כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פִּשְׁעֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֔ון וְעַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ עַל־בִּקְעָם֙ הָרֹ֣ות הַגִּלְעָ֔ד לְמַ֖עַן הַרְחִ֥יב אֶת־גְּבוּלָֽם׃
Thus says YHWH: “For three transgressions of the sons of ʿAmmon, and for four, I will not turn it back, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gileʿad to enlarge their border.
Morphology
- כֹּ֚ה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces the prophetic oracle directly attributed to YHWH.
- אָמַ֣ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Standard prophetic declaration formula.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God, source of the prophetic message.
- עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ (ʿal-sheloshah) – Root: שלשׁ (shalosh); Form: Preposition עַל + cardinal number masculine singular; Translation: “for three”; Notes: Begins the idiom “for three … and for four,” signifying accumulated offenses.
- פִּשְׁעֵ֣י (pishʿei) – Root: פשע (pashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “transgressions of”; Notes: Denotes intentional rebellion or grave wrongdoing.
- בְנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֔ון (bene-ʿAmmon) – Root: בן (ben) + עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Construct noun plural + proper noun; Translation: “sons of ʿAmmon”; Notes: Refers to the Ammonite nation, descendants of Lot, frequent enemies of Yisraʾel.
- וְעַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה (ve-ʿal-arbaʿah) – Root: ארבע (arbaʿ); Form: Conjunction + preposition עַל + cardinal number masculine singular; Translation: “and for four”; Notes: Completes the Hebrew idiom of intensification, implying repeated sinfulness.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s determination not to retract His punishment.
- אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ (ʾashivennu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Hiphil imperfect 1st person singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “I will not turn it back”; Notes: Indicates divine resolve not to revoke judgment once decreed.
- עַל־בִּקְעָם֙ (ʿal-biqʿam) – Root: בקע (baqaʿ); Form: Preposition עַל + Qal infinitive construct + suffix 3mp; Translation: “because they ripped open”; Notes: Refers to an atrocity committed against pregnant women, a war crime representing ultimate cruelty.
- הָרֹ֣ות (ha-rot) – Root: הרה (harah); Form: Definite article + participle feminine plural; Translation: “the pregnant women”; Notes: Indicates vulnerable victims of war-time violence.
- הַגִּלְעָ֔ד (ha-Gilʿad) – Root: גלעד (Gilʿad); Form: Proper noun with definite article; Translation: “the Gilʿad”; Notes: Refers to the region east of the Yarden, often contested territory between Yisraʾel and ʿAmmon.
- לְמַ֖עַן (le-maʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition לְ + noun; Translation: “in order to” or “for the purpose of”; Notes: Introduces the motive behind their brutality—territorial expansion.
- הַרְחִ֥יב (harḥiv) – Root: רחב (raḥav); Form: Hiphil infinitive construct; Translation: “to enlarge”; Notes: Expresses deliberate expansionist aggression at the expense of others.
- אֶת־גְּבוּלָֽם׃ (ʾet-gevulam) – Root: גבול (gevul); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their border”; Notes: Refers to the national boundaries of ʿAmmon; expanding it through violence is condemned as a moral atrocity.