אִם־גַּנָּבִ֤ים בָּאֽוּ־לְךָ֙ אִם־שֹׁ֣ודְדֵי לַ֔יְלָה אֵ֣יךְ נִדְמֵ֔יתָה הֲלֹ֥וא יִגְנְב֖וּ דַּיָּ֑ם אִם־בֹּֽצְרִים֙ בָּ֣אוּ לָ֔ךְ הֲלֹ֖וא יַשְׁאִ֥ירוּ עֹלֵלֹֽות׃
“If thieves came to you, if plunderers of the night, how you have been destroyed! Would they not steal what is enough for them? If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?
Morphology
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: אם (ʾ-m); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “If”; Notes: Introduces hypothetical scenarios.
- גַּנָּבִ֤ים (gannavim) – Root: גנב (g-n-v); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “thieves”; Notes: Represents destructive intrusion.
- בָּאֽוּ־ (baʾu) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “came”; Notes: Past action describing invaders.
- לְךָ֙ (lekha) – Root: אתה (ʾ-t-h); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2ms; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Dative of disadvantage.
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: אם (ʾ-m); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “if”; Notes: Parallel conditional clause.
- שֹׁ֣ודְדֵי (shodeddei) – Root: שׁדד (sh-d-d); Form: Piel participle masculine plural in construct; Translation: “plunderers of”; Notes: Violent attackers.
- לַ֔יְלָה (la-laylah) – Root: לילה (l-y-l-h); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the night”; Notes: Night raids common in ancient warfare.
- אֵ֣יךְ (ʾekh) – Root: איך (ʾ-y-k); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “how”; Notes: Expresses shock at devastation.
- נִדְמֵ֔יתָה (nidmeita) – Root: דמה (d-m-h); Form: Nifal perfect 2ms; Translation: “you have been destroyed”; Notes: Passive-reflexive nuance indicating utter ruin.
- הֲלֹ֥וא (halo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Interrogative particle with negation; Translation: “Would they not…?”; Notes: Introduces obvious expectation.
- יִגְנְב֖וּ (yignevu) – Root: גנב (g-n-v); Form: Qal imperfect 3mp; Translation: “would they steal”; Notes: Expected behavior of thieves.
- דַּיָּ֑ם (dayyam) – Root: די (d-y); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their enough”; Notes: Means “what is sufficient for them.”
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: אם (ʾ-m); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “If”; Notes: Parallel clause.
- בֹּֽצְרִים֙ (botserim) – Root: בצר (b-ts-r); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “grape-gatherers”; Notes: Vineyard workers in harvest.
- בָּ֣אוּ (baʾu) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “came”; Notes: Repeated action parallel to thieves.
- לָ֔ךְ (lakh) – Root: אתה (ʾ-t-h); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2fs; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Addressing Edom poetically as feminine.
- הֲלֹ֖וא (halo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Interrogative particle with negation; Translation: “Would they not…?”; Notes: Second rhetorical question.
- יַשְׁאִ֥ירוּ (yashʾiru) – Root: שׁאר (sh-ʾ-r); Form: Hifil imperfect 3mp; Translation: “would they leave”; Notes: Causative: “cause to remain.”
- עֹלֵלֹֽות (olelot) – Root: עלל (ʿ-l-l); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “gleanings”; Notes: Leftover grapes by law or custom; contrasts with Edom’s total devastation.