נִשְׁבַּ֛ע יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות בְּנַפְשֹׁ֑ו כִּ֣י אִם־מִלֵּאתִ֤יךְ אָדָם֙ כַּיֶּ֔לֶק וְעָנ֥וּ עָלַ֖יִךְ הֵידָֽד׃ ס
YHWH of Hosts has sworn by Himself: Surely I will fill you with men like the locust, and they shall raise a shout against you.
Morphology
- נִשְׁבַּע (nishbaʿ) – Root: שׁבע; Form: Niphal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “has sworn”; Notes: Used for solemn divine oath.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God.
- צְבָאֹות (tzevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “of hosts”; Notes: Military title, ruler of heavenly and earthly armies.
- בְּנַפְשֹׁו (be-nafsho) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular construct + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “by Himself”; Notes: A self-binding oath.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “surely”; Notes: Used emphatically in oaths.
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: —; Form: Particle; Translation: “if not / indeed”; Notes: Reinforces oath formula, “surely indeed.”
- מִלֵּאתִיךְ (milleʾtik) – Root: מלא; Form: Piel perfect 1st common singular + 2nd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “I will fill you”; Notes: Direct address to Babylon, personified feminine.
- אָדָם (adam) – Root: אדם; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “men”; Notes: Refers to numerous invading soldiers.
- כַּיֶּלֶק (ka-yeleq) – Root: ילק; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “like the locust”; Notes: Simile stressing overwhelming numbers.
- וְעָנוּ (ve-ʿanu) – Root: ענה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and they shall raise/respond”; Notes: Here in the sense of lifting up a battle-cry.
- עָלַיִךְ (ʿalayikh) – Root: על; Form: Preposition עַל + second feminine singular suffix; Translation: “against you”; Notes: Addressed to Babylon as feminine.
- הֵידָד (heidad) – Root: הידד; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “battle shout/shout of triumph”; Notes: War cry of invading armies celebrating victory.