לְמִצְרַ֗יִם עַל־חֵ֨יל פַּרְעֹ֤ה נְכֹו֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה עַל־נְהַר־פְּרָ֖ת בְּכַרְכְּמִ֑שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִכָּ֗ה נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל בִּשְׁנַת֙ הָֽרְבִיעִ֔ית לִיהֹויָקִ֥ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃
Concerning Mitsrayim. About the army of Parʿo Nekho, king of Mitsrayim, who was by the River Perat at Karkemish, whom Nevukhadretstsar king of Bavel struck in the fourth year of Yehoyaqim son of Yoshiyyahu, king of Yehuda:
Morphology
- לְמִצְרַיִם (le-Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “Concerning Mitsrayim”; Notes: Introduces the subject of the prophecy.
- עַל־חֵיל (ʿal-ḥeil) – Root: חיל; Form: Preposition + construct noun masculine singular; Translation: “about the army of”; Notes: Specifies the military focus.
- פַּרְעֹה נְכֹו (Parʿo Nekho) – Root: Egyptian name; Form: Proper nouns; Translation: “Parʿo Nekho”; Notes: Pharaoh Necho II, king of Mitsrayim during late 7th century BC.
- מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם (melekh Mitsrayim) – Root: מלך, מצרים; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “king of Mitsrayim”; Notes: Royal title.
- אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה (ʾasher-hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “who was”; Notes: Begins a relative clause describing Parʿo Nekho’s location or situation.
- עַל־נְהַר־פְּרָת (ʿal-nehar-Perat) – Root: נהר, פרת; Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “by the River Perat”; Notes: Refers to the Euphrates River.
- בְּכַרְכְּמִשׁ (be-Karkemish) – Root: כּרכּמש; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “at Karkemish”; Notes: Major city near the Euphrates, site of famous battle.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces another relative clause modifying Parʿo.
- הִכָּה (hikkah) – Root: נכה; Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he struck”; Notes: Describes Nevukhadretstsar’s victory.
- נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (Nevukhadretstsar) – Root: Akkadian name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Nevukhadretstsar”; Notes: Babylonian king, known as Nebuchadnezzar.
- מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל (melekh Bavel) – Root: מלך, בבל; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “king of Bavel”; Notes: Ruler of the Babylonian empire.
- בִּשְׁנַת הָרְבִיעִית (bishnat ha-reviʿit) – Root: שנה, רבע; Form: Preposition + construct noun + definite ordinal; Translation: “in the fourth year”; Notes: Specifies the timing of the event.
- לִיהֹויָקִים (li-Yehoyaqim) – Root: יהויקים; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “of Yehoyaqim”; Notes: Judean king during Babylonian rise.
- בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ (ben-Yoshiyyahu) – Root: בן, יאשיהו; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “son of Yoshiyyahu”; Notes: Dynastic identification.
- מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה (melekh Yehudah) – Root: מלך, יהודה; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “king of Yehudah”; Notes: Reigns over the southern kingdom of Yisraʾel.