כִּ֣י ה֔וּא בֵּ֥ן אַחִ֖ים יַפְרִ֑יא יָבֹ֣וא קָדִים֩ ר֨וּחַ יְהוָ֜ה מִמִּדְבָּ֣ר עֹלֶ֗ה וְיֵבֹ֤ושׁ מְקֹורֹו֙ וְיֶחֱרַ֣ב מַעְיָנֹ֔ו ה֣וּא יִשְׁסֶ֔ה אֹוצַ֖ר כָּל־כְּלִ֥י חֶמְדָּֽה׃
For he is a son among brothers who will bear fruit; an east wind, the wind of YHWH, shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall dry up, and his fountain shall be dried. He shall plunder the treasury of every precious vessel.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason or cause for the judgment described.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Ephrayim or Yisraʾel personified.
- בֵּן (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “son”; Notes: Functions metaphorically to describe Yisraʾel’s identity among nations.
- אַחִים (ʾaḥim) – Root: אָח (ʾaḥ); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Likely refers to neighboring tribes or nations—emphasizing familial yet divided relationships.
- יַפְרִיא (yafri) – Root: פָרָה (parah); Form: Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will bear fruit”; Notes: The Hiphil stem gives a causative nuance—“to cause to bear fruit.” Suggests prosperity that will soon be reversed.
- יָבֹוא (yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall come”; Notes: Introduces the destructive “east wind,” a common symbol for divine judgment.
- קָדִים (qadim) – Root: קדם (qadam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “east wind”; Notes: Represents hot, dry winds from the desert, often symbols of devastation in prophetic imagery.
- רוּחַ (ruaḥ) – Root: רוח (ruaḥ); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “wind” or “spirit”; Notes: The phrase “רוּחַ יְהוָה” can mean either “the wind of YHWH” (a destructive natural force) or “the Spirit of YHWH.” Here, the former fits the context of judgment.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name emphasizing sovereignty over creation and history, even destructive forces.
- מִמִּדְבָּר (mimmidbar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the wilderness”; Notes: The origin of the east wind, often associated with Assyria or divine wrath arising from the desert.
- עֹלֶה (ʿoleh) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “coming up”; Notes: Describes the advancing wind, moving toward the land like an invader.
- וְיֵבֹושׁ (veyēvosh) – Root: יבשׁ (yavash); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and it shall dry up”; Notes: Expresses the consequence of the east wind—drought and desolation.
- מְקֹורֹו (mekoro) – Root: מקור (maqor); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his spring”; Notes: Symbolizes the source of life or prosperity, which will be dried by divine judgment.
- וְיֶחֱרַב (veyekhrav) – Root: חרב (ḥarav); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and shall be dried up”; Notes: Reinforces the previous image—total cessation of fertility and vitality.
- מַעְיָנֹו (maʿyano) – Root: מעין (maʿyan); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his fountain”; Notes: Parallel to “spring”—depicts the internal life-source of Ephrayim cut off.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: —; Form: Pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers again to the agent of destruction, likely the invading force symbolized by the east wind.
- יִשְׁסֶה (yissheh) – Root: שׁסה (shasah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall plunder”; Notes: Indicates violent seizure—used for enemy invasions and looting of treasures.
- אֹוצַר (ʾotsar) – Root: אצר (ʾatsar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “treasury”; Notes: The repository of wealth and precious goods, which will not escape divine judgment.
- כָּל־כְּלִי (kol-keli) – Root: כל (kol) + כלי (keli); Form: Construct chain of noun masculine singulars; Translation: “every vessel of”; Notes: Expresses totality—no valuable object spared from plunder.
- חֶמְדָּה (ḥemdah) – Root: חמד (ḥamad); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “delight” or “preciousness”; Notes: Denotes luxurious or desirable items—emphasizing the thoroughness of the coming devastation.