וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּ֥י אִתֹּ֖ו בְּדֶ֣בֶר וּבְדָ֑ם וְגֶ֣שֶׁם שֹׁוטֵף֩ וְאַבְנֵ֨י אֶלְגָּבִ֜ישׁ אֵ֣שׁ וְגָפְרִ֗ית אַמְטִ֤יר עָלָיו֙ וְעַל־אֲגַפָּ֔יו וְעַל־עַמִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתֹּֽו׃
And I will enter into judgment with him by pestilence and by blood, and with an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone; upon him, and upon his troops, and upon many peoples that are with him, I will cause it to rain.
Morphology
- וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּי (ve-nishpaṭtī) – Root: שׁפט (shāfaṭ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Nifal perfect 1cs; Translation: “and I will enter into judgment”; Notes: Reflexive or passive nuance—YHWH subjects the enemy to judicial punishment through divine acts.
- אִתֹּו (ittō) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition + pronominal suffix 3ms; Translation: “with him”; Notes: Marks the adversary as the object of YHWH’s judgment, likely Gog in context.
- בְּדֶבֶר (be-dever) – Root: דבר (dever); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “by pestilence”; Notes: Denotes plague as an instrument of divine judgment.
- וּבְדָם (u-ve-dām) – Root: דם (dām); Form: Conjunction וְ + Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “and by blood”; Notes: Suggests violent death accompanying the pestilence.
- וְגֶשֶׁם (ve-geshem) – Root: גשׁם (geshem); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “and rain”; Notes: Introduces a series of natural elements symbolizing divine weaponry.
- שֹׁוטֵף (shōṭef) – Root: שׁטף (shāṭaf); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “overflowing”; Notes: Describes the torrential, destructive nature of the rainstorm.
- וְאַבְנֵי (ve-avnei) – Root: אבן (ʾeven); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine plural construct; Translation: “and stones of”; Notes: Construct relationship with the following term “hailstones.”
- אֶלְגָּבִישׁ (ʾelgābish) – Root: — (loanword); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “hailstones”; Notes: Likely a foreign term (Akkadian origin) for large chunks of hail; literal “hail of crystal.”
- אֵשׁ (ʾēsh) – Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “fire”; Notes: A common symbol of divine wrath and destruction.
- וְגָפְרִית (ve-gofrīt) – Root: גפרית (gofrīt); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “and brimstone”; Notes: Paired with fire to depict cataclysmic divine judgment as in the destruction of Sedom.
- אַמְטִיר (ʾamtīr) – Root: מטר (māṭar); Form: Hiphil imperfect 1cs; Translation: “I will cause to rain”; Notes: Hiphil causative—YHWH actively brings down the destructive elements upon the target.
- עָלָיו (ʿālāv) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 3ms; Translation: “upon him”; Notes: The primary object of the divine storm (Gog).
- וְעַל־אֲגַפָּיו (ve-ʿal-ʾagappāv) – Root: אגף (ʾāgaf); Form: Conjunction וְ + Preposition עַל + noun masculine plural + suffix 3ms; Translation: “and upon his troops”; Notes: Refers to the military divisions or flanks accompanying him.
- וְעַל־עַמִּים (ve-ʿal-ʿammīm) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Conjunction וְ + Preposition עַל + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and upon peoples”; Notes: Denotes allied nations participating in the assault.
- רַבִּים (rabbīm) – Root: רבב (rābab); Form: Adjective masculine plural absolute; Translation: “many”; Notes: Qualifies “peoples,” emphasizing the vastness of the coalition.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause modifying “peoples.”
- אִתֹּו (ittō) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition + suffix 3ms; Translation: “with him”; Notes: Completes the clause, denoting those allied with the central figure of judgment.