אֵיכָ֞ה יִרְדֹּ֤ף אֶחָד֙ אֶ֔לֶף וּשְׁנַ֖יִם יָנִ֣יסוּ רְבָבָ֑ה אִם־לֹא֙ כִּי־צוּרָ֣ם מְכָרָ֔ם וַֽיהוָ֖ה הִסְגִּירָֽם׃
How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them and YHWH had delivered them up?
Morphology
- אֵיכָ֞ה (ʾeikhah) – Root: אֵיךְ (ʾ-y-kh); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “How”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question indicating astonishment.
- יִרְדֹּ֤ף (yirdof) – Root: רָדַף (r-d-f); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “could chase”; Notes: Indicates a hypothetical or improbable situation.
- אֶחָד֙ (eḥad) – Root: אֶחָד (ʾ-ḥ-d); Form: Cardinal numeral masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Refers to a single person.
- אֶ֔לֶף (elef) – Root: אֶלֶף (ʾ-l-f); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a thousand”; Notes: Denotes a large number of people.
- וּשְׁנַ֖יִם (ushnayim) – Root: שְׁנַיִם (sh-n-y-m); Form: Cardinal numeral masculine dual; Translation: “and two”; Notes: Refers to a pair or two individuals.
- יָנִ֣יסוּ (yanisu) – Root: נוּס (n-w-s); Form: Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “put to flight”; Notes: Implies causing others to flee.
- רְבָבָ֑ה (revavah) – Root: רְבָבָה (r-b-b-h); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “ten thousand”; Notes: Represents a multitude or large number.
- אִם־לֹא֙ (im-lo) – Root: אִם (ʾ-m) + לֹא (l-ʾ); Form: Conditional particle + negative particle; Translation: “unless”; Notes: Introduces the condition that follows.
- כִּי־צוּרָ֣ם (ki-tsuram) – Root: צוּר (ts-w-r); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “because their Rock”; Notes: Refers to YHWH metaphorically as their protector.
- מְכָרָ֔ם (mekharam) – Root: מָכַר (m-k-r); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “had sold them”; Notes: Indicates YHWH allowing their defeat.
- וַֽיהוָ֖ה (va-YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and YHWH”; Notes: The divine name, indicating the subject of the following verb.
- הִסְגִּירָֽם׃ (hisgiram) – Root: סָגַר (s-g-r); Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “had delivered them up”; Notes: Suggests YHWH handing them over to their enemies.