בַּח֥וּרֵי אָ֛וֶן וּפִי־בֶ֖סֶת בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֑לוּ וְהֵ֖נָּה בַּשְּׁבִ֥י תֵלַֽכְנָה׃
The young men of Awen and of Pi-veset shall fall by the sword, and they shall go into captivity.
Morphology
- בַּח֥וּרֵי (ba-ḥurei) – Root: בחור (baḥur); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “the young men of”; Notes: Refers to the choice or vigorous youth, emphasizing the strength of the cities’ defenders who will perish.
- אָוֶן (Awen) – Root: און (ʾaven); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Awen”; Notes: Likely Heliopolis, the Egyptian city devoted to the sun god; the name is used pejoratively to mean “iniquity” or “idolatry.”
- וּפִי־בֶסֶת (u-Pi-Beset) – Root: בסת (Beset); Form: Conjunction וּ + proper noun with construct prefix פִי (“mouth of”); Translation: “and of Pi-Beset”; Notes: Refers to Bubastis, a city in the Nile Delta named for the cat-goddess Bastet; “Pi-Beset” means “house/mouth of Bastet.”
- בַּחֶרֶב (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “by the sword”; Notes: Instrumental prepositional phrase indicating the means of death—violent overthrow by invasion.
- יִפֹּלוּ (yippolu) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall fall”; Notes: Future prediction of judgment describing the death of the warriors of Awen and Pi-Beset.
- וְהֵנָּה (ve-hennah) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun feminine plural; Translation: “and they (feminine)”; Notes: Refers to the female inhabitants of these cities, emphasizing total national humiliation.
- בַּשְּׁבִי (ba-shevi) – Root: שׁבה (shavah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “into captivity”; Notes: Indicates deportation—common prophetic image for conquered peoples.
- תֵלַכְנָה (telekhna) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “they shall go”; Notes: Feminine agreement with הֵנָּה; depicts the women’s forced exile after the fall of their cities.