רָ֤ץ לִקְרַאת־רָץ֙ יָר֔וּץ וּמַגִּ֖יד לִקְרַ֣את מַגִּ֑יד לְהַגִּיד֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל כִּֽי־נִלְכְּדָ֥ה עִירֹ֖ו מִקָּצֶֽה׃
Runner runs to meet runner, and messenger to meet messenger, to declare to the king of Bavel that his city is taken from one end to the other.
Morphology
- רָץ (rats) – Root: רוץ (ruts); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “runner”; Notes: Refers to one hurrying with news.
- לִקְרַאת (liqrat) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “to meet”; Notes: Directional prepositional phrase showing encounter.
- רָץ (rats) – Root: רוץ (ruts); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “runner”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes urgency and continuity of news-bearing.
- יָרוּץ (yaruts) – Root: רוץ (ruts); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he runs”; Notes: Highlights the action of the runner in progress.
- וּמַגִּיד (u-maggid) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and a messenger”; Notes: One who announces or proclaims news.
- לִקְרַאת (liqrat) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “to meet”; Notes: Same as earlier phrase, introducing a meeting point.
- מַגִּיד (maggid) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “messenger”; Notes: A declarer or announcer of urgent news.
- לְהַגִּיד (le-haggid) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to declare”; Notes: Indicates purpose of the messengers’ running.
- לְמֶלֶךְ (le-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Recipient of the urgent message.
- בָּבֶל (Bavel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Place name feminine singular; Translation: “Bavel”; Notes: Refers to Babylon, here its king.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that / for”; Notes: Introduces the content of the message.
- נִלְכְּדָה (nilkedah) – Root: לכד (lakad); Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has been taken / captured”; Notes: Passive voice describing conquest.
- עִירֹו (ʿiro) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his city”; Notes: Refers to the king’s city (Babylon itself).
- מִקָּצֶה (mi-qatseh) – Root: קצה (qatseh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from end to end”; Notes: Expression meaning total capture, from one extremity to another.