שָׁ֤ם עֵילָם֙ וְכָל־הֲמֹונָ֔הּ סְבִיבֹ֖ות קְבֻרָתָ֑הּ כֻּלָּ֣ם חֲלָלִים֩ הַנֹּפְלִ֨ים בַּחֶ֜רֶב אֲֽשֶׁר־יָרְד֥וּ עֲרֵלִ֣ים אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ תַּחְתִּיֹּ֗ות אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתְנ֤וּ חִתִּיתָם֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ כְלִמָּתָ֖ם אֶת־יֹ֥ורְדֵי בֹֽור׃
There is ʿElam and all her multitude around her grave; all of them are slain, those who fell by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth—those who caused their terror in the land of the living; yet they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
Morphology
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Locative adverb marking the place of burial within Sheol.
- עֵילָם (ʿElam) – Root: עילם (ʿElam); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿElam”; Notes: Refers to the ancient kingdom east of Bavel (Babylon), here depicted as fallen and dwelling among the dead.
- וְכָל־ (ve-khol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “and all of”; Notes: Introduces ʿElam’s associated populace or army.
- הֲמֹונָהּ (hamonah) – Root: המון (hamon); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “her multitude”; Notes: Represents the people, armies, or wealth belonging to ʿElam.
- סְבִיבֹות (sevivot) – Root: סביב (saviv); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “around”; Notes: Indicates surrounding position, describing graves encircling ʿElam’s main tomb.
- קְבֻרָתָהּ (qevuratah) – Root: קבר (qavar); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “her burial”; Notes: Refers to ʿElam’s grave or burial site, continuing the personified depiction of the nation.
- כֻּלָּם (kullam) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun/adjective masculine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “all of them”; Notes: Denotes the total number of the slain, none excluded.
- חֲלָלִים (ḥalalim) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “slain ones”; Notes: Refers to those killed in war, lying dead in Sheol.
- הַנֹּפְלִים (ha-nofelim) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Definite article הַ + Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “those who fell”; Notes: Indicates those who fell in battle, continuing the description of ʿElam’s fallen warriors.
- בַּחֶרֶב (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition בְ + noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “by the sword”; Notes: Instrumental phrase denoting violent death in warfare.
- אֲשֶׁר־ (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who / which”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause describing those who descended to Sheol.
- יָרְדוּ (yardu) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they went down”; Notes: Common biblical idiom for descending into Sheol or the grave.
- עֲרֵלִים (ʿarelim) – Root: ערל (ʿarel); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “uncircumcised”; Notes: Describes nations outside YHWH’s covenant, emphasizing their impurity in death.
- אֶל־ (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל; Translation: “to / into”; Notes: Denotes motion toward a destination—here, “into the lower parts of the earth.”
- אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “earth / land”; Notes: Represents the underworld realm beneath the earth’s surface.
- תַּחְתִּיֹּות (taḥtiyyot) – Root: תחת (taḥat); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “lower parts”; Notes: Refers to the depths or subterranean regions of Sheol.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces another descriptive clause, explaining their former actions.
- נָתְנוּ (natnu) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person common plural; Translation: “they gave / caused”; Notes: Here idiomatic for “they caused to spread,” referring to instilling terror.
- חִתִּיתָם (ḥittitam) – Root: חתת (ḥatat); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “their terror”; Notes: Refers to dread or fear inspired by their might in the world of the living.
- בְּאֶרֶץ (be-erets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Preposition בְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the land”; Notes: Indicates the location where their influence was once exerted.
- חַיִּים (ḥayyim) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Noun masculine plural (plural of abstraction); Translation: “of the living”; Notes: Contrasts the realm of life with the realm of the dead.
- וַיִּשְׂאוּ (va-yisʾu) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they bore / carried”; Notes: Expresses enduring the burden or disgrace of their shame.
- כְלִמָּתָם (kelimmatam) – Root: כלם (kalam); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “their shame”; Notes: Denotes dishonor or disgrace carried into death as divine retribution.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “(marks the direct object)”; Notes: Introduces the object “those who go down to the pit.”
- יֹורְדֵי (yordei) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Qal participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “those who go down”; Notes: Describes the deceased descending to the underworld.
- בֹור (bor) – Root: בור (bor); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “pit”; Notes: Symbol of Sheol or the grave, representing the collective resting place of the dead.