וְלָכֵ֡ן הִנֵּ֣ה אֲדֹנָי֩ מַעֲלֶ֨ה עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַנָּהָ֗ר הָעֲצוּמִים֙ וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּׁ֖וּר וְאֶת־כָּל־כְּבֹודֹ֑ו וְעָלָה֙ עַל־כָּל־אֲפִיקָ֔יו וְהָלַ֖ךְ עַל־כָּל־גְּדֹותָֽיו׃
And therefore, behold, my Lord brings up upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, the king of Ashshur and all his glory. And it shall rise over all its channels and go over all its banks.
Morphology
- וְלָכֵ֡ן (ve-lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “And therefore”; Notes: Introduces a consequence or divine response.
- הִנֵּ֣ה (hinneh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the significant prophetic event that follows.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Reverent title for YHWH used in prophetic address.
- מַעֲלֶה (maʿaleh) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “brings up”; Notes: Describes the active action of sending a foreign invader.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿalehem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “upon them”; Notes: Refers to the people who rejected YHWH’s provision (v. 6).
- אֶת־מֵי (et-mei) – Root: מים (mayim); Form: Direct object marker + construct plural; Translation: “the waters of”; Notes: Metaphorical for the Assyrian empire’s might.
- הַנָּהָר (ha-nahar) – Root: נהר (nahar); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the River”; Notes: Refers symbolically to the Euphrates, representing Assyria.
- הָעֲצוּמִים (ha-ʿatsumim) – Root: עצם (ʿatsam); Form: Definite adjective masculine plural; Translation: “strong”; Notes: Describes the overwhelming force of Assyria.
- וְהָרַבִּים (ve-ha-rabbim) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Conjunction + definite adjective masculine plural; Translation: “and many”; Notes: Emphasizes the multitude of the Assyrian forces.
- אֶת־מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר (et-melekh Ashshur) – Root: מלך (melekh), אשור (Ashshur); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “the king of Ashshur”; Notes: Refers to the Assyrian king, an instrument of judgment.
- וְאֶת־כָּל־כְּבֹודֹו (ve-et-kol-kevodo) – Root: כבד (kavad); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + construct noun + noun masculine singular with suffix; Translation: “and all his glory”; Notes: Refers to the full might and splendor of the Assyrian power.
- וְעָלָה (ve-ʿalah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal perfect with vav-consecutive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it shall rise”; Notes: Describes the flooding or overwhelming nature of the invasion.
- עַל־כָּל־אֲפִיקָיו (ʿal-kol-afiqav) – Root: אפיק (afiq); Form: Preposition + construct noun + noun masculine plural with 3rd person suffix; Translation: “over all its channels”; Notes: Symbolizes the spread of Assyria through every territory.
- וְהָלַךְ (ve-halak) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal perfect with vav-consecutive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it shall go”; Notes: Continues the flooding imagery of Assyrian advance.
- עַל־כָּל־גְּדֹותָיו (ʿal-kol-gedotav) – Root: גדה (gedah); Form: Preposition + construct noun + noun feminine plural with 3rd person suffix; Translation: “over all its banks”; Notes: Implies no containment—Assyria will overflow all boundaries.