וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ לְיַ֣עַר הַנֶּ֔גֶב שְׁמַ֖ע דְּבַר־יְהוָ֑ה כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֡ה הִנְנִ֣י מַֽצִּית־בְּךָ֣ אֵ֡שׁ וְאָכְלָ֣ה בְךָ֣ כָל־עֵֽץ־לַח֩ וְכָל־עֵ֨ץ יָבֵ֤שׁ לֹֽא־תִכְבֶּה֙ לַהֶ֣בֶת שַׁלְהֶ֔בֶת וְנִצְרְבוּ־בָ֥הּ כָּל־פָּנִ֖ים מִנֶּ֥גֶב צָפֹֽונָה׃
And you shall say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of YHWH! Thus says the Lord YHWH: “Behold, I am kindling in you a fire, and it shall consume in you every green tree and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces shall be scorched by it from south to north.
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with prefixed conjunction; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Narrative continuation command to the prophet. Standard narrative incipit introducing a timed scene.
- לְיַעַר (le-yaʿar) – Root: יער (yaʿar); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “to the forest”; Notes: The direct addressee of the prophetic oracle. Metaphorical address to the southern land/people.
- הַנֶּגֶב (ha-negev) – Root: נגב (negev); Form: Proper noun with definite article; Translation: “the Negev”; Notes: Southern desert region of Yisraʾel.
- שְׁמַע (shemaʿ) – Root: שׁמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “hear”; Notes: Call to obedience to divine word.
- דְּבַר (devar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “word of”; Notes: Construct chain with YHWH.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Source of revelation.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces divine oracle formula.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Prophetic messenger formula.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Proper noun, divine title; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Reverential title often paired with YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes authority.
- הִנְנִי (hineni) – Root: הן (hen); Form: Particle + 1cs suffix; Translation: “behold, I”; Notes: Divine self-introduction to announce action.
- מַצִּית (matsit) – Root: יצת (yatsat); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular with prefixed מ; Translation: “kindling”; Notes: Continuous action of setting fire.
- בְּךָ (bekha) – Root: ב (be); Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “in you”; Notes: Locative reference to the Negev forest.
- אֵשׁ (ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “fire”; Notes: Image of divine judgment.
- וְאָכְלָה (ve-ʾakhelah) – Root: אכל (ʾakal); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and it shall consume”; Notes: Feminine agrees with subject אֵשׁ.
- בְךָ (bekha) – Root: ב (be); Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “in you”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- כָּל (kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “every”; Notes: Universal scope.
- עֵץ (ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “tree”; Notes: First occurrence paired with modifier לַח.
- לַח (laḥ) – Root: לחח (laḥaḥ); Form: Adjective masculine singular absolute; Translation: “green”; Notes: Symbol of life and vitality.
- וְכָל (ve-kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Conjunction + noun; Translation: “and every”; Notes: Parallel construction.
- עֵץ (ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “tree”; Notes: Second occurrence, paired with יָבֵשׁ.
- יָבֵשׁ (yavesh) – Root: יבשׁ (yavesh); Form: Adjective masculine singular absolute; Translation: “dry”; Notes: Symbol of lifelessness, contrasts לַח.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- תִכְבֶּה (tikhbeh) – Root: כבה (kabah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it shall be quenched”; Notes: Refers to the unquenchable flame.
- לַהֶבֶת (lahevet) – Root: להב (lahav); Form: Noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “the flame”; Notes: Paired with שַׁלְהֶבֶת for intensity.
- שַׁלְהֶבֶת (shalhevet) – Root: להב (lahav); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “blazing flame”; Notes: Strong poetic form, emphasizing intensity.
- וְנִצְרְבוּ (ve-nitsrevu) – Root: צרב (tsarav); Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person common plural with conjunction; Translation: “and they were scorched”; Notes: Passive form indicating the result of the fire.
- בָהּ (vah) – Root: ב (be); Form: Preposition + 3fs suffix; Translation: “by it”; Notes: Refers back to the flame.
- כָּל (kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun; Translation: “all”; Notes: Collective force.
- פָּנִים (panim) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “faces”; Notes: Refers to all people without exception.
- מִנֶּגֶב (min-negev) – Root: נגב (negev); Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “from south”; Notes: Locational scope of judgment. Starting point of destruction.
- צָפֹונָה (tsafonah) – Root: צפון (tsafon); Form: Noun with directional ending -ָה; Translation: “northward”; Notes: Completes the totality of the fire’s reach. Stresses total geographical extent of the devastation.