בְּאַוָּתִ֖י וְאֶסֳּרֵ֑ם וְאֻסְּפ֤וּ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ עַמִּ֔ים בְּאָסְרָ֖ם לִשְׁתֵּ֥י עֹינֹתָֽם׃
* כ עינתם
* ק עוֹנוֹתָֽם
When I desire, I will bind them, and nations shall be gathered against them when they are bound for their double iniquity.
Morphology
- בְּאַוָּתִי (be-ʾavvati) – Root: אָוָה (ʾavah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “when I desire”; Notes: The term expresses YHWH’s sovereign will—His deliberate decision to act in judgment, not arbitrary wrath.
- וְאֶסֳּרֵם (ve-ʾesorēm) – Root: אָסַר (ʾasar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 1cs + suffix 3mp; Translation: “and I will bind them”; Notes: The image of binding depicts captivity or restraint by divine decree, anticipating YHWH’s act of judgment upon Yisraʾel.
- וְאֻסְּפוּ (ve-ʾussefu) – Root: אָסַף (ʾasaf); Form: Conjunction וְ + Pual perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “and they shall be gathered”; Notes: A passive form indicating that foreign nations will be gathered by divine compulsion as instruments of punishment.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: עַל (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 3mp; Translation: “against them”; Notes: Denotes direction of hostile gathering—nations assemble as YHWH’s agents of retribution.
- עַמִּים (ʿammim) – Root: עַם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “nations” or “peoples”; Notes: Refers to foreign nations—often used in prophetic literature as executors of divine justice.
- בְּאָסְרָם (be-ʾosram) – Root: אָסַר (ʾasar); Form: Preposition בְּ + infinitive construct + suffix 3mp; Translation: “when they are bound”; Notes: The prepositional phrase marks the temporal clause—YHWH’s judgment coincides with their binding or captivity.
- לִשְׁתֵּי (li-shtei) – Root: שְׁתַיִם (shetayim); Form: Preposition לְ + numeral feminine dual construct; Translation: “for the double of”; Notes: Expresses proportionality—punishment matching “double” measure for compounded guilt or sin.
- עֹינֹתָם (ʿonotam) – Root: עָוֹן (ʿavon); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their iniquities”; Notes: Represents accumulated guilt; plural intensifies their moral debt—“for their double iniquity” captures both quantity and severity of transgression.