כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פִּשְׁעֵ֣י דַמֶּ֔שֶׂק וְעַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ עַל־דּוּשָׁ֛ם בַּחֲרֻצֹ֥ות הַבַּרְזֶ֖ל אֶת־הַגִּלְעָֽד׃
Thus says YHWH: “For three transgressions of Dammeseq, and for four, I will not turn it back, because they threshed Gileʿad with threshing instruments of iron.
Morphology
- כֹּ֚ה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: A standard prophetic formula introducing divine speech, marking the authority of YHWH’s declaration.
- אָמַ֣ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Indicates the completed divine utterance being cited.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God, the speaker of the oracle.
- עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ (ʿal-sheloshah) – Root: שלשׁ (shalosh); Form: Preposition עַל + cardinal number masculine singular; Translation: “for three”; Notes: Part of a Hebrew idiom meaning “for repeated offenses.”
- פִּשְׁעֵ֣י (pishʿei) – Root: פשע (pashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “transgressions of”; Notes: Refers to deliberate acts of rebellion or crimes against divine law.
- דַמֶּ֔שֶׂק (Dammeseq) – Root: דמשׂק (Dammeseq); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dammeseq” (Damascus); Notes: The capital of Aram, representing its kingdom in this prophetic indictment.
- וְעַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה (ve-ʿal-arbaʿah) – Root: ארבע (arbaʿ); Form: Conjunction + preposition עַל + cardinal number masculine singular; Translation: “and for four”; Notes: Completes the idiom “for three transgressions … and for four,” meaning persistent wrongdoing.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the action of withholding punishment.
- אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ (ʾashivennu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Hiphil imperfect 1st person singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “I will not turn it back”; Notes: Means YHWH will not revoke or reverse the announced punishment.
- עַל־דּוּשָׁ֛ם (ʿal-dusam) – Root: דושׁ (dush); Form: Preposition עַל + Qal infinitive construct + suffix 3mp; Translation: “because of their threshing”; Notes: Indicates the reason for judgment—cruel oppression symbolized by threshing.
- בַּחֲרֻצֹ֥ות (ba-ḥarutsot) – Root: חרץ (ḥarats); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural; Translation: “with instruments”; Notes: Refers to sharp threshing tools used for cutting—here symbolic of brutal violence.
- הַבַּרְזֶ֖ל (ha-barzel) – Root: ברזל (barzel); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “of iron”; Notes: Specifies the material, emphasizing hardness and cruelty of their instruments.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “(marks the object)”; Notes: Introduces the direct object of the verb phrase.
- הַגִּלְעָֽד׃ (ha-Gilʿad) – Root: גלעד (Gilʿad); Form: Proper noun with article; Translation: “the Gileʿad”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite region east of the Yarden, victimized by Aramean cruelty.