אֲהָ֖הּ לַיֹּ֑ום כִּ֤י קָרֹוב֙ יֹ֣ום יְהוָ֔ה וּכְשֹׁ֖ד מִשַׁדַּ֥י יָבֹֽוא׃
Alas for the day! For the day of YHWH is near, and as destruction from Almighty it comes.
Morphology
- אֲהָהּ (ʾahah) – Root: אהה; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Alas!”; Notes: A cry of grief or lamentation; often used in prophetic literature to express dread over impending judgment.
- לַיֹּום (la-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular with article הַ (assimilated); Translation: “for the day”; Notes: Refers to the coming day of divine judgment.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for,” “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the lament—namely, the nearness of the day of YHWH.
- קָרֹוב (qarov) – Root: קרב; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “is near”; Notes: Describes temporal proximity; used frequently of the imminence of divine intervention or judgment.
- יֹום (yom) – Root: יום; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “day”; Notes: Refers here specifically to the eschatological “day of YHWH.”
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel; associated with judgment and deliverance.
- וּכְשֹׁד (u-ke-shod) – Root: שׁוד; Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and as destruction”; Notes: Comparative construction likening the coming judgment to devastation or ruin.
- מִשַׁדַּי (mi-shaddai) – Root: שׁדי; Form: Preposition מִן + proper noun; Translation: “from Shaddai”; Notes: Refers to El Shaddai (“God Almighty”); emphasizes the divine source of the calamity.
- יָבֹוא (yavo) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it comes,” “it will come”; Notes: Expresses certainty of future action—the approach of divine judgment likened to irresistible destruction.