כֹּֽה־תֹאמַ֨ר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֨ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֮ חַי־אָנִי֒ אִם־לֹ֞א אֲשֶׁ֤ר בֶּֽחֳרָבֹות֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֔לוּ וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לַחַיָּ֥ה נְתַתִּ֖יו לְאָכְלֹ֑ו וַאֲשֶׁ֛ר בַּמְּצָדֹ֥ות וּבַמְּעָרֹ֖ות בַּדֶּ֥בֶר יָמֽוּתוּ׃
Thus you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH: “As I live, surely those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and those who are in the open field I have given to the beast for food, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die by pestilence.
Morphology
- כֹּה־תֹאמַר (koh-toʾmar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular (jussive); Translation: “Thus you shall say”; Notes: Standard prophetic commissioning formula introducing YHWH’s direct message through the prophet.
- אֲלֵהֶם (ʾalehem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the addressees—rebellious remnants of Yisraʾel.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: The formal opening of a divine oracle, asserting divine authority.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Plural of majesty with 1st person suffix; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Title expressing dominion and authority, paired with YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: Divine Name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God, invoking divine solemnity in the oath that follows.
- חַי־אָנִי (ḥai-ani) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Adjective masculine singular + pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “As I live”; Notes: Divine oath formula affirming YHWH’s certainty and authority.
- אִם־לֹא (ʾim-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conditional particle + negation; Translation: “surely / indeed”; Notes: Introduces a strong oath construction—“surely” those mentioned will perish.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “those who / who”; Notes: Introduces each clause describing the different fates of the inhabitants.
- בֶּֽחֳרָבֹות (be-ḥoravot) – Root: חרב (ḥarav); Form: Preposition בְּ + plural noun feminine; Translation: “in the ruins”; Notes: Refers to desolate cities—remnants of Yisraʾel’s former settlements.
- בַּחֶרֶב (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “by the sword”; Notes: Instrumental—those in ruins will fall by violence and warfare.
- יִפֹּלוּ (yippolu) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall fall”; Notes: Describes the fate of those within the ruins, emphasizing divine judgment.
- וַאֲשֶׁר (va-ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + relative pronoun; Translation: “and those who”; Notes: Connects the next group subject to another form of judgment.
- עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה (ʿal-penei ha-sadeh) – Root: שׂדה (sadeh); Form: Preposition + construct phrase; Translation: “in the open field”; Notes: Refers to those outside the cities—vulnerable to wild beasts.
- לַחַיָּה (la-ḥayyah) – Root: חיה (ḥayyah); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the beast”; Notes: The wild animals are instruments of divine judgment.
- נְתַתִּיו (netattiv) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “I have given him/it”; Notes: Expresses divine agency—YHWH’s active role in appointing destruction.
- לְאָכְלוֹ (leʾokhlo) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “for food for it”; Notes: Indicates purpose—given for consumption by the beast.
- וַאֲשֶׁר (va-ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + relative pronoun; Translation: “and those who”; Notes: Introduces the third class of condemned individuals—those hiding in fortresses and caves.
- בַּמְּצָדֹות (ba-metsadot) – Root: מצד (matsad); Form: Preposition בְּ + plural noun feminine definite; Translation: “in the strongholds”; Notes: Places of refuge or fortresses that prove futile against divine judgment.
- וּבַמְּעָרֹות (u-va-meʿarot) – Root: מערה (meʿarah); Form: Conjunction + preposition בְּ + plural noun feminine definite; Translation: “and in the caves”; Notes: Represents desperate hiding places, echoing imagery of divine pursuit.
- בַּדֶּבֶר (ba-dever) – Root: דבר (dever); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “by pestilence”; Notes: One of YHWH’s covenant curses (cf. Deut 28:21), signifying death by disease.
- יָמֻתוּ (yamutu) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall die”; Notes: Final verb summarizing the judgment—no refuge remains from divine decree.