יֹ֧ום חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵלָ֗ה יֹ֤ום עָנָן֙ וַעֲרָפֶ֔ל כְּשַׁ֖חַר פָּרֻ֣שׂ עַל־הֶֽהָרִ֑ים עַ֚ם רַ֣ב וְעָצ֔וּם כָּמֹ֗הוּ לֹ֤א נִֽהְיָה֙ מִן־הָ֣עֹולָ֔ם וְאַֽחֲרָיו֙ לֹ֣א יֹוסֵ֔ף עַד־שְׁנֵ֖י דֹּ֥ור וָדֹֽור׃
A day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness, like the dawn spread upon the mountains, a great and strong people; its like has not been from of old, and after it there shall not be again, to the years of many generations.
Morphology
- יֹ֧ום (yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “day”; Notes: Introduces the temporal focus of the prophecy.
- חֹ֣שֶׁךְ (ḥoshekh) – Root: חשׁך (ḥashakh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “darkness”; Notes: Symbolizes judgment, calamity, or divine wrath.
- וַאֲפֵלָ֗ה (va-ʾafelah) – Root: אפל (ʾafel); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and gloom”; Notes: Enhances the imagery of obscurity and terror.
- יֹ֤ום (yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “day”; Notes: Repetition intensifies the description of the coming day.
- עָנָן֙ (ʿanan) – Root: ענן (ʿanan); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “cloud”; Notes: Suggests overwhelming divine presence or cover.
- וַעֲרָפֶ֔ל (va-ʿarafel) – Root: ערפל (ʿarafel); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and thick darkness”; Notes: Used of dense fog or storm-clouds, symbolizing mystery and fear.
- כְּשַׁ֖חַר (ke-shaḥar) – Root: שׁחר (shaḥar); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the dawn”; Notes: Introduces a simile contrasting light and darkness.
- פָּרֻ֣שׂ (paruś) – Root: פרשׂ (paras); Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “spread out”; Notes: Describes the dawn stretching over the landscape.
- עַל־הֶֽהָרִ֑ים (ʿal-he-harim) – Root: הר (har); Form: Preposition עַל + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “upon the mountains”; Notes: Locates the imagery across the elevated terrain.
- עַ֚ם (ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “people”; Notes: Refers to the invading or symbolic army of YHWH’s judgment.
- רַ֣ב (rav) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Denotes magnitude and vastness of the people.
- וְעָצ֔וּם (ve-ʿatsum) – Root: עצם (ʿatsam); Form: Conjunction + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “and strong”; Notes: Indicates immense strength or power.
- כָּמֹ֗הוּ (kamohu) – Root: כמו (kemo); Form: Preposition כְּ + pronominal suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “like him”; Notes: Comparison emphasizing uniqueness.
- לֹ֤א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses negation or absence.
- נִֽהְיָה֙ (nihyah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Indicates an event that never occurred before.
- מִן־הָ֣עֹולָ֔ם (min-ha-ʿolam) – Root: עולם (ʿolam); Form: Preposition מִן + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “from of old”; Notes: Refers to the beginning of history or antiquity.
- וְאַֽחֲרָיו֙ (ve-aḥarav) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Conjunction + preposition אַחַר + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and after it”; Notes: Refers to the time succeeding the described event.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Continues negation of recurrence.
- יֹוסֵ֔ף (yosef) – Root: יסף (yasaf); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall be again”; Notes: Indicates that no similar event will repeat.
- עַד־ (ʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition; Translation: “until”; Notes: Marks duration of time extending to future generations.
- שְׁנֵ֖י (shenei) – Root: שׁנים (shanim); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “years of”; Notes: Serves as the construct term for the temporal expression that follows.
- דֹּ֥ור (dor) – Root: דור (dor); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “generation”; Notes: Denotes an era or age.
- וָדֹֽור (va-dor) – Root: דור (dor); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and generation”; Notes: The repetition reinforces perpetuity of the statement.