וְעֹורֵ֨ר עָלָ֜יו יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ שֹׁ֔וט כְּמַכַּ֥ת מִדְיָ֖ן בְּצ֣וּר עֹורֵ֑ב וּמַטֵּ֨הוּ֙ עַל־הַיָּ֔ם וּנְשָׂאֹ֖ו בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And YHWH of hosts shall stir up a scourge against him, like the striking of Midyan at the rock of ʿOrev; and His staff over the sea, and He shall lift it in the way of Mitsrayim.
Morphology
- וְעֹורֵ֨ר (ve-ʿorer) – Root: עור (ʿur); Form: Conjunction + Piel participle masculine singular; Translation: “And [He] shall stir up”; Notes: Denotes active arousal or provocation.
- עָלָיו (ʿalav) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against him”; Notes: Refers to Ashshur as the object of divine judgment.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of Israel’s God.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsava); Form: Plural construct; Translation: “of hosts”; Notes: Emphasizes YHWH’s command of heavenly armies.
- שֹׁוט (shot) – Root: שׁוט (shot); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “scourge / whip”; Notes: Instrument of punishment.
- כְּמַכַּת (ke-makkat) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “like the striking of”; Notes: Introduces a simile.
- מִדְיָן (Midyan) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Midyan”; Notes: Refers to the nation defeated by Gideon (Judges 7).
- בְּצוּר (be-tsur) – Root: צור; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “at the rock”; Notes: Likely referencing a location of battle or ambush.
- עֹורֵב (ʿOrev) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “ʿOrev”; Notes: Site where Midyanite princes were struck down (Judges 7:25).
- וּמַטֵּהוּ (u-mattehu) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and His staff”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s instrument of judgment.
- עַל־הַיָּם (ʿal-ha-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “over the sea”; Notes: Alludes to the splitting of the sea at the Exodus.
- וּנְשָׂאוֹ (u-nesaʾo) – Root: נשא (nasa); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and He shall lift it”; Notes: Refers again to the symbolic action of divine power.
- בְּדֶרֶךְ (be-derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the way of”; Notes: Denotes similarity in method or action.
- מִצְרָיִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Egypt; points to the Exodus and divine deliverance model.