וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֨י לְבָבֶ֤ל זָרִים֙ וְזֵר֔וּהָ וִיבֹקְק֖וּ אֶת־אַרְצָ֑הּ כִּֽי־הָי֥וּ עָלֶ֛יהָ מִסָּבִ֖יב בְּיֹ֥ום רָעָֽה׃
And I will send to Bavel strangers, and they shall winnow her, and they shall empty her land, for they shall be against her round about in the day of calamity.
Morphology
- וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי (ve-shillaḥti) – Root: שׁלח; Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and I will send”; Notes: YHWH is the speaker sending hostile forces.
- לְבָבֶל (le-Bavel) – Root: בבל; Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “to Bavel”; Notes: The object of judgment.
- זָרִים (zarim) – Root: זר; Form: Adjective/noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “strangers/foreigners”; Notes: Refers to invading nations.
- וְזֵרוּהָ (ve-zeruha) – Root: זרה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine plural + 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and they shall winnow her”; Notes: Winnowing as metaphor for scattering and judgment.
- וִיבֹקְקוּ (vi-voqequ) – Root: בקק; Form: Piel imperfect 3rd masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and they shall empty”; Notes: Strong term for devastation, laying waste.
- אֶת־אַרְצָהּ (et-artzah) – Root: ארץ; Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular construct + 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her land”; Notes: Refers to Babylon’s territory.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Gives the reason for the devastation.
- הָיוּ (hayu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “they were/they shall be”; Notes: Serves to describe hostile presence.
- עָלֶיהָ (ʿaleha) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “against her”; Notes: Directs hostility toward Babylon.
- מִסָּבִיב (mi-saviv) – Root: סבב; Form: Preposition מִן + adverb/noun; Translation: “round about”; Notes: Indicates surrounding forces.
- בְּיֹום (be-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the day of”; Notes: Refers to appointed time of judgment.
- רָעָה (raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “calamity/evil”; Notes: Refers to disaster ordained for Babylon.