Amos 1:7

וְשִׁלַּ֥חְתִּי אֵ֖שׁ בְּחֹומַ֣ת עַזָּ֑ה וְאָכְלָ֖ה אַרְמְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃

And I will send fire upon the wall of ʿAzza, and it shall devour her palaces.

Morphology

1. וְשִׁלַּ֥חְתִּי (ve-shillaḥti) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Conjunction + Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “And I will send”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s active initiation of destruction, emphasizing direct divine agency.
2. אֵ֖שׁ (ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “fire”; Notes: Represents divine judgment; fire as a frequent metaphor for consuming wrath and warfare.
3. בְּחֹומַ֣ת (be-ḥomat) – Root: חומה (ḥomah); Form: Preposition בְּ + construct noun feminine singular; Translation: “upon the wall of”; Notes: Refers to the fortified city wall of ʿAzzah, symbolizing its defense and pride.
4. עַזָּ֑ה (ʿAzzah) – Root: עז (ʿaz); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿAzzah” (Gaza); Notes: Chief city of the Pelishtim, representing their power and political center.
5. וְאָכְלָ֖ה (ve-ʾokhlah) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and it shall devour”; Notes: Fire personified as the consuming agent of divine retribution.
6. אַרְמְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃ (armnoteyha) – Root: ארמון (armon); Form: Noun feminine plural + suffix 3fs; Translation: “her palaces”; Notes: Denotes royal or elite dwellings; their destruction symbolizes the collapse of Gaza’s ruling structure.