כִּ֤י אִם־יְגַדְּלוּ֙ אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וְשִׁכַּלְתִּ֖ים מֵֽאָדָ֑ם כִּֽי־גַם־אֹ֥וי לָהֶ֖ם בְּשׂוּרִ֥י מֵהֶֽם׃
For though they raise their sons, I will bereave them of mankind; for indeed, woe to them when I turn away from them.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “though”; Notes: Introduces the condition or cause for YHWH’s judgment.
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “though” or “if”; Notes: Establishes a hypothetical concession — even if they succeed temporarily in child-rearing.
- יְגַדְּלוּ (yegaddelu) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they raise” or “they bring up”; Notes: Implies nurturing or rearing of children to maturity.
- אֶת (ʾet) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: (no direct English equivalent); Notes: Marks the definite direct object — here referring to “their sons.”
- בְּנֵיהֶם (benehem) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their sons”; Notes: Represents their offspring — the continuation of their lineage now threatened by divine judgment.
- וְשִׁכַּלְתִּים (ve-shikaltihem) – Root: שׁכל (shakal); Form: Conjunction וְ + Piel perfect 1st person common singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “and I will bereave them”; Notes: A declaration of divine punishment — the loss of children as retribution for sin.
- מֵאָדָם (me-ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “of mankind” or “from man”; Notes: Indicates complete removal — extinction or annihilation from humanity.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Connects the clause explaining the cause of judgment — divine withdrawal.
- גַם (gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “indeed” or “also”; Notes: Emphasizes the severity and inevitability of the pronouncement.
- אֹוי (ʾoy) – Root: אוי (ʾoy); Form: Interjection; Translation: “woe”; Notes: Expresses lament or divine sorrow — impending disaster or grief.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: ל (lamed); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3mp; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to Ephrayim and the northern tribes as the objects of judgment.
- בְּשׂוּרִי (be-suri) – Root: שור (sur); Form: Preposition בְּ + Qal infinitive construct + suffix 1cs; Translation: “when I turn away”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s withdrawal of protection and favor — a central theme of divine abandonment.
- מֵהֶם (mehem) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition מִן + suffix 3mp; Translation: “from them”; Notes: Expresses separation — the ultimate punishment is YHWH’s removal of His presence from His people.