לָכֵ֛ן הִנְנִ֥י אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְאֶל־יְאֹרֶ֑יךָ וְנָתַתִּ֞י אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם לְחָרְבֹות֙ חֹ֣רֶב שְׁמָמָ֔ה מִמִּגְדֹּ֥ל סְוֵנֵ֖ה וְעַד־גְּב֥וּל כּֽוּשׁ׃
Therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Mitsrayim into ruins, a desolation and a waste, from Migdol to Sevene, even to the border of Kush.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a divine consequence or judicial declaration following prior offenses.
- הִנְנִי (hineni) – Root: הן (hen); Form: Interjection + 1st person common singular pronominal suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Expresses immediacy and divine self-involvement in action.
- אֵלֶיךָ (ʾeilekha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + second person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against you” or “toward you”; Notes: Direct address to Pharaoh or Mitsrayim as recipient of divine opposition.
- וְאֶל־יְאֹרֶיךָ (ve-el-yeʾoreikha) – Root: אל (ʾel), יאר (yeʾor); Form: Conjunction וְ + Preposition אֶל + noun masculine plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and against your rivers”; Notes: Refers to the Nile’s branches, symbolic of Egypt’s strength and sustenance.
- וְנָתַתִּי (ve-natatti) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I will make” or “I will give”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s active role in transforming the land into desolation.
- אֶת־אֶרֶץ (et-erets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Marks the object of divine action—the territory of Mitsrayim.
- מִצְרַיִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt, symbol of human power and pride opposing YHWH.
- לְחָרְבֹות (le-ḥarvot) – Root: חרב (ḥarav); Form: Preposition לְ + plural noun feminine; Translation: “into ruins”; Notes: Describes utter destruction, often used of devastated cities or lands.
- חֹרֶב (ḥorev) – Root: חרב (ḥarav); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “desolation”; Notes: Reinforces the state of waste; poetic repetition of devastation terminology.
- שְׁמָמָה (shemamah) – Root: שׁמם (shamam); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “waste” or “desolation”; Notes: Parallels “חֹרֶב” to heighten the imagery of total barrenness.
- מִמִּגְדֹּל (mi-Migdol) – Root: מגדל (Migdol); Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun; Translation: “from Migdol”; Notes: Refers to a northern Egyptian fortress town near the Mediterranean; starting point of the land’s span.
- סְוֵנֵה (Seveneh) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Seveneh”; Notes: Ancient Syene (modern Aswan), southern boundary of Egypt on the Nile.
- וְעַד (ve-ʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition עַד; Translation: “and unto” or “even to”; Notes: Expresses the extent of devastation from north to south.
- גְּבֻל (gevul) – Root: גבול (gevul); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “border”; Notes: Designates the boundary or extremity of Egypt’s territory.
- כּוּשׁ (Kush) – Root: כושׁ (Kush); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Kush”; Notes: Refers to the region south of Egypt (modern Sudan or Nubia); defines the full geographical reach of the prophecy.