וְֽיָצְא֞וּ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י עָרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּבִעֲר֡וּ וְ֠הִשִּׂיקוּ בְּנֶ֨שֶׁק וּמָגֵ֤ן וְצִנָּה֙ בְּקֶ֣שֶׁת וּבְחִצִּ֔ים וּבְמַקֵּ֥ל יָ֖ד וּבְרֹ֑מַח וּבִעֲר֥וּ בָהֶ֛ם אֵ֖שׁ שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִֽים׃
And the inhabitants of the cities of Yisraʾel shall go out and shall set fire and burn the weapons, the shield and the buckler, the bow and the arrows, and the staff of hand and the spear; and they shall burn them with fire seven years.
Morphology
- וְיָצְאוּ (ve-yātsʾū) – Root: יצא (yātsāʾ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “and they shall go out”; Notes: Refers to the post-battle activity of the people of Yisraʾel collecting the spoils of war.
- יֹשְׁבֵי (yoshvê) – Root: ישׁב (yāshav); Form: Qal participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “inhabitants of”; Notes: Denotes those dwelling permanently in a location.
- עָרֵי (ʿarê) – Root: עיר (ʿīr); Form: Noun feminine plural construct; Translation: “cities of”; Notes: In construct with “Yisraʾel.”
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שׂרה (śārāh) + אֵל (ʾēl); Form: Compound proper noun (theophoric name); Translation: “Yisraʾel” (“He who strives with God”); Notes: Refers collectively to the covenant people and their land.
- וּבִעֲרוּ (u-viʿarū) – Root: בער (baʿar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “and they shall burn”; Notes: The verb signifies total consumption by fire—symbolic of cleansing after war.
- וְהִשִּׂיקוּ (ve-hissīqū) – Root: שׂוק (sūq); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hiphil perfect 3mp; Translation: “and they shall kindle”; Notes: Causative stem; the people ignite the weapons as fuel.
- בְּנֶשֶׁק (be-nesheq) – Root: נשׁק (nesheq); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “with the weapon”; Notes: Refers broadly to all instruments of warfare.
- וּמָגֵן (u-māgēn) – Root: מגן (māgēn); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “and a shield”; Notes: Common military equipment for defense.
- וְצִנָּה (ve-tsinnāh) – Root: צנה (tsinnāh); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “and a buckler”; Notes: Large body shield used in battle; paired with “māgēn.”
- בְּקֶשֶׁת (be-qeshet) – Root: קשׁת (qeshet); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “with the bow”; Notes: Refers to offensive ranged weaponry.
- וּבְחִצִּים (u-ve-ḥitsīm) – Root: חץ (ḥēts); Form: Conjunction וְ + Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “and with arrows”; Notes: Arrows accompany the bow, completing the pair of projectile weapons.
- וּבְמַקֵּל (u-ve-maqqēl) – Root: מקל (maqqēl); Form: Conjunction וְ + Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “and with a staff”; Notes: Wooden weapon, perhaps a club or rod used in close combat.
- יָד (yād) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Here part of the compound “staff of hand,” describing handheld weapons.
- וּבְרֹמַח (u-ve-romach) – Root: רמח (romach); Form: Conjunction וְ + Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “and with a spear”; Notes: Long stabbing weapon; signifies the diversity of armaments burned.
- וּבִעֲרוּ (u-viʿarū) – Root: בער (baʿar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “and they shall burn”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes total destruction of war materials.
- בָהֶם (vāhem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition בְּ + pronominal suffix 3mp; Translation: “in them” / “with them”; Notes: Indicates the materials used as fuel.
- אֵשׁ (ʾēsh) – Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “fire”; Notes: Literal burning, signifying purification after warfare.
- שֶׁבַע (shevaʿ) – Root: שבע (shevaʿ); Form: Numeral feminine singular; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Symbolic number of completeness and divine perfection.
- שָׁנִים (shānīm) – Root: שנה (shānāh); Form: Noun feminine plural absolute; Translation: “years”; Notes: The period during which the people of Yisraʾel will use the enemy’s weapons for fuel—symbol of divine retribution turned into blessing.