כְּרֽוּחַ־קָדִ֥ים אֲפִיצֵ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אֹויֵ֑ב עֹ֧רֶף וְלֹֽא־פָנִ֛ים אֶרְאֵ֖ם בְּיֹ֥ום אֵידָֽם׃ ס
Like an east wind I will scatter them before the enemy; the back and not the face I will show them in the day of their disaster.
Morphology
- כְּרוּחַ (ke-ruaḥ) – Root: רוח; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “like a wind”; Notes: Introduces a simile comparing YHWH’s action to a scattering wind.
- קָדִים (qadim) – Root: קדם; Form: Noun masculine singular (directional); Translation: “east”; Notes: The “east wind” in biblical imagery is dry, hot, and destructive.
- אֲפִיצֵם (ʾafitsem) – Root: פוץ; Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “I will scatter them”; Notes: Hifil expresses causative action—dispersing them like chaff.
- לִפְנֵי (lifnei) – Root: פן; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates direction toward which they will be scattered.
- אֹויֵב (ʾoyev) – Root: איב; Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “enemy”; Notes: Denotes hostile pursuer; the one before whom they are driven.
- עֹרֶף (ʿoref) – Root: ערף; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the back (of the neck)”; Notes: Symbol of retreat or rejection.
- וְלֹא־פָנִים (ve-lo-fanim) – Root: פן; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and not the face”; Notes: Indicates turning away—no favor or acceptance shown.
- אֶרְאֵם (ʾerʾem) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “I will show them”; Notes: Denotes how YHWH will present Himself—not in mercy, but in judgment.
- בְּיֹום (be-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the day of”; Notes: Introduces a temporal clause specifying time of disaster.
- אֵידָם (ʾedam) – Root: איד; Form: Noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their disaster”; Notes: Refers to a day of calamity or divine judgment.