שְׁבִ֥י דוּמָ֛ם וּבֹ֥אִי בַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א תֹוסִ֨יפִי֙ יִקְרְאוּ־לָ֔ךְ גְּבֶ֖רֶת מַמְלָכֹֽות׃
Sit in silence and enter into darkness, daughter of Kasdim; for no more shall they call you Mistress of Kingdoms.
Morphology
- שְׁבִי (shəvi) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal imperative feminine singular; Translation: “sit”; Notes: A command of subjugation and silence addressed to Babylon.
- דוּמָם (dumam) – Root: דמם; Form: Adverb; Translation: “in silence”; Notes: Implies humiliation and the end of prideful speech.
- וּבֹאִי (u-voʾi) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal imperative feminine singular; Translation: “and enter”; Notes: Paired with a location of shame or judgment.
- בַחֹשֶׁךְ (ba-ḥoshekh) – Root: חשׁך; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “into the darkness”; Notes: Symbolic of exile, obscurity, or divine judgment.
- בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּים (bat-Kasdim) – Root: כשׂד; Form: Construct noun + proper noun plural; Translation: “daughter of Kasdim”; Notes: Poetic personification of Babylon as a royal woman now disgraced.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the command and fate.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies future recognition or status.
- תֹוסִיפִי (tosifi) – Root: יסף; Form: Hifil imperfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you shall continue” or “you shall again”; Notes: Expresses cessation of a former condition or title.
- יִקְרְאוּ־לָךְ (yiqreʾu-lakh) – Root: קרא; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural + prepositional suffix; Translation: “they shall call you”; Notes: Refers to the external recognition Babylon once had.
- גְּבֶרֶת (geveret) – Root: גבר; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “mistress”; Notes: Denotes sovereign lady, indicating former rulership and prestige.
- מַמְלָכֹות (mamlakhot) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “kingdoms”; Notes: Suggests Babylon’s dominion over many nations, now revoked.