בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֗וּא יֵצְא֨וּ מַלְאָכִ֤ים מִלְּפָנַי֙ בַּצִּ֔ים לְהַחֲרִ֖יד אֶת־כּ֣וּשׁ בֶּ֑טַח וְהָיְתָ֨ה חַלְחָלָ֤ה בָהֶם֙ בְּיֹ֣ום מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י הִנֵּ֖ה בָּאָֽה׃ ס
On that day, messengers shall go forth from before Me in ships to terrify Kush in its security, and trembling shall be among them on the day of Mitsrayim, for behold, it is coming.”
Morphology
- בַּיֹּום (ba-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Temporal phrase marking the moment of divine action and judgment.
- הַהוּא (ha-hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Definite article + demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the prophesied day of YHWH’s judgment upon nations.
- יֵצְאוּ (yetseʾu) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall go forth”; Notes: Predictive form describing the future dispatch of divine messengers.
- מַלְאָכִים (malʾakhim) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “messengers” or “angels”; Notes: Can refer to human envoys or heavenly beings; context here favors human messengers sent to announce judgment.
- מִלְּפָנַי (mil-lefanai) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition מִן + noun לְפָנָי (before Me) with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from before Me”; Notes: Expresses direct commission from YHWH Himself—He is the sender of the messengers.
- בַּצִּים (ba-ttsim) – Root: ציים (tsiyim); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “in ships”; Notes: Indicates the mode of travel for the messengers, suggesting swift communication by sea.
- לְהַחֲרִיד (le-haḥarid) – Root: חרד (ḥarad); Form: Infinitive construct Hiphil; Translation: “to terrify” or “to cause trembling”; Notes: Causative stem denotes an intentional act of striking fear into Kush.
- אֶת־כּוּשׁ (ʾet-Kush) – Root: כושׁ (Kush); Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “Kush”; Notes: Refers to the region south of Egypt (modern Sudan/Nubia), representing another nation to be alarmed by Egypt’s downfall.
- בֶּטַח (betach) – Root: בטח (bataḥ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “in its security”; Notes: Highlights Kush’s false sense of safety, soon to be shattered by divine events.
- וְהָיְתָה (ve-hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Predictive statement describing the ensuing emotional state in Kush.
- חַלְחָלָה (ḥalḥalah) – Root: חלחלה (ḥalḥalah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “trembling” or “anguish”; Notes: A poetic term signifying fear and dismay upon hearing of Egypt’s destruction.
- בָהֶם (vahem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “among them”; Notes: Refers to the people of Kush, experiencing fear collectively.
- בְּיֹום (be-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “on the day of”; Notes: Temporal expression introducing the occasion of fear—the day of Egypt’s downfall.
- מִצְרַיִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Mitsrayim (Egypt)”; Notes: The referent of divine judgment whose fate sends shockwaves through neighboring nations.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces causal explanation—why terror will strike Kush.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Form: Interjection; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Prophetic marker drawing attention to imminent fulfillment of judgment.
- בָּאָה (baʾah) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it has come”; Notes: Indicates the certainty and nearness of the event—Egypt’s calamity is not future only, but unfolding.