קֶ֣שֶׁת וְכִידֹ֞ון יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ אַכְזָרִ֥י הוּא֙ וְלֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ קֹולָם֙ כַּיָּ֣ם יֶהֱמֶ֔ה וְעַל־סוּסִ֖ים יִרְכָּ֑בוּ עָר֗וּךְ כְּאִישׁ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה עָלַ֖יִךְ בַּת־צִיֹּֽון׃
Bow and javelin they hold; cruel is he and will not show mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and on horses they ride, arrayed as a man for battle against you, daughter of Tsiyyon.”
Morphology
- קֶ֣שֶׁת (qeshet) – Root: קשת; Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “bow”; Notes: Military weapon.
- וְכִידֹ֞ון (ve-khiddon) – Root: כידון; Form: Conjunction + noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “and javelin”; Notes: Spear-like weapon, often paired with bow.
- יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ (yaḥaziqu) – Root: חזק; Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they hold / grasp”; Notes: Causative stem indicating firm possession or readiness.
- אַכְזָרִ֥י (ʾakhzari) – Root: אכזר; Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “cruel”; Notes: Character trait of mercilessness.
- הוּא֙ (hu) – Root: הוא; Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers collectively to the invading nation.
- וְלֹ֣א (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces negated verb.
- יְרַחֵ֔מוּ (yeraḥemu) – Root: רחם; Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they will show mercy”; Notes: Intensified verb of compassion, here negated.
- קֹולָם֙ (qolam) – Root: קול; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their voice”; Notes: Refers to war cry or roar.
- כַּיָּ֣ם (ka-yam) – Root: ים; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the sea”; Notes: Indicates intensity or loudness.
- יֶהֱמֶ֔ה (yehemeh) – Root: המה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it roars”; Notes: Describes loud, tumultuous sound.
- וְעַל־סוּסִ֖ים (ve-ʿal-susim) – Root: סוס; Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and on horses”; Notes: Indicates mode of military transport.
- יִרְכָּ֑בוּ (yirkavu) – Root: רכב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they ride”; Notes: Military movement or readiness.
- עָר֗וּךְ (ʿarukh) – Root: ערך; Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “arrayed / drawn up”; Notes: Military positioning.
- כְּאִישׁ֙ (ke-ish) – Root: איש; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “as a man”; Notes: Suggests organized formation.
- לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה (la-milḥamah) – Root: לחם; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular definite; Translation: “for the battle”; Notes: Objective of the array.
- עָלַ֖יִךְ (ʿalayikh) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “against you”; Notes: Addressed to feminine noun—Tsiyyon.
- בַּת־צִיֹּֽון (bat-Tsiyyon) – Root: בת + ציון; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “daughter of Tsiyyon”; Notes: Personified name for Jerusalem.