וִירֵשׁ֨וּהָ֙ קָאַ֣ת וְקִפֹּ֔וד וְיַנְשֹׁ֥וף וְעֹרֵ֖ב יִשְׁכְּנוּ־בָ֑הּ וְנָטָ֥ה עָלֶ֛יהָ קַֽו־תֹ֖הוּ וְאַבְנֵי־בֹֽהוּ׃
And the pelican and the hedgehog shall possess it, and the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch over it the line of desolation and the stones of emptiness.
Morphology
- וִירֵשׁ֨וּהָ֙ (viyreshuha) – Root: ירשׁ; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person common plural with 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and they shall possess it”; Notes: Refers to wild creatures taking over the land.
- קָאַ֣ת (kaʾat) – Root: קאת; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “pelican” (or perhaps “bittern”); Notes: Unclean desert bird, symbolic of desolation.
- וְקִפֹּ֔וד (ve-qippod) – Root: קפד; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “and hedgehog” (or “porcupine”); Notes: Often paired with desert animals.
- וְיַנְשֹׁ֥וף (ve-yanʾshof) – Root: נשף; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “and owl”; Notes: Nocturnal bird associated with ruin and abandonment.
- וְעֹרֵ֖ב (ve-ʿorev) – Root: ערב; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “and raven”; Notes: Carrion bird; emblem of death and wilderness.
- יִשְׁכְּנוּ־בָ֑הּ (yishkenu-vah) – Root: שכן; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural + preposition ב with 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “shall dwell in it”; Notes: Refers to the birds dwelling in the desolated land.
- וְנָטָ֥ה (ve-natah) – Root: נטה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and He has stretched”; Notes: Subject is implicit—likely YHWH; prophetic perfect.
- עָלֶ֛יהָ (ʿaleha) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “over it”; Notes: Refers to the city or land under judgment.
- קַֽו־תֹ֖הוּ (qav-tohu) – Root: קו and תהו; Form: Construct chain: “line of formlessness”; Translation: “the line of desolation”; Notes: Metaphor for measured destruction or planning chaos.
- וְאַבְנֵי־בֹֽהוּ (ve-avnei-vohu) – Root: אבן and בהו; Form: Construct chain with conjunction; Translation: “and the stones of emptiness”; Notes: Echoes Genesis 1:2 language, indicating utter ruin.