וְהַחְתַּתִּ֣י אֶת־֠עֵילָם לִפְנֵ֨י אֹיְבֵיהֶ֜ם וְלִפְנֵ֣י מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְהֵבֵאתִ֨י עֲלֵיהֶ֧ם רָעָ֛ה אֶת־חֲרֹ֥ון אַפִּ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤י אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב עַ֥ד כַּלֹּותִ֖י אֹותָֽם׃
And I will dismay ʿElam before their enemies and before those who seek their life, and I will bring upon them evil, the burning of my anger,’ declares YHWH, ‘and I will send after them the sword until I have consumed them.
Morphology
- וְהַחְתַּתִּי (ve-haḥtatti) – Root: חתת; Form: Hiphil perfect 1cs with conjunction; Translation: “And I will dismay”; Notes: Indicates causing terror or breaking down courage.
- אֶת־עֵילָם (et-ʿElam) – Root: עילם; Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “ʿElam”; Notes: Ancient kingdom east of Babylon, target of judgment.
- לִפְנֵי (lifnei) – Root: פנה; Form: Preposition construct; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates exposure in the presence of an adversary.
- אֹיְבֵיהֶם (ʾoyveihem) – Root: איב; Form: Qal participle masculine plural construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “their enemies”; Notes: Refers to hostile nations, likely Babylon.
- וְלִפְנֵי (ve-lifnei) – Root: פנה; Form: Conjunction + preposition; Translation: “and before”; Notes: Parallel construction for emphasis.
- מְבַקְשֵׁי (mevaqshei) – Root: בקשׁ; Form: Piel participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “those who seek”; Notes: Active seekers, in pursuit of life to destroy.
- נַפְשָׁם (nafsham) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Noun feminine singular + 3mp suffix; Translation: “their life”; Notes: Represents existence itself, not merely breath.
- וְהֵבֵאתִי (ve-heveʾti) – Root: בוא; Form: Hiphil perfect 1cs with conjunction; Translation: “and I will bring”; Notes: Divine agency introducing calamity.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: על; Form: Preposition עַל + third mp suffix; Translation: “upon them”; Notes: Object of divine judgment.
- רָעָה (raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “evil, calamity”; Notes: Refers to disaster or misfortune.
- אֶת־חֲרוֹן (et-ḥaron) – Root: חרה; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the burning”; Notes: Describes intensity of anger.
- אַפִּי (appi) – Root: אף; Form: Noun masculine singular + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my anger”; Notes: Anthropomorphic expression of divine wrath.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Noun construct + divine name; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic formula asserting authority.
- וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי (ve-shillaḥti) – Root: שׁלח; Form: Piel perfect 1cs with conjunction; Translation: “and I will send”; Notes: Expresses purposeful dispatch of judgment.
- אַחֲרֵיהֶם (ʾaḥareihem) – Root: אחר; Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “after them”; Notes: Signifies pursuit without escape.
- אֶת־הַחֶרֶב (et-ha-ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular definite; Translation: “the sword”; Notes: Common prophetic metaphor for war and destruction.
- עַד (ʿad) – Root: עד; Form: Preposition; Translation: “until”; Notes: Marks duration of the divine pursuit.
- כַּלֹּותִי (kalloti) – Root: כלה; Form: Piel infinitive construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “I have consumed / finished”; Notes: Expresses total annihilation.
- אֹותָם (otam) – Root: את; Form: Object pronoun 3mp; Translation: “them”; Notes: Direct object of the consuming action.