הַכֵּ֣ה תַכֶּ֗ה אֶת־יֹֽשְׁבֵ֛י הָעִ֥יר הַהִ֖וא לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב הַחֲרֵ֨ם אֹתָ֧הּ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֛הּ וְאֶת־בְּהֶמְתָּ֖הּ לְפִי־חָֽרֶב׃
You shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroy it and all that is in it, and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.
Morphology
- הַכֵּ֣ה (hakeh) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “You shall strike”; Notes: A command to inflict a blow or punishment.
- תַכֶּ֗ה (takeh) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil infinitive absolute; Translation: “surely strike”; Notes: Emphasizes the certainty or intensity of the action.
- אֶת־יֹֽשְׁבֵ֛י (et-yoshvei) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Participle, masculine plural construct with direct object marker; Translation: “the inhabitants of”; Notes: Refers to the people living in the city.
- הָעִ֥יר (ha’ir) – Root: עיר (ir); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to a specific city.
- הַהִ֖וא (hahivah) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the city mentioned.
- לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב (lefi-cherev) – Root: חרב (cherev); Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “with the edge of the sword”; Notes: Indicates the method of execution.
- הַחֲרֵ֨ם (hacharem) – Root: חרם (charam); Form: Hifil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “utterly destroy”; Notes: Refers to total destruction devoted to YHWH.
- אֹתָ֧הּ (otah) – Root: את (et); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers to the city.
- וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֛הּ (ve’et-kol-asher-bah) – Root: כל (kol) + אשר (asher) + ב (b); Form: Coordinated phrase; Translation: “and all that is in it”; Notes: Refers to all inhabitants and possessions.
- וְאֶת־בְּהֶמְתָּ֖הּ (ve’et-behemtah) – Root: בהמה (behemah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and its livestock”; Notes: Refers to the animals belonging to the city.
- לְפִי־חָֽרֶב (lefi-cherev) – Root: חרב (cherev); Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “with the edge of the sword”; Notes: Reiterates the method of destruction.