שִׁלַּ֨חְתִּי בָכֶ֥ם דֶּ֨בֶר֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם הָרַ֤גְתִּי בַחֶ֨רֶב֙ בַּח֣וּרֵיכֶ֔ם עִ֖ם שְׁבִ֣י סֽוּסֵיכֶ֑ם וָאַעֲלֶ֞ה בְּאֹ֤שׁ מַחֲנֵיכֶם֙ וּֽבְאַפְּכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
“I sent among you the plague in the manner of Mitsrayim; I slew your young men with the sword, along with the captivity of your horses, and I made the stench of your camps to come up even into your nostrils; yet you did not return to Me,” declares YHWH.
Morphology
- שִׁלַּ֨חְתִּי (shillaḥti) – Root: שלח (shalach); Form: Piel perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I sent”; Notes: Intensive form—emphasizes YHWH’s direct initiative in sending the plague as judgment.
- בָכֶ֥ם (bakhem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “among you”; Notes: Denotes that the plague spread within the people of Yisraʾel.
- דֶּ֨בֶר (dever) – Root: דבר (davar, in the sense “to destroy”); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “plague”; Notes: A deadly pestilence often sent by YHWH as punishment, as in the plagues of Mitsrayim.
- בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ (be-derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the manner of”; Notes: Functions idiomatically—“in the way of,” meaning “in the same manner as.”
- מִצְרַ֔יִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצר (metsar); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt—recalling the plagues YHWH once sent there, now mirrored upon Yisraʾel.
- הָרַ֤גְתִּי (haragti) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I slew”; Notes: Indicates direct divine agency in warfare or destruction.
- בַחֶ֨רֶב֙ (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Symbol of war and divine judgment.
- בַּח֣וּרֵיכֶ֔ם (ba-ḥureikhem) – Root: בחור (baḥur); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “your young men”; Notes: Refers to the prime warriors or the flower of the nation—those expected to defend it.
- עִ֖ם (ʿim) – Root: —; Form: Preposition; Translation: “with”; Notes: Connects the slain men with their captured horses—implying total defeat.
- שְׁבִ֣י (shevi) – Root: שׁבה (shavah); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “captivity”; Notes: Refers to the taking of spoils or prisoners of war—part of the military losses inflicted.
- סֽוּסֵיכֶ֑ם (suseikhem) – Root: סוס (sus); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “your horses”; Notes: Represents military strength and mobility—now lost in battle.
- וָאַעֲלֶ֞ה (va-aʿaleh) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hiphil imperfect 1st person common singular (converted by waw); Translation: “and I made to come up”; Notes: Causative—YHWH brings about the rising of a stench, symbolizing death and decay.
- בְּאֹ֤שׁ (be-ʾosh) – Root: באשׁ (baʾash); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the stench”; Notes: Signifies the odor of death and corruption following widespread slaughter.
- מַחֲנֵיכֶם֙ (maḥaneikhem) – Root: חנה (ḥanah); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “of your camps”; Notes: Refers to Israelite encampments or military camps filled with corpses.
- וּֽבְאַפְּכֶ֔ם (u-ve-appkhem) – Root: אף (aph); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “into your nostrils”; Notes: Emphasizes how the effects of death and decay reached them personally and unmistakably.
- וְלֹֽא־ (ve-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “yet not”; Notes: Highlights Israel’s persistent refusal to repent.
- שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם (shavtem) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you returned”; Notes: Again recalls the unheeded call to repentance throughout the prophetic narrative.
- עָדַ֖י (ʿaday) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition עַד + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: Indicates the direction of repentance—toward YHWH Himself, who calls for covenant restoration.
- נְאֻם־ (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular (prophetic formula); Translation: “declares”; Notes: Authoritative formula signifying the divine origin of the statement.
- יְהוָֽה׃ (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God, concluding the oracle with divine finality and authority.