לָכֵ֗ן יֵשְׁב֤וּ צִיִּים֙ אֶת־אִיִּ֔ים וְיָ֥שְׁבוּ בָ֖הּ בְּנֹ֣ות יַֽעֲנָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־תֵשֵׁ֥ב עֹוד֙ לָנֶ֔צַח וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁכֹּ֖ון עַד־דֹּ֥ור וָדֹֽור׃
Therefore desert creatures shall dwell with jackals, and ostriches shall dwell in her; and she shall not be inhabited again forever, nor shall she be settled from generation to generation.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction/adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces consequence or judgment.
- יֵשְׁבוּ (yeshvu) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “they shall dwell”; Notes: Predicts future habitation by animals.
- צִיִּים (tsiyyim) – Root: ציה; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “desert creatures”; Notes: Refers to wild beasts inhabiting ruins.
- אֶת (et) – Root: —; Form: Marker of the definite object; Translation: “(definite object marker)”; Notes: Marks the following noun as object.
- אִיִּים (iyyim) – Root: אי; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “jackals”; Notes: Wild animals associated with desolation.
- וְיָשְׁבוּ (ve-yashvu) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and they shall dwell”; Notes: Parallel verb for emphasis.
- בָּהּ (bah) – Root: —; Form: Preposition + 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in her”; Notes: Refers to Babylon (feminine).
- בְּנֹות (benot) – Root: בת; Form: Noun feminine plural construct; Translation: “daughters of”; Notes: Often used of animal species (here, ostriches).
- יַעֲנָה (yaʿanah) – Root: יען; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “ostrich”; Notes: Symbol of desolation, dwelling in ruins.
- וְלֹא־תֵשֵׁב (ve-lo-teshev) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd feminine singular with negative particle; Translation: “and she shall not dwell/be inhabited”; Notes: Refers to Babylon’s perpetual ruin.
- עוֹד (ʿod) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “again”; Notes: Emphasizes finality of desolation.
- לָנֶצַח (la-netzach) – Root: נצח; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Marks eternal duration.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Introduces parallel prohibition.
- תִשְׁכּוֹן (tishkon) – Root: שׁכן; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “she shall be settled/dwell”; Notes: Refers to permanent habitation.
- עַד (ʿad) – Root: —; Form: Preposition; Translation: “unto/until”; Notes: Temporal marker of continuity.
- דּוֹר (dor) – Root: דור; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “generation”; Notes: Refers to an age or epoch.
- וָדֹור (va-dor) – Root: דור; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and generation”; Notes: Idiom meaning “from generation to generation.”