וּבִֽתְחַפְנְחֵס֙ חָשַׂ֣ךְ הַיֹּ֔ום בְּשִׁבְרִי־שָׁם֙ אֶת־מֹטֹ֣ות מִצְרַ֔יִם וְנִשְׁבַּת־בָּ֖הּ גְּאֹ֣ון עֻזָּ֑הּ הִ֚יא עָנָ֣ן יְכַסֶּ֔נָּה וּבְנֹותֶ֖יהָ בַּשְּׁבִ֥י תֵלַֽכְנָה׃
And in Taḥpanḥes the day shall be darkened, when I break there the yokes of Mitsrayim, and her proud strength shall cease in her; she shall be covered by a cloud, and her daughters shall go into captivity.
Morphology
- וּבִתְחַפְנְחֵס (u-vi-Taḥpanches) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וּ + preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “and in Taḥpanches”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptian city Tahpanhes (Daphne), a fortress city near the eastern Delta, symbolizing Egypt’s political and military vulnerability.
- חָשַׂךְ (ḥasakh) – Root: חשׂך (ḥasakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was darkened” or “grew dark”; Notes: Symbolizes the extinguishing of light or hope—metaphor for the day of calamity and divine judgment.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Represents the appointed time of YHWH’s judgment—often used eschatologically in prophetic texts.
- בְּשִׁבְרִי־שָׁם (be-shibri sham) – Root: שׁבר (shavar); Form: Preposition בְּ + infinitive construct with 1st person suffix + adverb; Translation: “when I break there”; Notes: Depicts the act of divine destruction, specifically of Egypt’s power or support.
- אֶת־מֹטֹות (ʾet-motot) – Root: מוט (mot); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine plural; Translation: “the yokes”; Notes: Metaphor for Egypt’s power or political structures—YHWH will “break the bars” of her dominion.
- מִצְרַיִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Mitsrayim (Egypt)”; Notes: The target of divine judgment and political downfall.
- וְנִשְׁבַּת (ve-nishbat) – Root: שׁבת (shavat); Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and shall cease”; Notes: Passive form indicating the end or cessation of Egypt’s proud might.
- בָּהּ (bah) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + pronominal suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “in her”; Notes: Refers to Taḥpanches as the location of the downfall.
- גְּאֹון (geʾon) – Root: גאה (gaʾah); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “pride”; Notes: Often used to denote arrogance or self-exaltation—here Egypt’s national arrogance.
- עֻזָּהּ (uzzah) – Root: עזז (ʿazaz); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “her strength”; Notes: Refers to military or political power, which will be broken by YHWH.
- הִיא (hiʾ) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “she”; Notes: Emphatic, identifying Taḥpanches itself as the subject of judgment.
- עָנָן (ʿanan) – Root: ענן (ʿanan); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a cloud”; Notes: Metaphor for gloom, obscurity, and divine wrath overshadowing the city.
- יְכַסֶּנָּה (yechassenah) – Root: כסא (kasah); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall cover her”; Notes: Symbolic covering—divine darkness or calamity enveloping the city.
- וּבְנֹותֶיהָ (u-ve-noteyha) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Conjunction וּ + preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural construct + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and her daughters”; Notes: Refers to the dependent towns or surrounding settlements of Taḥpanches.
- בַּשְּׁבִי (ba-shevi) – Root: שׁבה (shavah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “into captivity”; Notes: Indicates the fate of the population—enslavement and exile.
- תֵלַכְנָה (telekhna) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “they shall go”; Notes: Refers to the “daughters” (cities or women) being led into captivity, highlighting the totality of judgment.