Isaiah 37:12

הַהִצִּ֨ילוּ אֹותָ֜ם אֱלֹהֵ֤י הַגֹּויִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִשְׁחִ֣יתוּ אֲבֹותַ֔י אֶת־גֹּוזָ֖ן וְאֶת־חָרָ֑ן וְרֶ֥צֶף וּבְנֵי־עֶ֖דֶן אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּתְלַשָּֽׂר׃

Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed deliver them—Gozan and Ḥaran and Retsef and the children of ʿEden who were in Telassar?

Morphology

1. הַהִצִּ֨ילוּ (ha-hitsilu) – Root: נצל (natsal); Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine plural with interrogative prefix; Translation: “Did they deliver?”; Notes: Interrogative challenging the idea of divine protection.
2. אֹותָ֜ם (otam) – Root: Pronoun; Form: 3rd person masculine plural direct object suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the peoples/nations destroyed by the speaker’s ancestors.
3. אֱלֹהֵ֤י (Elohei) – Root: אלוה (Eloah); Form: Construct masculine plural; Translation: “gods of”; Notes: Refers to pagan deities of conquered nations.
4. הַגֹּויִם֙ (ha-goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the nations”; Notes: Nations outside of Yisraʾel, targets of Assyrian campaigns.
5. אֲשֶׁ֣ר (asher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Indeclinable; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces relative clause about those nations.
6. הִשְׁחִ֣יתוּ (hishḥitu) – Root: שׁחת (shakhat); Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they destroyed”; Notes: Refers to the destructive acts of the Assyrian kings (“my fathers”).
7. אֲבֹותַ֔י (avotai) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my fathers”; Notes: Refers to the speaker’s royal Assyrian lineage.
8. אֶת־גֹּוזָ֖ן (et-Gozan) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Direct object marker + place name; Translation: “Gozan”; Notes: A region in northern Mesopotamia conquered by the Assyrians.
9. וְאֶת־חָרָ֑ן (ve-et-Ḥaran) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + place name; Translation: “and Ḥaran”; Notes: An ancient city, associated with Aram-Naharaim and the patriarchs.
10. וְרֶ֥צֶף (ve-Retsef) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Conjunction + place name; Translation: “and Retsef”; Notes: Likely a region or city conquered by Assyria, now unidentified.
11. וּבְנֵי־עֶ֖דֶן (u-venei-ʿEden) – Root: בן (ben), עדן (ʿEden); Form: Conjunction + construct plural noun + proper noun; Translation: “and the sons of ʿEden”; Notes: A people or region, possibly Aramean in origin, distinct from biblical Eden.
12. אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Indeclinable; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces clause describing their location.
13. בִּתְלַשָּֽׂר (bi-Telassar) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition בְּ + place name; Translation: “in Telassar”; Notes: A city associated with the region of ʿEden; possibly located in Syria or Mesopotamia.