כָּרַ֥ע בֵּל֙ קֹרֵ֣ס נְבֹ֔ו הָיוּ֙ עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֔ם לַחַיָּ֖ה וְלַבְּהֵמָ֑ה נְשֻׂאֹתֵיכֶ֣ם עֲמוּסֹ֔ות מַשָּׂ֖א לַעֲיֵפָֽה׃
Bel has bowed down, Nevo has collapsed; their idols were for the beast and for the cattle; your loads were heavy burdens for the weary.
Morphology
- כָּרַ֥ע (karaʿ) – Root: כרע; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has bowed down”; Notes: Indicates the humiliation or fall of a deity.
- בֵּל (Bel) – Root: בֵּל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Bel”; Notes: Babylonian god, likely Marduk, symbolizing Babylonian religion.
- קֹרֵ֣ס (kores) – Root: כרס; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular or possibly a participle functioning nominally; Translation: “has collapsed”; Notes: Parallel to “bowed down,” emphasizing defeat.
- נְבֹו (Nevo) – Root: נבו; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Nevo”; Notes: Another Babylonian deity, possibly associated with writing and wisdom.
- הָיוּ (hayu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they were”; Notes: Introduces the status of the idols belonging to the gods.
- עֲצַבֵּיהֶם (ʿatsabbehem) – Root: עצב; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their idols”; Notes: Derogatory term for idols, suggesting human-made and lifeless.
- לַחַיָּה (la-ḥayyah) – Root: חיה; Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “for the beast”; Notes: Refers to wild or undomesticated animals bearing the load.
- וְלַבְּהֵמָה (ve-la-behemah) – Root: בהמה; Form: Conjunction + preposition לְ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “and for the cattle”; Notes: Refers to domestic beasts of burden.
- נְשֻׂאֹתֵיכֶם (nəsuʾotekhem) – Root: נשא; Form: Noun feminine plural with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your loads”; Notes: What the animals are carrying, likely referring to idols or cultic paraphernalia.
- עֲמוּסֹות (ʿamusot) – Root: עמס; Form: Passive participle feminine plural; Translation: “burdened”; Notes: Describes the condition of the loads; they are heavy or oppressive.
- מַשָּׂא (masaʾ) – Root: נשא; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “burden”; Notes: Refers either to physical weight or symbolic heaviness.
- לַעֲיֵפָה (la-ʿayefah) – Root: עיף; Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “for the weary”; Notes: Refers to the animals worn down by carrying the idols.