לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֗ה אֹוי֮ עִ֣יר הַדָּמִים֒ סִ֚יר אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֶלְאָתָ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְחֶ֨לְאָתָ֔הּ לֹ֥א יָצְאָ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נָּה לִנְתָחֶ֤יהָ לִנְתָחֶ֨יהָ֙ הֹוצִיאָ֔הּ לֹא־נָפַ֥ל עָלֶ֖יהָ גֹּורָֽל׃
Therefore, thus says the Lord YHWH: “Woe, city of bloods, pot whose scum is in it, and its scum has not gone out from it! By its pieces, by its pieces, bring it out. No lot has fallen upon it.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a divine pronouncement of judgment.
- כֹּה (koh) – Form: Adverbial particle; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Refers to the divine speech formula.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדון (ʾadon); Form: Proper title; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Used for God when paired with YHWH.
- יְהֹוִה (YHWH) – Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of Israel’s God.
- אֹוי (oy) – Form: Interjection; Translation: “Woe”; Notes: A cry of lament or denunciation.
- עִיר (ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “city”; Notes: Addressing Yerushalayim as the object of judgment.
- הַדָּמִים (ha-damim) – Root: דם (dam); Form: Definite plural noun masculine; Translation: “of bloods”; Notes: Idiom for bloodshed or violence.
- סִיר (sir) – Root: סיר (sir); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “pot”; Notes: Symbol for the city under judgment.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause describing the pot.
- חֶלְאָתָה (ḥelʾatah) – Root: חלא (ḥelaʾ); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “its scum”; Notes: Refers to filth or impurity within the pot.
- בָהּ (bah) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Preposition בְּ + third person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in it”; Notes: Refers to the pot/city as feminine.
- וְחֶלְאָתָהּ (ve-ḥelʾatah) – Root: חלא (ḥelaʾ); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix with conjunction; Translation: “and its scum”; Notes: Repetition highlights persistent impurity.
- לֹא (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes negation.
- יָצְאָה (yatseʾah) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has gone out”; Notes: Indicates impurity remained.
- מִמֶּנָּה (mimmenah) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition מִן + third person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “from it”; Notes: Refers again to the pot/city.
- לִנְתָחֶיהָ (linetaḥeha) – Root: נתח (nataḥ); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “by its pieces”; Notes: Suggests dismemberment or division.
- לִנְתָחֶיהָ (linetaḥeha) – Root: נתח (nataḥ); Form: Repetition of the phrase; Translation: “by its pieces”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes thoroughness.
- הֹוצִיאָהּ (hotziʾah) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Hiphil imperative 2nd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “bring it out”; Notes: Command to remove the city’s portions.
- לֹא (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negation continues.
- נָפַ֥ל (nafal) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has fallen”; Notes: Refers to casting lots or chance not applying.
- עָלֶיהָ (ʿaleha) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + third person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “upon it”; Notes: Refers to the city/pot.
- גֹּורָל (goral) – Root: גורל (goral); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “lot”; Notes: Refers to casting lots, here denied to the city’s fate.