וְעַתָּ֕ה לָכֵ֛ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֶל־הָעִ֨יר הַזֹּ֜את אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם אֹמְרִ֗ים נִתְּנָה֙ בְּיַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל בַּחֶ֖רֶב וּבָרָעָ֥ב וּבַדָּֽבֶר׃
And now therefore, thus says YHWH, God of Yisraʾel, concerning this city which you are saying, ‘It shall be given into the hand of the king of Bavel, by the sword and by the famine and by the plague.’
Morphology
- וְעַתָּה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Marks transition to a new statement or emphasis.
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Indicates logical consequence.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “thus says”; Notes: Formula introducing prophetic speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- אֱלֹהֵי (Elohei) – Root: אלהים (Elohim); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Title of deity in construct form.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation or people of Israel.
- אֶל־הָעִיר (el-ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “concerning the city”; Notes: Directs the prophecy toward the city in question.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies which city.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause.
- אַתֶּם (atem) – Root: אתה (attah); Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the embedded clause.
- אֹמְרִים (ʾomrim) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “are saying”; Notes: Ongoing or repeated speech.
- נִתְּנָה (nittnah) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it shall be given”; Notes: Passive form indicating the city’s fate.
- בְּיַד (be-yad) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “into the hand of”; Notes: Idiom meaning under the power or control of.
- מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך (melekh) + בבל (Bavel); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “the king of Bavel”; Notes: Refers to the Babylonian ruler.
- בַּחֶרֶב (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “by the sword”; Notes: Symbol of war and destruction.
- וּבָרָעָב (u-va-raʿav) – Root: רעב (raʿav); Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and by the famine”; Notes: Refers to severe food shortage as judgment.
- וּבַדָּבֶר (u-va-daver) – Root: דבר (dever); Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and by the plague”; Notes: Indicates pestilence as a divine judgment.