בְּעֶבְרַ֛ת יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות נֶעְתַּ֣ם אָ֑רֶץ וַיְהִ֤י הָעָם֙ כְּמַאֲכֹ֣לֶת אֵ֔שׁ אִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֖יו לֹ֥א יַחְמֹֽלוּ׃
By the wrath of YHWH of Hosts the land was scorched, and the people became as fuel for fire; no man spares his brother.
Morphology
- בְּעֶבְרַ֛ת (be-ʿevrat) – Root: עבר; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “by the wrath of”; Notes: Refers to overflowing anger or fierce indignation.
- יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH) – Root: היה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
- צְבָאֹ֖ות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Noun masculine plural in construct; Translation: “of Hosts”; Notes: Military title emphasizing YHWH’s power.
- נֶעְתַּ֣ם (neʿtam) – Root: עתם; Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was scorched” or “was burned”; Notes: Refers to devastation of the land.
- אָ֑רֶץ (ʾarets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “land”; Notes: Likely refers to the land of Yisraʾel.
- וַיְהִ֤י (va-yehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it became”; Notes: Narrative sequence verb.
- הָעָם֙ (ha-ʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to the nation as a whole.
- כְּמַאֲכֹ֣לֶת (ke-maʾakhelet) – Root: אכל; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “as fuel” or “as food”; Notes: Literally “thing eaten” — metaphor for being consumed by fire.
- אֵ֔שׁ (ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “fire”; Notes: Represents divine judgment and destruction.
- אִ֥ישׁ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Introduces the subject of the final clause.
- אֶל־אָחִ֖יו (el-aḥiv) – Root: אח; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his brother”; Notes: Emphasizes breakdown of societal compassion.
- לֹ֥א יַחְמֹֽלוּ (lo yaḥmolu) – Root: חמל; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they do not spare”; Notes: Final result of judgment—no mercy remains.