הֹ֗וי חֶ֚רֶב לַֽיהוָ֔ה עַד־אָ֖נָה לֹ֣א תִשְׁקֹ֑טִי הֵאָֽסְפִי֙ אַל־תַּעְרֵ֔ךְ הֵרָגְעִ֖י וָדֹֽמִּי׃
Ah, sword of YHWH, how long will you not be quiet? Be gathered into your sheath, rest and be still.
Morphology
- הֹוי (hoi) – Root: Interjection; Form: Exclamatory particle; Translation: “Ah! / Woe!”; Notes: Expresses lament or urgency.
- חֶרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “sword”; Notes: Metaphor for divine judgment.
- לַיהוָה (la-YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “of YHWH”; Notes: The sword belongs to YHWH as His instrument of judgment.
- עַד־אָנָה (ʿad-ʾanah) – Root: Interrogative phrase; Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “how long?”; Notes: Lament over prolonged judgment.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: Negative particle; Form: Adverb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- תִּשְׁקֹטִי (tishqoti) – Root: שׁקט; Form: Qal imperfect 2fs; Translation: “will you be quiet”; Notes: Addressed to the sword personified as feminine.
- הֵאָסְפִי (heʾasfi) – Root: אסף; Form: Niphal imperative 2fs; Translation: “be gathered”; Notes: Command for the sword to withdraw.
- אַל (ʾal) – Root: Negative particle; Form: Particle of prohibition; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Prohibits continued action.
- תַּעְרֵךְ (taʿrekh) – Root: ערה; Form: Qal imperfect 2fs (jussive); Translation: “be unsheathed”; Notes: Call for the sword to stop being drawn out for battle.
- הֵרָגְעִי (heraʿgi) – Root: רגע; Form: Niphal imperative 2fs; Translation: “rest”; Notes: Another command to cease activity.
- וָדֹמִּי (va-dommi) – Root: דמם; Form: Qal imperative 2fs with conjunction; Translation: “and be still”; Notes: Completes the imagery of cessation and peace.