Nahum 1:8

וּבְשֶׁ֣טֶף עֹבֵ֔ר כָּלָ֖ה יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה מְקֹומָ֑הּ וְאֹיְבָ֖יו יְרַדֶּף־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

And with an overflowing flood he makes a complete end of her place, and his enemies he pursues into darkness.

Morphology

1. וּבְשֶׁטֶף (u-ve-shetef) – Root: שׁטף (shataf); Form: Conjunction וּ + preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and with a flood”; Notes: Indicates the destructive force accompanying YHWH’s judgment.
2. עֹבֵר (ʿover) – Root: עבר (avar); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “overflowing / passing through”; Notes: Participial form portrays the flood as actively sweeping across.
3. כָּלָה (kalah) – Root: כלה (kalah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a complete end”; Notes: A technical prophetic term for total annihilation.
4. יַעֲשֶׂה (yaʿaseh) – Root: עשה (asah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he makes”; Notes: Denotes YHWH’s active creation of the “end.”
5. מְקֹומָהּ (meqomah) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “her place”; Notes: “Her” refers to Nineweh, the subject of judgment.
6. וְאֹיְבָיו (ve-oyevav) – Root: איב (ʾayev); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and his enemies”; Notes: They stand opposed to YHWH and are the objects of pursuit.
7. יְרַדֶּף (ye-raddef) – Root: רדף (radaf); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he pursues”; Notes: Piel intensifies the meaning—vigorous, relentless pursuit.
8. חֹשֶׁךְ (ḥoshekh) – Root: חשׁך (ḥashakh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “darkness”; Notes: Represents doom, ruin, and the fate awaiting YHWH’s enemies.