הַנִּשְׁבָּעִים֙ בְּאַשְׁמַ֣ת שֹֽׁמְרֹ֔ון וְאָמְר֗וּ חֵ֤י אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ דָּ֔ן וְחֵ֖י דֶּ֣רֶךְ בְּאֵֽר־שָׁ֑בַע וְנָפְל֖וּ וְלֹא־יָק֥וּמוּ עֹֽוד׃ ס
Those who swear by the guilt of Shomeron and say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan,’ and ‘As the way of Beʾer-sheva lives,’ they shall fall and shall not rise again.”
Morphology
- הַנִּשְׁבָּעִים (ha-nishbaʿim) – Root: שׁבע (shavaʿ); Form: Definite Nifal participle masculine plural; Translation: “those who swear”; Notes: Nifal participle indicates those habitually engaging in oath-taking.
- בְּאַשְׁמַת (be-ashmat) – Root: אשם (asham); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “by the guilt of”; Notes: Refers to the sinful object by which they swear.
- שֹׁמְרֹון (Shomeron) – Root: שׁמר (shamar); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shomeron”; Notes: Capital of the northern kingdom; center of idolatrous worship.
- וְאָמְרוּ (ve-amru) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “and they say”; Notes: Describes their declaration in idolatrous oaths.
- חֵי (ḥei) – Root: חי (ḥai); Form: Adjective used in oath formula; Translation: “as lives”; Notes: Standard oath prefix: “As X lives.”
- אֱלֹהֶיךָ (eloheikha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “your god”; Notes: Refers to the idolatrous deity of Dan.
- דָּן (Dan) – Root: דן (dan); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dan”; Notes: Northern cultic center established by Yarovʿam.
- וְחֵי (ve-ḥei) – Root: חי (ḥai); Form: Conjunction וְ + oath-formula adjective; Translation: “and as lives”; Notes: Introduces a second oath formula.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the way of”; Notes: Refers to a pilgrimage route associated with cultic worship.
- בְּאֵר־שָׁבַע (Beʾer-Shavaʿ) – Root: באר (beʾer) + שׁבע (shavaʿ); Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “Beʾer-Shevaʿ”; Notes: Southern sacred site where illicit worship had also taken root.
- וְנָפְלוּ (ve-naflu) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “and they shall fall”; Notes: Prophetic certainty of judgment falling on idolaters.
- וְלֹא־ (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Strong negation indicating finality.
- יָקוּמוּ (yokumu) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall rise”; Notes: Negated—implying irreversible collapse.
- עוֹד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “again”; Notes: Reinforces finality: they will never rise again.