וְיֵ֤ט יָדֹו֙ עַל־צָפֹ֔ון וִֽיאַבֵּ֖ד אֶת־אַשּׁ֑וּר וְיָשֵׂ֤ם אֶת־נִֽינְוֵה֙ לִשְׁמָמָ֔ה צִיָּ֖ה כַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
And He shall stretch out His hand over the north and shall destroy Ashshur, and He shall make Nineweh into a desolation, a dry waste like the wilderness.
Morphology
- וְיֵט (ve-yet) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “And He shall stretch out”; Notes: A typical expression of divine judgment or intervention.
- יָדֹו (yado) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “His hand”; Notes: Symbol of power or action by YHWH.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל; Translation: “over”; Notes: Indicates direction of divine action.
- צָפֹון (tsafon) – Root: צפן (tsafan); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the north”; Notes: Often symbolic of invading powers; here direction of coming judgment.
- וִיאַבֵּד (vi-yaʾbed) – Root: אבד (ʾavad); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hifil imperfect 3ms; Translation: “and He shall destroy”; Notes: Hifil causative: God causes complete destruction.
- אֶת (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “—”; Notes: Marks אַשּׁוּר as the direct object.
- אַשּׁוּר (Ashshur) – Root: אשׁור (Ashshur); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Ashshur”; Notes: Refers to Assyria, major empire facing divine judgment.
- וְיָשֵׂם (ve-yasem) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “and He shall make”; Notes: Introduces the state into which Nineweh will be turned.
- אֶת (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “—”; Notes: Marks נִינְוֵה as the object.
- נִינְוֵה (Nineweh) – Root: נינוה (Nineweh); Form: Proper noun feminine singular; Translation: “Nineweh”; Notes: Assyrian capital, here destined for devastation.
- לִשְׁמָמָה (li-shemamah) – Root: שׁמם (shamam); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to desolation”; Notes: Indicates the resulting state of Nineweh.
- צִיָּה (tsiyyah) – Root: ציה (tsiyyah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a dry waste”; Notes: Evokes barren, waterless conditions.
- כַּמִּדְבָּר (ka-midbar) – Root: מדבר (midbar); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the wilderness”; Notes: Simile emphasizing total desolation.