לָ֠כֵן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י צְבָאֹות֙ אֲדֹנָ֔י בְּכָל־רְחֹבֹ֣ות מִסְפֵּ֔ד וּבְכָל־חוּצֹ֖ות יֹאמְר֣וּ הֹו־הֹ֑ו וְקָרְא֤וּ אִכָּר֙ אֶל־אֵ֔בֶל וּמִסְפֵּ֖ד אֶל־יֹ֥ודְעֵי נֶֽהִי׃
Therefore thus says YHWH, the Lord God of Hosts: “In all the streets there shall be wailing, and in all the highways they shall say, ‘Alas, alas!’ And they shall call the farmer to mourning, and those skilled in lamentation to wailing.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces divine pronouncement in response to previous wickedness.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Typical prophetic formula preceding YHWH’s speech.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Introduces YHWH’s direct decree through the prophet.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hvh); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God.
- אֱלֹהֵי־צְבָאֹות (Elohei-tsevaʾot) – Root: אלה (ʾeloh) + צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “God of hosts”; Notes: Emphasizes divine command over heavenly and earthly armies.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Proper noun, plural of majesty; Translation: “the Lord”; Notes: Title of divine sovereignty used alongside YHWH.
- בְּכָל־רְחֹבֹות (be-khol-reḥovot) – Root: רחב (raḥav); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “in all the streets”; Notes: Indicates the widespread nature of mourning in public spaces.
- מִסְפֵּד (misped) – Root: ספד (safad); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “wailing” or “lamentation”; Notes: Expression of grief for national disaster or divine judgment.
- וּבְכָל־חוּצֹות (u-ve-khol-ḥutsot) – Root: חוץ (ḥuts); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural construct; Translation: “and in all the highways”; Notes: Refers to open places or public ways outside the city centers.
- יֹאמְרוּ (yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall say”; Notes: Describes the communal cry of despair among the people.
- הֹו־הֹו (ho-ho) – Root: —; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Alas, alas!”; Notes: Mourning cry expressing grief, loss, and calamity.
- וְקָרְאוּ (ve-karʾu) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they shall call”; Notes: Indicates a communal summoning for mourning rituals.
- אִכָּר (ikkar) – Root: אכר (ʾakar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “farmer”; Notes: Even common laborers are called to join in the national mourning.
- אֶל־אֵבֶל (el-evel) – Root: אבל (ʾaval); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to mourning”; Notes: Indicates direction—inviting participants to join formal lamentation.
- וּמִסְפֵּד (u-misped) – Root: ספד (safad); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and wailing”; Notes: Parallel term reinforcing the public nature of lamentation.
- אֶל־יֹודְעֵי (el-yodeʿei) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Preposition אֶל + Qal participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “to those skilled in”; Notes: Refers to professional mourners or lamentation experts.
- נֶהִי (nehi) – Root: נהה (naha); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “lamentation”; Notes: A dirge or professional wailing song, part of ancient mourning customs.