כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵלֵ֗כוּ אֶפְרֹ֤ושׂ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ רִשְׁתִּ֔י כְּעֹ֥וף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם אֹֽורִידֵ֑ם אַיְסִרֵ֕ם כְּשֵׁ֖מַע לַעֲדָתָֽם׃ ס
As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the heavens; I will chasten them according to the report to their assembly.
Morphology
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Preposition כְּ + relative particle; Translation: “as” or “when”; Notes: Introduces a temporal or conditional clause — “when they go.”
- יֵלֵכוּ (yeleku) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they go”; Notes: Refers to their continued pursuit of alliances or idolatry.
- אֶפְרֹושׂ (ʾefros) – Root: פרשׂ (paras); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will spread”; Notes: YHWH speaks metaphorically of casting a net to capture the disobedient people.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿalehem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 3mp; Translation: “over them”; Notes: Expresses the divine action of entrapment or judgment upon the people.
- רִשְׁתִּי (rishti) – Root: רשת (reshet); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “My net”; Notes: Symbol of divine trap or instrument of judgment.
- כְּעֹוף (ke-ʿof) – Root: עוף (ʿof); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the bird”; Notes: Simile describing the people’s helplessness once caught.
- הַשָּׁמַיִם (ha-shamayim) – Root: שׁמים (shamayim); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “of the heavens”; Notes: Emphasizes the loftiness or apparent freedom of the birds — now contrasted with their downfall.
- אֹורִידֵם (ʾoridem) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person common singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “I will bring them down”; Notes: Causative form indicates YHWH’s deliberate action of humbling or subduing them.
- אַיְסִרֵם (ʾayserem) – Root: יסר (yasar); Form: Piel imperfect 1st person common singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “I will chasten them”; Notes: Expresses disciplinary punishment with intent to correct.
- כְּשֵׁמַע (ke-shemaʿ) – Root: שׁמע (shamaʿ); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “according to the report”; Notes: Indicates the measure or correspondence — judgment matches what has been heard or reported.
- לַעֲדָתָם (laʿadatam) – Root: עדה (ʿedah); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “to their assembly”; Notes: Refers to the gathered community of Yisraʾel, highlighting collective accountability.