וָאֶזְרֵ֥ם בְּמִזְרֶ֖ה בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי אִבַּ֨דְתִּי֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י מִדַּרְכֵיהֶ֖ם לֹוא־שָֽׁבוּ׃
And I winnowed them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land—I bereaved, I destroyed My people; from their ways they did not return.
Morphology
- וָאֶזְרֵם (va-ezrem) – Root: זרם (zaram); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And I winnowed them”; Notes: Likely from the extended root זרם/זרה, conveying scattering as with a winnowing instrument.
- בְּמִזְרֶה (be-mizreh) – Root: זרה (zarah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “with a winnowing fork”; Notes: Instrument of judgment imagery, suggesting scattering or purging.
- בְּשַׁעֲרֵי (be-shaʿarei) – Root: שער (shaʿar); Form: Preposition בְּ + construct plural; Translation: “at the gates of”; Notes: Public places of judgment and gathering, symbolic of exposure or vulnerability.
- הָאָרֶץ (ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾaretz); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Could refer to the land of Yisraʾel or the world in general depending on context.
- שִׁכַּלְתִּי (shikkalti) – Root: שׁכל (shakal); Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I bereaved”; Notes: Intensely emotional verb; refers to the loss or stripping of children or cherished ones.
- אִבַּדְתִּי (ʾibbadti) – Root: אבד (ʾavad); Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I destroyed”; Notes: Emphasizes the completeness and deliberateness of the destruction.
- אֶת־עַמִּי (et-ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My people”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s covenant people, expressing grief and judgment together.
- מִדַּרְכֵיהֶם (mi-darkheihem) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Preposition מִן + plural construct noun + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “from their ways”; Notes: Describes the sinful conduct from which they failed to repent.
- לֹוא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Introduces negation of the verb that follows.
- שָׁבוּ (shavu) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they returned”; Notes: Returning in a covenantal or repentant sense; they refused to repent.