הִנֵּ֨ה עַמֵּ֤ךְ נָשִׁים֙ בְּקִרְבֵּ֔ךְ לְאֹ֣יְבַ֔יִךְ פָּתֹ֥וחַ נִפְתְּח֖וּ שַׁעֲרֵ֣י אַרְצֵ֑ךְ אָכְלָ֥ה אֵ֖שׁ בְּרִיחָֽיִך׃
Behold, your people are women in your midst. For your enemies, the gates of your land have been opened. Fire has consumed your bars.
Morphology
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) — Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Particle of attention; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Introduces an alarming declaration.
- עַמֵּךְ (ʿammeikh) — Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + suffix 2fs; Translation: “your people”; Notes: Directly addresses the city.
- נָשִׁים (nashim) — Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “women”; Notes: Idiomatically symbolizes weakness.
- בְּקִרְבֵּךְ (be-qirbeikh) — Root: קרב (qerev); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct + suffix 2fs; Translation: “in your midst”; Notes: Indicates internal collapse.
- לְאֹיְבַיִךְ (le-oyevayikh) — Root: איב (ʾayav); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine plural with suffix 2fs; Translation: “for your enemies”; Notes: Refers to hostile forces overtaking the city.
- פָּתֹוחַ (patoach) — Root: פתח (pataḥ); Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “opened”; Notes: Describes the unprotected condition.
- נִפְתְּחוּ (niftekhu) — Root: פתח (pataḥ); Form: Niphal perfect 3cp; Translation: “have been opened”; Notes: Emphasizes passive vulnerability.
- שַׁעֲרֵי (shaʿarei) — Root: שער (shaʿar); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “the gates of”; Notes: Introduces the next component in the construct chain.
- אַרְצֵךְ (artzekh) — Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + suffix 2fs; Translation: “your land”; Notes: Refers to the nation or territory.
- אָכְלָה (okhlah) — Root: אכל (ʾakal); Form: Qal perfect 3fs; Translation: “has consumed”; Notes: Feminine verb matching “fire.”
- אֵשׁ (esh) — Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “fire”; Notes: Symbol of destructive judgment.
- בְּרִיחָיִךְ (berikhaikh) — Root: ברח (bereaḥ); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural + suffix 2fs; Translation: “your bars”; Notes: Defensive bars of city gates consumed by fire.