הֵילִ֤ילִֽי שַׁ֨עַר֙ זַֽעֲקִי־עִ֔יר נָמֹ֖וג פְּלֶ֣שֶׁת כֻּלֵּ֑ךְ כִּ֤י מִצָּפֹון֙ עָשָׁ֣ן בָּ֔א וְאֵ֥ין בֹּודֵ֖ד בְּמֹועָדָֽיו׃
Howl, O gate; cry out, O city; melt away, O Peleshet, all of you! For from the north smoke comes, and there is none straying in his ranks.
Morphology
- הֵילִילִי (heilili) – Root: ילל (yalal); Form: Piel imperative feminine singular; Translation: “Howl!”; Notes: Directed to the “gate” personified as feminine.
- שַׁעַר (shaʿar) – Root: שער (shaʿar); Form: Noun masculine singular in vocative; Translation: “O gate”; Notes: Symbolic of the city’s leadership and defense.
- זַעֲקִי (zaʿaqi) – Root: זעק (zaʿaq); Form: Qal imperative feminine singular; Translation: “Cry out!”; Notes: Paired with “howl” to heighten urgency and fear.
- עִיר (ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun feminine singular in vocative; Translation: “O city”; Notes: Refers to the main Philistine cities collectively.
- נָמוֹג (namog) – Root: מוג (mug); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has melted away”; Notes: Expresses emotional collapse or panic.
- פְּלֶשֶׁת (Peleshet) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Feminine singular; Translation: “Pelishet” (Philistia); Notes: Addressed as a collective feminine entity.
- כֻּלֵּךְ (kullekh) – Root: כלל (kalal); Form: Noun with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “all of you”; Notes: Emphatic: the entire nation is affected.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for their panic.
- מִצָּפוֹן (mi-tsafon) – Root: צפון (tsafon); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the north”; Notes: Traditionally the direction of invading armies.
- עָשָׁן (ʿashan) – Root: עשׁן (ʿashan); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “smoke”; Notes: Symbolic of destruction and war.
- בָּא (ba) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “comes”; Notes: Immediate threat approaching.
- וְאֵין (ve-ein) – Root: Negative particle; Form: Conjunction + particle; Translation: “and there is none”; Notes: Denies the presence of something.
- בֹּודֵד (boded) – Root: בדד (badad); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “straying” or “out of place”; Notes: Indicates perfect military coordination.
- בְּמוֹעֲדָיו (be-moʿadav) – Root: יעד (yaʿad); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in his ranks” or “his appointed times”; Notes: Possibly refers to military formation or timing.