Joel 2:20

וְֽאֶת־הַצְּפֹונִ֞י אַרְחִ֣יק מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗ם וְהִדַּחְתִּיו֮ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֣ה וּשְׁמָמָה֒ אֶת־פָּנָ֗יו אֶל־הַיָּם֙ הַקַּדְמֹנִ֔י וְסֹפֹ֖ו אֶל־הַיָּ֣ם הָאַֽחֲרֹ֑ון וְעָלָ֣ה בָאְשֹׁ֗ו וְתַ֨עַל֙ צַחֲנָתֹ֔ו כִּ֥י הִגְדִּ֖יל לַעֲשֹֽׂות׃

And the northern one I will remove far from you, and I will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea and his rear toward the western sea; and his stench shall rise, and his foul smell shall ascend, for he has done great things.

Morphology

1. וְֽאֶת־ (ve-et) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker; Translation: (untranslated); Notes: Marks the direct object “the northern one.”
2. הַצְּפֹונִ֞י (ha-tsephoni) – Root: צפון (tsafon); Form: Definite adjective or substantive masculine singular; Translation: “the northern one”; Notes: Likely refers to the northern invading army or hostile force.
3. אַרְחִ֣יק (arḥiq) – Root: רחק (raḥaq); Form: Hiphil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will remove far”; Notes: Denotes divine action to push away or distance an enemy threat.
4. מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗ם (me-ʿaleikhem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition מִן + preposition עַל + suffix 2mp; Translation: “from upon you”; Notes: Indicates removal of danger or oppression from YHWH’s people.
5. וְהִדַּחְתִּיו֮ (ve-hiddaḥtiv) – Root: דחה (daḥah); Form: Conjunction + Hiphil perfect 1st person singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “and I will drive him”; Notes: Depicts forceful expulsion or scattering by divine power.
6. אֶל־ (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “into” or “toward”; Notes: Introduces the direction of movement.
7. אֶ֣רֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a land”; Notes: The destination of divine judgment.
8. צִיָּ֣ה (tsiyyah) – Root: ציה (tsiyyah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “barren”; Notes: Denotes arid wilderness without life or fertility.
9. וּשְׁמָמָה֒ (u-shemamah) – Root: שׁמם (shamam); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and desolate”; Notes: Emphasizes utter devastation or uninhabitable ruin.
10. אֶת־פָּנָ֗יו (et-panav) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his face”; Notes: Indicates orientation or direction of the enemy force.
11. אֶל־הַיָּם֙ (el-ha-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Preposition אֶל + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “toward the sea”; Notes: Refers to the direction of the eastern sea, possibly the Dead Sea.
12. הַקַּדְמֹנִ֔י (ha-qadmoni) – Root: קדם (qadam); Form: Definite adjective masculine singular; Translation: “the eastern”; Notes: Refers to the sea lying eastward, in contrast to the western sea.
13. וְסֹפֹ֖ו (ve-sofo) – Root: סוף (sof); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “and his rear”; Notes: Indicates the back end or retreating side of the force.
14. אֶל־הַיָּ֣ם (el-ha-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Preposition אֶל + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “toward the sea”; Notes: Refers to another sea, likely the Mediterranean (the western sea).
15. הָאַֽחֲרֹ֑ון (ha-aḥaron) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Definite adjective masculine singular; Translation: “the western” or “the last”; Notes: Represents the western direction opposite the eastern sea.
16. וְעָלָ֣ה (ve-ʿalah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and shall rise”; Notes: Refers to the spreading of stench as a visible sign of destruction.
17. בָאְשֹׁ֗ו (baʾsho) – Root: באשׁ (baʾash); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his stench”; Notes: Symbolic of divine judgment leaving a mark of corruption and decay.
18. וְתַ֨עַל֙ (ve-taʿal) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and shall ascend”; Notes: Parallels the previous verb, intensifying the image of pervasive decay.
19. צַחֲנָתֹ֔ו (tsaḥanato) – Root: צחן (tsaḥan); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “his foul smell”; Notes: Denotes the stench of death or corruption, further symbolizing complete ruin.
20. כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the described judgment.
21. הִגְדִּ֖יל (higdil) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he has done greatly”; Notes: Refers to the enemy’s arrogance and excessive acts, prompting divine retribution.
22. לַעֲשֹֽׂות (laʿasot) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “to act” or “to do”; Notes: Explains the manner in which the enemy magnified himself through his deeds.