כִּֽי־אַרְמֹ֣ון נֻטָּ֔שׁ הֲמֹ֥ון עִ֖יר עֻזָּ֑ב עֹ֣פֶל וָבַ֜חַן הָיָ֨ה בְעַ֤ד מְעָרֹות֙ עַד־עֹולָ֔ם מְשֹׂ֥ושׂ פְּרָאִ֖ים מִרְעֵ֥ה עֲדָרִֽים׃
For the palace is forsaken, the multitude of the city is abandoned, the citadel and the watchtower have become caves forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.
Morphology
- כִּֽי־ (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces a reason or explanation.
- אַרְמֹ֣ון (armon) – Root: ארמון; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “palace”; Notes: Symbol of authority or royalty.
- נֻטָּ֔שׁ (nuttash) – Root: נטש; Form: Pual perfect 3ms; Translation: “is forsaken”; Notes: Passive voice emphasizes result of judgment.
- הֲמֹ֥ון (hamon) – Root: המון; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “multitude”; Notes: Can refer to population or crowd of the city.
- עִ֖יר (ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “city”; Notes: In construct with the previous word.
- עֻזָּ֑ב (ʿuzzav) – Root: עזב; Form: Pual participle masculine singular; Translation: “is abandoned”; Notes: Again, passive form highlights devastation.
- עֹ֣פֶל (ʿophel) – Root: עפל; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “citadel”; Notes: Fortified part of a city, possibly near the temple.
- וָבַ֜חַן (va-baḥan) – Root: בחן; Form: Conjunction + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and the watchtower”; Notes: Refers to a lookout post; rare noun.
- הָיָ֨ה (hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “has become”; Notes: Marks the resulting state.
- בְעַ֤ד (beʿad) – Root: בעד; Form: Preposition; Translation: “for” or “as”; Notes: Functions here as indicating purpose or transformation.
- מְעָרֹות֙ (meʿarot) – Root: מערה; Form: Noun, feminine plural absolute; Translation: “caves”; Notes: Descriptive of abandonment.
- עַד־עֹולָ֔ם (ʿad-ʿolam) – Root: עולם; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Emphasizes permanence of desolation.
- מְשֹׂ֥ושׂ (mesos) – Root: שׂושׂ; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a joy”; Notes: Ironically used here for wild animals.
- פְּרָאִ֖ים (pera’im) – Root: פרא; Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “wild donkeys”; Notes: Figurative of wilderness habitation.
- מִרְעֵ֥ה (mirʿeh) – Root: רעה; Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “pasture of”; Notes: Leading into next word.
- עֲדָרִֽים (ʿadarim) – Root: עדר; Form: Noun, masculine plural absolute; Translation: “flocks”; Notes: Likely domestic animals; contrast to פראים.