אַרְיֵ֤ה טֹרֵף֙ בְּדֵ֣י גֹֽרֹותָ֔יו וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק לְלִבְאֹתָ֑יו וַיְמַלֵּא־טֶ֣רֶף חֹרָ֔יו וּמְעֹֽנֹתָ֖יו טְרֵפָֽה׃
A lion tears enough for his cubs, and he strangles for his lionesses, and he fills his holes with prey and his dens with torn meat.
Morphology
- אַרְיֵה (aryeh) — Root: אריה (aryeh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “lion”; Notes: Stands as the subject of the clause, representing Assyria symbolically.
- טֹרֵף (toref) — Root: טרף (taraf); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “tearing”; Notes: Describes habitual predatory behavior.
- בְּדֵי (bedei) — Root: די (day); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “enough for”; Notes: Indicates sufficiency—enough prey to satisfy.
- גֹּרוֹתָיו (gorotav) — Root: גור (gur); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his cubs”; Notes: Refers to the lion’s young.
- וּ (u) — Root: ו (vav); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the lion’s tearing with another action.
- מְחַנֵּק (meḥanneq) — Root: חנק (ḥanaq); Form: Piel participle masculine singular; Translation: “strangling”; Notes: Intensive form—violently killing prey.
- לְלִבְאֹתָיו (le-libʾotav) — Root: לבא (lavaʾ, noun לָבִיא/לִבְאָה); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine plural + suffix 3ms; Translation: “for his lionesses”; Notes: Indicates provision for the adult females in the pride.
- וַיְמַלֵּא (va-yemalle) — Root: מלא (maleʾ); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he filled”; Notes: Piel intensifies the completion of filling the lairs.
- טֶרֶף (teref) — Root: טרף (taraf); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “prey”; Notes: Reinforces the slaughter imagery.
- חֹרָיו (ḥorav) — Root: חור (ḥor); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his holes”; Notes: Underground hiding places or lairs.
- וּ (u) — Root: ו; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds the parallel second location.
- מְעֹנֹתָיו (meʿonotav) — Root: מעון (maʿon); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his dens”; Notes: Regular dwelling places of lions.
- טְרֵפָה (trefah) — Root: טרף (taraf); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “torn meat”; Notes: Emphasizes savagery and abundance of prey.