בָּ֤אָה קָרְחָה֙ אֶל־עַזָּ֔ה נִדְמְתָ֥ה אַשְׁקְלֹ֖ון שְׁאֵרִ֣ית עִמְקָ֑ם עַד־מָתַ֖י תִּתְגֹּודָֽדִי׃ ס
Baldness has come upon ʿAzza, Ashqelon is cut off, the remnant of their valley. How long will you gash yourself?
Morphology
- בָּאָה (baʾah) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 3fs; Translation: “has come”; Notes: Feminine agreement with “baldness.”
- קָרְחָה (qarḥah) – Root: קרח; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “baldness”; Notes: Symbol of mourning or devastation.
- אֶל־עַזָּה (ʾel-ʿAzzah) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition + place name; Translation: “upon ʿAzzah (Gaza)”; Notes: City of the Pelishtim.
- נִדְמְתָה (nidmetah) – Root: דמה; Form: Niphal perfect 3fs; Translation: “is cut off / destroyed”; Notes: Refers to Ashqelon’s ruin.
- אַשְׁקְלֹון (Ashqelon) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper place name; Translation: “Ashqelon”; Notes: A major Philistine city.
- שְׁאֵרִית (sheʾerit) – Root: שׁאר; Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “remnant of”; Notes: Survivors or what is left.
- עִמְקָם (ʿimqam) – Root: עמק; Form: Noun masculine singular + 3mp suffix; Translation: “their valley”; Notes: Possibly refers to Philistine plain, here figurative for their territory.
- עַד־מָתַי (ʿad-matai) – Root: Phrase; Form: Preposition + interrogative; Translation: “how long”; Notes: Rhetorical lament formula.
- תִּתְגֹּודָדִי (titgodadi) – Root: גדד; Form: Hitpael imperfect 2fs; Translation: “will you gash yourself”; Notes: Self-mutilation in mourning rites.