Jeremiah 51:43

הָי֤וּ עָרֶ֨יהָ֙ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה אֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֣ה וַעֲרָבָ֑ה אֶ֗רֶץ לֹֽא־יֵשֵׁ֤ב בָּהֵן֙ כָּל־אִ֔ישׁ וְלֹֽא־יַעֲבֹ֥ר בָּהֵ֖ן בֶּן־אָדָֽם׃

Her cities have become a desolation, a land of dryness and desert, a land in which no man dwells and through which no son of man passes.

Morphology

1. הָיוּ (hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have become”; Notes: Refers to Babylon’s cities.
2. עָרֶיהָ (ʿareha) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun feminine plural construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her cities”; Notes: Cities of Babylon personified as “hers.”
3. לְשַׁמָּה (le-shammah) – Root: שׁמם (shamam); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “a desolation”; Notes: Indicates ruin and devastation.
4. אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a land”; Notes: Describes the condition of the territory.
5. צִיָּה (tsiyyah) – Root: ציה (tsiyyah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “dryness”; Notes: Indicates arid, desolate terrain.
6. וַעֲרָבָה (va-ʿaravah) – Root: ערב (ʿarav); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and desert”; Notes: Refers to a wilderness or barren land.
7. אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a land”; Notes: Introduces further description.
8. לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the action of dwelling.
9. יֵשֵׁב (yeshev) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “dwells”; Notes: Describes habitation, here denied.
10. בָּהֵן (ba-hen) – Root: הוא (huʾ); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “in them”; Notes: Refers to the cities/land.
11. כָּל (kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “any / all”; Notes: Emphasizes totality.
12. אִישׁ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “man”; Notes: Generic for human being.
13. וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continues the negation.
14. יַעֲבֹר (yaʿavor) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “passes through”; Notes: Denotes movement across the land.
15. בָּהֵן (ba-hen) – Root: הוא (huʾ); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “in them”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes total desolation.
16. בֶּן (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “son of”; Notes: Common biblical idiom for “human being.”
17. אָדָם (adam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “man”; Notes: In construct with “son of,” meaning any human.