אִם־יָצָ֣אתִי הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב וְאִם֙ בָּ֣אתִי הָעִ֔יר וְהִנֵּ֖ה תַּחֲלוּאֵ֣י רָעָ֑ב כִּֽי־גַם־נָבִ֧יא גַם־כֹּהֵ֛ן סָחֲר֥וּ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ וְלֹ֥א יָדָֽעוּ׃ ס
If I go out to the field, behold, the slain of the sword; and if I enter the city, behold, the diseases of famine. For both prophet and priest have gone about to a land they did not know.
Morphology
- אִם־יָצָ֣אתִי (ʾim-yatsaʾti) – Root: יצא; Form: Conditional particle + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “If I went out”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה (has-sadeh) – Root: שדה; Form: Noun masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the field”; Notes: Place of observation.
- וְהִנֵּה֙ (ve-hinneh) – Root: נהה or demonstrative particle; Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Introduces a dramatic scene.
- חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב (ḥallelei-ḥerev) – Root: חלל, חרב; Form: Construct plural noun + noun singular; Translation: “the slain of the sword”; Notes: Describes casualties of battle.
- וְאִם֙ (ve-ʾim) – Root: אם; Form: Conjunction + conditional particle; Translation: “and if”; Notes: Second condition in parallel.
- בָּ֣אתִי (baʾti) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I entered”; Notes: Parallel with יצאתי.
- הָעִ֔יר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Noun feminine singular, definite; Traslation: “the city”; Notes: Place of second condition.
- וְהִנֵּ֖ה (ve-hinneh) – Root: as above; Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Repeated to mark dramatic revelation.
- תַּחֲלוּאֵ֣י (taḥaluʾei) – Root: חלא; Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “diseases of”; Notes: Connected to next word.
- רָעָ֑ב (raʿav) – Root: רעב; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “famine”; Notes: Compound construct phrase with תחלואי.
- כִּֽי־ (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Causal conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Gives the reason for the previous devastation.
- גַם־נָבִ֧יא (gam-naviʾ) – Root: נבא; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “also prophet”; Notes: Emphasizes inclusion of prophets.
- גַם־כֹּהֵ֛ן (gam-kohen) – Root: כהן; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “also priest”; Notes: Together with prophets, representative leaders.
- סָחֲר֥וּ (saḥaru) – Root: סחר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they went about”; Notes: Can imply wandering or staggering in context.
- אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ (el-erets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to a land”; Notes: Undefined or foreign land.
- וְלֹ֥א (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negation; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Begins a negative clause.
- יָדָֽעוּ (yadaʿu) – Root: ידע; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they knew”; Notes: Refers to prophet and priest’s ignorance of the place.