וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם כְּקַשׁ־עֹובֵ֑ר לְר֖וּחַ מִדְבָּֽר׃
And I will scatter them like chaff passing away to the wind of the wilderness.
Morphology
- וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם (va-ʾafiṭsem) – Root: פוץ; Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 1st person singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “And I will scatter them”; Notes: The Hiphil form conveys causation—“cause to be scattered.”
- כְּקַשׁ־ (ke-qash) – Root: קשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “like chaff”; Notes: Construct form introduces the following participle.
- עֹובֵ֑ר (ʿover) – Root: עבר; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “passing”; Notes: Describes chaff that is not just light, but moving or drifting away—fleeting.
- לְר֖וּחַ (le-ruaḥ) – Root: רוח; Form: Preposition + noun, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “to the wind”; Notes: The preposition suggests direction or agency of scattering.
- מִדְבָּֽר (midbar) – Root: דבר; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “of the wilderness”; Notes: Wilderness wind evokes dryness, emptiness, and force—amplifies the imagery of dispersion.