Ezekiel 38:13

שְׁבָ֡א וּ֠דְדָן וְסֹחֲרֵ֨י תַרְשִׁ֤ישׁ וְכָל־כְּפִרֶ֨יהָ֙ יֹאמְר֣וּ לְךָ֔ הֲלִשְׁלֹ֤ל שָׁלָל֙ אַתָּ֣ה בָ֔א הֲלָבֹ֥ז בַּ֖ז הִקְהַ֣לְתָּ קְהָלֶ֑ךָ לָשֵׂ֣את כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֗ב לָקַ֨חַת֙ מִקְנֶ֣ה וְקִנְיָ֔ן לִשְׁלֹ֖ל שָׁלָ֥ל גָּדֹֽול׃ ס

Sheva and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her young lions shall say to you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you gathered your company to take plunder—to carry away silver and gold, to take livestock and possessions, to seize a great spoil?'”’

Morphology

1. שְׁבָא (Sheva) – Root: שׁבא (Sheva); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Sheba”; Notes: Refers to a South Arabian kingdom (modern Yemen region), symbolizing wealthy trading nations.
2. וּדְדָן (u-Dedan) – Root: דדן (Dedan); Form: Conjunction וּ + proper noun; Translation: “and Dedan”; Notes: A people of the Arabian Peninsula, known for caravan trade; often paired with Sheba in prophecy.
3. וְסֹחֲרֵי (ve-soḥarei) – Root: סחר (saḥar); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “and merchants of”; Notes: Indicates commercial nations engaged in global trade.
4. תַרְשִׁישׁ (Tarshish) – Root: תרשׁישׁ (Tarshish); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Tarshish”; Notes: Possibly refers to a western maritime power (commonly identified with Spain or southern coastlands). Symbol of distant trade and wealth.
5. וְכָל־כְּפִרֶיהָ (ve-khol kefireha) – Root: כפר (kephir); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and all her young lions”; Notes: Figurative for dependent trading colonies or allied nations under Tarshish’s influence.
6. יֹאמְרוּ (yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “shall say”; Notes: Marks their rhetorical response of astonishment or inquiry to Gog’s invasion.
7. לְךָ (lekha) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Addressed directly to Gog as the subject of the prophecy.
8. הֲלִשְׁלֹל (ha-lishlol) – Root: שלל (shalal); Form: Interrogative particle הֲ + preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “Have you come to seize?”; Notes: The rhetorical question implies disbelief at Gog’s greed-driven intent.
9. שָׁלָל (shalal) – Root: שלל (shalal); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “spoil”; Notes: Object of the infinitive — the wealth sought in conquest.
10. אַתָּה (attah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Stresses Gog’s personal responsibility and active agency.
11. בָא (ba) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “have come”; Notes: Indicates completed or imminent arrival — the act of invasion itself.
12. הֲלָבֹז (ha-lavoz) – Root: בזז (bazaz); Form: Interrogative particle הֲ + preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to plunder?”; Notes: Parallel to “to seize spoil,” reinforcing the charge of greed and destruction.
13. בַּז (baz) – Root: בזז (bazaz); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “plunder”; Notes: Denotes goods taken by force, repeating for emphasis.
14. הִקְהַלְתָּ (hiqhalta) – Root: קהל (qahal); Form: Hiphil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “have you assembled?”; Notes: Refers to mustering an army or gathering a host of nations under Gog’s command.
15. קְהָלֶךָ (qehalekha) – Root: קהל (qahal); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “your company”; Notes: Military assembly or confederation.
16. לָשֵׂאת (laseʾt) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to carry away”; Notes: Expresses purpose — the act of looting and transporting wealth.
17. כֶּסֶף (kesef) – Root: כסף (kesef); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “silver”; Notes: Symbol of material wealth and commerce.
18. וְזָהָב (ve-zahav) – Root: זהב (zahav); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and gold”; Notes: Parallel with silver; both items denote economic riches.
19. לָקַחַת (laqahat) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to take”; Notes: Another infinitive of purpose—continuing the list of Gog’s exploitative aims.
20. מִקְנֶה (mikneh) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “livestock”; Notes: Refers to agricultural wealth, animals raised for trade and food.
21. וְקִנְיָן (ve-qinyan) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and possessions”; Notes: General term for property, goods, or commercial acquisitions.
22. לִשְׁלֹל (lishlol) – Root: שלל (shalal); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to seize”; Notes: Repetition for rhetorical force, expressing cumulative greed.
23. שָׁלָל (shalal) – Root: שלל (shalal); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “spoil”; Notes: Final repetition concluding the accusation of material ambition.
24. גָּדֹול (gadol) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Describes the immense scale of Gog’s intended plunder, emphasizing magnitude and arrogance.