וּפָקַדְתִּ֨י עַל־בֵּ֜ל בְּבָבֶ֗ל וְהֹצֵאתִ֤י אֶת־בִּלְעֹו֙ מִפִּ֔יו וְלֹֽא־יִנְהֲר֥וּ אֵלָ֛יו עֹ֖וד גֹּויִ֑ם גַּם־חֹומַ֥ת בָּבֶ֖ל נָפָֽלָה׃
And I will punish Bel in Bavel, and I will bring out what he has swallowed from his mouth; and nations shall no longer stream to him; even the wall of Bavel has fallen.
Morphology
- וּפָקַדְתִּי (u-faqadti) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and I will punish / attend to”; Notes: Refers to divine visitation in judgment.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon / against”; Notes: Marks the object of divine punishment.
- בֵּל (Bel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Divine name masculine singular; Translation: “Bel”; Notes: Chief Babylonian deity, another name for Marduk.
- בְּבָבֶל (be-Bavel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition + place name feminine singular; Translation: “in Bavel”; Notes: Location of Bel’s cult center.
- וְהֹצֵאתִי (ve-hotseti) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and I will bring out”; Notes: Indicates forced removal, here of what Bel consumed.
- אֶת (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [no English equivalent]; Notes: Marks the next noun as the object.
- בִּלְעֹו (bilʿo) – Root: בלע (balaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his swallow / what he has swallowed”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to spoils or peoples consumed by the idol Bel.
- מִפִּיו (mi-piv) – Root: פה (peh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from his mouth”; Notes: Vivid imagery of disgorging what was swallowed.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not / no longer”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- יִנְהֲרוּ (yinharu) – Root: נהר (nahar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall stream / flow”; Notes: Describes nations streaming like a river to worship Bel.
- אֵלָיו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Bel, the Babylonian deity.
- עוֹד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “again / any longer”; Notes: Emphasizes cessation of nations’ pilgrimage.
- גּוֹיִם (goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Refers to foreign peoples formerly coming to Babylon.
- גַּם (gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “also / even”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the next clause.
- חֹומַת (ḥomat) – Root: חומה (ḥomah); Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “wall of”; Notes: Refers to Babylon’s famous fortification.
- בָּבֶל (Bavel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Place name feminine singular; Translation: “Bavel”; Notes: The fortified city, Babylon.
- נָפָלָה (nafalāh) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has fallen”; Notes: Declares Babylon’s collapse, both literal and symbolic.