וְ֠גַם מָה־אַתֶּ֥ם לִי֙ צֹ֣ר וְצִידֹ֔ון וְכֹ֖ל גְּלִילֹ֣ות פְּלָ֑שֶׁת הַגְּמ֗וּל אַתֶּם֙ מְשַׁלְּמִ֣ים עָלָ֔י וְאִם־גֹּמְלִ֤ים אַתֶּם֙ עָלַ֔י קַ֣ל מְהֵרָ֔ה אָשִׁ֥יב גְּמֻלְכֶ֖ם בְּרֹאשְׁכֶֽם׃
And also, what are you to Me, Tsor and Tsidon, and all the regions of Pelishet? Is it recompense that you are repaying upon Me? And if you are repaying upon Me, swiftly and speedily I will return your recompense upon your own heads.
Morphology
- וְ֠גַם (ve-gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Introduces an additional group (foreign nations) to the divine judgment narrative.
- מָה־ (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Expresses divine indignation—“What are you to Me?” implying opposition and insignificance.
- אַתֶּ֥ם (atem) – Root: אתם (atem); Form: Independent pronoun 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to the nations addressed (Tsor, Tsidon, Pelishet).
- לִי֙ (li) – Root: ל (lamed, prepositional); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1cs; Translation: “to Me” or “with Me”; Notes: Indicates relation or contention against YHWH.
- צֹ֣ר (Tsor) – Root: צור (Tsor); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Tsor”; Notes: Refers to the Phoenician city of Tyre.
- וְצִידֹ֔ון (ve-Tsidon) – Root: צידון (Tsidon); Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Tsidon”; Notes: Refers to the coastal city of Sidon, paired with Tsor as major Phoenician powers.
- וְכֹ֖ל (ve-kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “and all”; Notes: Includes every region or district within the specified territory.
- גְּלִילֹ֣ות (gelilot) – Root: גליל (galil); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “regions” or “districts”; Notes: Geographical term denoting areas or territories within Pelishet.
- פְּלָ֑שֶׁת (Pelishet) – Root: פלשת (Pelishet); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Pelishet”; Notes: Refers to the land of the Pelishtim (Philistines), coastal enemies of Yisraʾel.
- הַגְּמ֗וּל (ha-gemul) – Root: גמל (gamal); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the recompense” or “the repayment”; Notes: Refers to retributive justice or retaliation.
- אַתֶּם֙ (atem) – Root: אתם (atem); Form: Independent pronoun 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: The addressees—foreign nations acting against YHWH.
- מְשַׁלְּמִ֣ים (meshallemim) – Root: שׁלם (shalam); Form: Piel participle masculine plural; Translation: “repaying”; Notes: Describes an action of requital, as if the nations sought to retaliate against YHWH.
- עָלָ֔י (ʿalay) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 1cs; Translation: “upon Me”; Notes: Expresses direct opposition against YHWH Himself.
- וְאִם־ (ve-im) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and if”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause emphasizing hypothetical retaliation.
- גֹּמְלִ֤ים (gomlim) – Root: גמל (gamal); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “you are repaying”; Notes: Expresses reciprocal action, echoing the accusation of vengeance.
- אַתֶּם֙ (atem) – Root: אתם (atem); Form: Independent pronoun 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis—personalizing the confrontation.
- עָלַ֔י (ʿalay) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 1cs; Translation: “upon Me”; Notes: Stresses YHWH’s personal involvement in the conflict.
- קַ֣ל (qal) – Root: קלל (qalal); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “swift”; Notes: Describes the rapidity of divine retribution.
- מְהֵרָ֔ה (meherah) – Root: מהר (mahar); Form: Adverb; Translation: “quickly”; Notes: Intensifies the speed of YHWH’s retaliatory response.
- אָשִׁ֥יב (ʾashiv) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Hiphil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will return”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s deliberate act of returning recompense upon His enemies.
- גְּמֻלְכֶ֖ם (gemulkhem) – Root: גמל (gamal); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 2mp; Translation: “your recompense”; Notes: Refers to the retribution due to them for their actions against YHWH’s people.
- בְּרֹאשְׁכֶֽם (be-roshkhem) – Root: ראשׁ (rosh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + suffix 2mp; Translation: “upon your heads”; Notes: Idiomatic for personal accountability—divine justice falling back upon the perpetrators themselves.