Therefore thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘Behold, I am against Parʿo king of Mitsrayim, and I will break his arms, the strong one and the broken one, and I will cause the sword to fall from his hand.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks a divine conclusion or judgment following a preceding oracle.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “thus says”; Notes: Standard prophetic introduction formula used in divine oracles.
- אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (Adonai YHWH) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Title + divine name; Translation: “the Lord YHWH”; Notes: The double title emphasizes YHWH’s supreme sovereignty and authority in judgment.
- הִנְנִי (hineni) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection + 1st person singular pronominal suffix; Translation: “behold, I am”; Notes: Indicates imminent divine intervention or action.
- אֶל־פַּרְעֹה (ʾel-Parʿo) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + proper noun; Translation: “against Parʿo (Pharaoh)”; Notes: Expresses opposition; YHWH sets Himself directly against Egypt’s ruler.
- מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם (melekh-Mitsrayim) – Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “king of Mitsrayim (Egypt)”; Notes: Title clarifying Parʿo’s domain.
- וְשָׁבַרְתִּי (ve-shavarti) – Root: שׁבר (shavar); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and I will break”; Notes: Expresses divine power in bringing ruin—symbolizing destruction of Egypt’s strength.
- אֶת־זְרֹעֹתָיו (ʾet-zerōʿotav) – Root: זרוע (zerōaʿ); Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his arms”; Notes: Symbolic for Egypt’s military and political power.
- אֶת־הַחֲזָקָה (ʾet-ha-ḥazaqah) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq); Form: Direct object marker + adjective feminine singular definite; Translation: “the strong one”; Notes: Refers to Egypt’s remaining strength—likely its army or leadership.
- וְאֶת־הַנִּשְׁבָּרֶת (ve-ʾet-ha-nishbaret) – Root: שׁבר (shavar); Form: Conjunction וְ + direct object marker + Niphal participle feminine singular definite; Translation: “and the one already broken”; Notes: Refers to Egypt’s previously wounded or weakened state—its prior defeats.
- וְהִפַּלְתִּי (ve-hippalti) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Hiphil perfect 1st person singular with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and I will cause to fall”; Notes: Indicates causative action by YHWH—He will make the sword fall, disabling Egypt’s capacity for war.
- אֶת־הַחֶרֶב (ʾet-ha-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular definite; Translation: “the sword”; Notes: Symbol of military might and sovereignty; its fall implies total defeat.
- מִיָּדוֹ (miyyado) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular construct + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “from his hand”; Notes: Denotes loss of control or dominion—Parʿo’s power is stripped from him by divine act.