כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות כִּרְת֣וּ עֵצָ֔ה וְשִׁפְכ֥וּ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם סֹלְלָ֑ה הִ֚יא הָעִ֣יר הָפְקַ֔ד כֻּלָּ֖הּ עֹ֥שֶׁק בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃
For thus said YHWH of armies: “Cut down trees and pour out a siege ramp against Yerushalayim. She is the city to be punished; all of her is oppression in her midst.
Morphology
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces divine speech or explanation.
- כֹ֤ה (koh) – Root: Demonstrative particle; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces the content of prophetic declaration.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the speaker.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Noun masculine plural in construct with YHWH; Translation: “of armies”; Notes: Title of YHWH as leader of heavenly or earthly hosts.
- כִּרְת֣וּ (kirtu) – Root: כרת; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Cut down”; Notes: Command to prepare for siege, often involving deforestation for war implements.
- עֵצָ֔ה (etsah) – Root: עץ; Form: Noun masculine plural in construct (collective usage); Translation: “trees”; Notes: The object of the imperative “cut down.”
- וְשִׁפְכ֥וּ (ve-shifkhu) – Root: שׁפך; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural with vav; Translation: “and pour out”; Notes: Refers to dumping or throwing siege material.
- עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (ʿal-Yerushalayim) – Root: על, ירושלם; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “against Yerushalayim”; Notes: Target of the military action.
- סֹלְלָ֑ה (solelah) – Root: סלל; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “siege ramp”; Notes: Refers to an embankment built for attacking city walls.
- הִיא (hiʾ) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Independent 3rd person feminine singular pronoun; Translation: “She”; Notes: Resumes subject with emphasis, referring to the city.
- הָעִ֣יר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Appositional identifier of “she.”
- הָפְקַ֔ד (hofqad) – Root: פקד; Form: Hofal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has been punished” or “is to be punished”; Notes: Passive voice indicating divine judgment.
- כֻּלָּ֖הּ (kullah) – Root: כלל; Form: Noun with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “all of her”; Notes: Totality of the city emphasized.
- עֹ֥שֶׁק (ʿosheq) – Root: עשׁק; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “oppression”; Notes: Describes the dominant moral condition of the city.
- בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ (be-qirbah) – Root: קרב; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in her midst”; Notes: Indicates the internal moral corruption at the heart of the city.