וְנָשַׁ֕מּוּ בְּתֹ֖וךְ אֲרָצֹ֣ות נְשַׁמֹּ֑ות וְעָרָ֕יו בְּתֹוךְ־עָרִ֥ים נַחֲרָבֹ֖ות תִּֽהְיֶֽינָה׃
And they shall be desolated in the midst of desolated lands, and her cities shall be among ruined cities they shall be.
Morphology
- וְנָשַׁמּוּ (ve-nashammu) – Root: שׁמם (shamam); Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person plural with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and they shall be desolated”; Notes: Niphal voice conveys passive or reflexive sense—indicating devastation by external forces, a state of ruin brought upon them.
- בְּתֹוךְ (be-tokh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the midst of”; Notes: Common locative expression meaning “among” or “within.”
- אֲרָצֹות (aratsot) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine plural absolute; Translation: “lands”; Notes: Refers to surrounding nations or territories—emphasizing the scope of desolation beyond Egypt itself.
- נְשַׁמֹּות (neshammot) – Root: שׁמם (shamam); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “desolated”; Notes: Serves adjectivally to describe the devastated condition of the lands.
- וְעָרָיו (ve-ʿarav) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and her cities”; Notes: The feminine plural noun retains the masculine singular suffix, as the referent “Mitsrayim” (Egypt) is grammatically feminine but treated collectively.
- בְּתֹוךְ־עָרִים (be-tokh ʿarim) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition בְּ + construct noun + plural absolute noun; Translation: “in the midst of cities”; Notes: Describes Egypt’s urban centers being destroyed like other ruined cities of the region.
- נַחֲרָבֹות (naḥaravot) – Root: חרב (ḥarav); Form: Noun feminine plural passive participle; Translation: “ruined” or “laid waste”; Notes: Derives from the same root as “sword” (חֶרֶב), connecting destruction with warfare.
- תִּהְיֶינָה (tihyenah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “they shall be”; Notes: Predictive tense describing the ongoing state of ruin—emphasizing permanence of desolation.