אֻמְלְלָ֞ה יֹלֶ֣דֶת הַשִּׁבְעָ֗ה נָפְחָ֥ה נַפְשָׁ֛הּ בָּאָה שִׁמְשָׁ֛הּ בְּעֹ֥ד יֹומָ֖ם בֹּ֣ושָׁה וְחָפֵ֑רָה וּשְׁאֵֽרִיתָ֗ם לַחֶ֧רֶב אֶתֵּ֛ן לִפְנֵ֥י אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס
“Wretched is she who bore seven; her soul has breathed out. Her sun has gone down while it is yet day; she is ashamed and confounded. And their remnant I will give to the sword before their enemies,” declares YHWH.
Morphology
- אֻמְלְלָה (uml’lah) – Root: אמל (ʾamal); Form: Pual perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “is wretched”; Notes: Indicates intense affliction or misery; describes the mother.
- יֹלֶדֶת (yoledet) – Root: ילד (yalad); Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “she who bore”; Notes: Describes her identity as a mother of many.
- הַשִּׁבְעָה (ha-shivʿah) – Root: שבע (shevaʿ); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the seven”; Notes: Likely referring to sons; completeness or fullness implied.
- נָפְחָה (nafḥah) – Root: נפח (nafah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has breathed out”; Notes: Euphemism for death—gave up the breath of life.
- נַפְשָׁהּ (nafshah) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun feminine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her soul”; Notes: Reinforces the image of her death or despair.
- בָּאָה (baʾah) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has gone down” or “has come”; Notes: Refers to her sun’s decline—symbolic of loss of hope.
- שִׁמְשָׁהּ (shimshah) – Root: שמש (shemesh); Form: Noun feminine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her sun”; Notes: Symbol of life, strength, or glory.
- בְּעֹוד (beʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Preposition + infinitive/noun; Translation: “while still”; Notes: Temporal clause introducing unexpected timing.
- יֹומָם (yomam) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “daytime”; Notes: Indicates brightness or expected security, now interrupted.
- בֹּושָׁה (bosha) – Root: בושׁ (bosh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she is ashamed”; Notes: Emotional result of judgment and disgrace.
- וְחָפֵרָה (ve-ḥaferah) – Root: חפר (ḥafar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and confounded”; Notes: Similar in meaning to shame; implies utter humiliation.
- וּשְׁאֵרִיתָם (u-sheʾeritam) – Root: שאר (shaʾar); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their remnant”; Notes: Those who remain after destruction—often a theme of hope, here doomed.
- לַחֶרֶב (la-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the sword”; Notes: Instrument of divine judgment and death.
- אֶתֵּן (etten) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: YHWH speaks of future judgment.
- לִפְנֵי (lifnei) – Root: פן (panim); Form: Preposition; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates presence or exposure before enemies.
- אֹיְבֵיהֶם (ʾoyveihem) – Root: איב (ʾayav); Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “their enemies”; Notes: The recipients of the remnant for destruction.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “utterance of YHWH”; Notes: Concludes the oracle with divine authority.