אַחֲרִ֤יב הָרִים֙ וּגְבָעֹ֔ות וְכָל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם אֹובִ֑ישׁ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י נְהָרֹות֙ לָֽאִיִּ֔ים וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים אֹובִֽישׁ׃
I will lay waste mountains and hills, and all their vegetation I will dry up; and I will make rivers into islands, and ponds I will dry up.
Morphology
- אַחֲרִ֤יב (ʾaḥariv) – Root: חרב; Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will lay waste”; Notes: Causative verb indicating deliberate desolation.
- הָרִים֙ (harim) – Root: הר; Form: Noun masculine plural construct/absolute; Translation: “mountains”; Notes: Plural object of the verb.
- וּגְבָעֹ֔ות (u-gevāʿot) – Root: גבע; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine plural; Translation: “and hills”; Notes: Paralleled with “mountains” in destruction imagery.
- וְכָל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם (ve-khol-ʿesbam) – Root: עשׂב; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “and all their vegetation”; Notes: Refers to the plant life on the mountains and hills.
- אֹובִ֑ישׁ (ʾovish) – Root: ובשׁ; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will dry up”; Notes: Rare verb for drying out, possibly poetic or prophetic diction.
- וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י (ve-samtī) – Root: שׂים; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I will make / set”; Notes: Introduction to next divine act.
- נְהָרֹות֙ (neharot) – Root: נהר; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “rivers”; Notes: Subject of transformation.
- לָֽאִיִּ֔ים (la-ʾiyyim) – Root: אי; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural; Translation: “into islands”; Notes: Dramatic image of desolation or reversal.
- וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים (vaʾagammim) – Root: אגם; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and ponds”; Notes: Continues list of natural water features.
- אֹובִֽישׁ (ʾovish) – Root: ובשׁ; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular (repetition); Translation: “I will dry up”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis on total desiccation.