Joel 4:8 (Joel 3:8)

וּמָכַרְתִּ֞י אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם וְאֶת־בְּנֹֽותֵיכֶ֗ם בְּיַד֙ בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וּמְכָר֥וּם לִשְׁבָאיִ֖ם אֶל־גֹּ֣וי רָחֹ֑וק כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃ ס

And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Yehuda, and they shall sell them to the Shevaʾim, to a nation far away, for YHWH has spoken.

Morphology

1. וּמָכַרְתִּ֞י (u-makharti) – Root: מכר (makhar); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I will sell”; Notes: YHWH declares divine retribution—He will reverse the injustice done to His people.
2. אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “(marks the direct object)”; Notes: Introduces the objects being sold.
3. בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם (bneikhem) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 2mp; Translation: “your sons”; Notes: Refers to the male descendants of the nations opposing YHWH.
4. וְאֶת־ (ve-ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the second direct object clause.
5. בְּנֹֽותֵיכֶ֗ם (benotekhem) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Noun feminine plural construct + suffix 2mp; Translation: “your daughters”; Notes: Represents the female captives who will be sold in retribution.
6. בְּיַד֙ (be-yad) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “into the hand of”; Notes: Denotes power or control—placing the nations’ offspring under Yehudah’s authority.
7. בְּנֵ֣י (bnei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Construct plural of noun masculine; Translation: “the sons of”; Notes: Indicates the agents who will receive the captives.
8. יְהוּדָ֔ה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the people of the southern kingdom acting as instruments of divine justice.
9. וּמְכָר֥וּם (u-mekharum) – Root: מכר (makhar); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural + suffix 3mp; Translation: “and they shall sell them”; Notes: Indicates continuation of divine retribution through human agents.
10. לִשְׁבָאיִ֖ם (li-shvaʾim) – Root: שׁבא (Shevaʾ); Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun plural; Translation: “to the Shevaʾim”; Notes: Refers to the people of Sheva (Sheba), a distant trading nation, likely in South Arabia.
11. אֶל־ (el) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the direction or destination of the sale.
12. גֹּ֣וי (goy) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a nation”; Notes: Generic term for a foreign people.
13. רָחֹ֑וק (raḥoq) – Root: רחוק (raḥoq); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “far away”; Notes: Describes the geographic distance, emphasizing the complete reversal of fate.
14. כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason or confirmation of the divine action.
15. יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God, guaranteeing the fulfillment of this pronouncement.
16. דִּבֵּֽר׃ (dibber) – Root: דבר (diber); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has spoken”; Notes: The prophetic assurance that YHWH’s declared word will surely come to pass.