הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֗יִךְ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות וְהִבְעַרְתִּ֤י בֶֽעָשָׁן֙ רִכְבָּ֔הּ וּכְפִירַ֖יִךְ תֹּ֣אכַל חָ֑רֶב וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י מֵאֶ֨רֶץ֙ טַרְפֵּ֔ךְ וְלֹֽא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע עֹ֖וד קֹ֥ול מַלְאָכֵֽכֵה׃ ס
“Behold, I am against you,” declares YHWH of Hosts, “and I will burn your chariots in smoke and your young lions a sword will devour and I will cut off from the land your prey and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”
Morphology
- הִנְנִי (hineni) — Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Particle + 1cs suffix; Translation: “Behold I”; Notes: A declarative attention-getter introducing divine speech.
- אֵלַיִךְ (elayikh) — Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition אֶל + second fs suffix; Translation: “against you”; Notes: Directs YHWH’s opposition toward Nineweh.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) — Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “declaration”; Notes: A formal prophetic oracle formula.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) — Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of Israel’s God.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) — Root: צבע (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “hosts”; Notes: Refers to heavenly armies.
- וְהִבְעַרְתִּי (ve-hivʿarti) — Root: בער (baʿar); Form: Hiphil perfect 1cs; Translation: “and I will burn”; Notes: YHWH as the subject performing destruction.
- בֶעָשָׁן (be-ʿashan) — Root: עשן (ʿashan); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in smoke”; Notes: Fire imagery tied to divine judgment.
- רִכְבָּהּ (rikhbah) — Root: רכב (rakhav); Form: Noun masculine singular + 3fs suffix; Translation: “her chariot force”; Notes: Represents military might.
- וּ (u) — Root: ו; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links another judgment action.
- כְּפִירַיִךְ (kefirayikh) — Root: כפר (probably variant of כפר/כפר), lion term כפיר; Form: Noun masculine plural + 2fs suffix; Translation: “your young lions”; Notes: Metaphor for warriors of Nineweh.
- תֹּאכַל (toʾkhal) — Root: אכל (akhal); Form: Qal imperfect 3fs; Translation: “will devour”; Notes: Sword is the implied subject (feminine).
- חָרֶב (ḥerev) — Root: חרב (ḥarev); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a sword”; Notes: Instrument of judgment.
- וְהִכְרַתִּי (ve-hikhratti) — Root: כרת (karat); Form: Hiphil perfect 1cs; Translation: “and I will cut off”; Notes: Describes elimination of strength.
- מֵאֶרֶץ (me-erets) — Root: ארץ (erets); Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the land”; Notes: Removal from territorial domain.
- טַרְפֵּךְ (tarpayikh) — Root: טרף (taraf); Form: Noun masculine singular + 2fs suffix; Translation: “your prey”; Notes: Prey as symbol of plunder or conquest.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) — Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and no”; Notes: Introduces negation.
- יִשָּׁמַע (yishamaʿ) — Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Niphal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “will be heard”; Notes: Passive—voices cease.
- עוֹד (ʿod) — Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “any longer”; Notes: Indicates finality.
- קֹול (qol) — Root: קול (qol); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Represents authoritative command.
- מַלְאָכֵכֵה (malʾakhekheh) — Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun masculine plural + 2fs suffix; Translation: “your messengers”; Notes: Refers to Nineweh’s emissaries.
- ס (samekh) — Root: —; Form: Masoretic section marker; Translation: “(pause)”; Notes: Indicates paragraph break.