Isaiah 24:6

עַל־כֵּ֗ן אָלָה֙ אָ֣כְלָה אֶ֔רֶץ וַֽיֶּאְשְׁמ֖וּ יֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ עַל־כֵּ֗ן חָרוּ֙ יֹ֣שְׁבֵי אֶ֔רֶץ וְנִשְׁאַ֥ר אֱנֹ֖ושׁ מִזְעָֽר׃

Therefore a curse has devoured the land, and those who dwell in it are held guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the land are burned, and few mortals are left.

Morphology

1. עַל־כֵּ֗ן (ʿal-ken) – Root: כן; Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks the consequence or result of prior actions.
2. אָלָה֙ (ʾalah) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a curse”; Notes: Refers to divine or judicial malediction.
3. אָ֣כְלָה (ʾokhlah) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has devoured”; Notes: Feminine verb agreeing with “curse.”
4. אֶ֔רֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “land”; Notes: Object of the verb “has devoured,” reversed in word order for emphasis.
5. וַיֶּאְשְׁמ֖וּ (vayyeʾshmu) – Root: אשם; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they are held guilty”; Notes: Narrative past continuing the consequence.
6. יֹ֣שְׁבֵי (yoshvei) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal active participle masculine plural in construct; Translation: “those who dwell”; Notes: Functions as the subject of the verb “are held guilty.”
7. בָ֑הּ (vah) – Root: הוא; Form: Preposition בְּ + third person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in it”; Notes: Refers to the land.
8. עַל־כֵּ֗ן (ʿal-ken) – Root: כן; Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Repetition highlights the seriousness of the consequences.
9. חָרוּ֙ (ḥaru) – Root: חרר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “are burned”; Notes: May also connote devastation or desolation through heat.
10. יֹ֣שְׁבֵי (yoshvei) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal active participle masculine plural in construct; Translation: “inhabitants of”; Notes: Repeated to emphasize the collective judgment.
11. אֶ֔רֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “land”; Notes: The object of “inhabitants.”
12. וְנִשְׁאַ֥ר (venishaʾar) – Root: שׁאר; Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and is left”; Notes: Passive form indicating what remains after judgment.
13. אֱנֹ֖ושׁ (ʾenosh) – Root: אנושׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “mortal”; Notes: Poetic term for human beings, emphasizing fragility.
14. מִזְעָֽר (mizʿar) – Root: זער; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “few”; Notes: Indicates that only a remnant survives.