הָיוּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כְּמַסִּיגֵ֖י גְּב֑וּל עֲלֵיהֶ֕ם אֶשְׁפֹּ֥וךְ כַּמַּ֖יִם עֶבְרָתִֽי׃
The princes of Yehuda have become like those who move a boundary; upon them I will pour out My wrath like water.
Morphology
- הָיוּ (hayu) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “they were” or “they have become”; Notes: Indicates a completed state — the leaders of Yehudah have taken on a corrupt role likened to lawbreakers.
- שָׂרֵי (sarei) – Root: שרר (ś-r-r); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “princes of”; Notes: Refers to the governing rulers or leaders of Yehudah, representing political and moral authority.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: ידה (y-d-h); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yehudah” (Judah); Notes: The southern kingdom; here implicated in corruption and disobedience like Ephrayim.
- כְּמַסִּיגֵי (kemassigei) – Root: סוג (s-w-g); Form: Preposition כְּ + Hiphil participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “like those who move” or “as removers”; Notes: Derived from the verb meaning “to turn aside” or “to remove”; used idiomatically for violating lawful or moral boundaries.
- גְּבוּל (gevul) – Root: גבול (g-b-l); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “boundary”; Notes: Refers both literally to land borders and metaphorically to divine commandments or moral limits set by YHWH.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition + pronominal suffix 3mp; Translation: “upon them”; Notes: Marks the object of divine punishment directed at the princes of Yehudah.
- אֶשְׁפֹּךְ (ʾeshpokh) – Root: שפך (sh-p-kh); Form: Qal imperfect 1cs; Translation: “I will pour out”; Notes: Expresses an imminent act of divine judgment; pouring symbolizes overwhelming wrath.
- כַּמַּיִם (kammayim) – Root: מים (m-y-m); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine plural; Translation: “like water”; Notes: Simile conveying force and totality — divine anger will overflow uncontrollably, covering everything in its path.
- עֶבְרָתִי (evrati) – Root: עבר (ʿ-b-r); Form: Noun feminine singular + pronominal suffix 1cs; Translation: “My wrath”; Notes: Literally “My overflowing anger”; the term carries connotations of fierce indignation that crosses boundaries, paralleling the leaders’ own transgressions.