וְנָשָׂ֜אתָ הַמָּשָׁ֥ל הַזֶּ֛ה עַל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל וְאָמָ֑רְתָּ אֵ֚יךְ שָׁבַ֣ת נֹגֵ֔שׂ שָׁבְתָ֖ה מַדְהֵבָֽה׃
And you shall take up this proverb against the king of Bavel and say: How has the oppressor ceased, the golden one ceased!
Morphology
- וְנָשָׂאתָ (ve-nasata) – Root: נשא (nasa); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav; Translation: “And you shall take up”; Notes: Refers to lifting up or reciting something publicly, often a lament or saying.
- הַמָּשָׁל (ha-mashal) – Root: משל (mashal); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the proverb” or “taunt”; Notes: A figurative saying, often poetic or mocking.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies which mashal is referred to.
- עַל־מֶלֶךְ (ʿal-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “against the king of”; Notes: Introduces the object of the proverb.
- בָּבֶל (Bavel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Feminine singular; Translation: “Bavel”; Notes: Refers to Babylon, the empire under prophetic judgment.
- וְאָמָרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Common introductory verb for prophetic speech.
- אֵיךְ (eikh) – Root: Interrogative particle; Form: Indeclinable; Translation: “How”; Notes: Expresses astonishment or lament.
- שָׁבַת (shavat) – Root: שׁבת (shavat); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has ceased”; Notes: Refers to the end of oppression.
- נֹגֵשׂ (nogesh) – Root: נגשׂ (nagas); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “the oppressor”; Notes: One who drives or harshly subjugates others.
- שָׁבְתָה (shavtah) – Root: שׁבת (shavat); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has ceased”; Notes: Feminine form referring to the next noun.
- מַדְהֵבָה (madhevah) – Root: זהב (zahav); Form: Noun feminine singular (hapax legomenon); Translation: “the golden one”; Notes: Possibly an allusion to Babylon’s wealth or grandeur, used here ironically.