דַּבֵּ֗ר כֹּ֚ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְנָֽפְלָה֙ נִבְלַ֣ת הָֽאָדָ֔ם כְּדֹ֖מֶן עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּכְעָמִ֛יר מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י הַקֹּצֵ֖ר וְאֵ֥ין מְאַסֵּֽף׃
“Speak thus,” declares YHWH, “and the carcass of man shall fall like dung upon the face of the field, and like sheaves after the reaper, with none to gather them.”
Morphology
- דַּבֵּר (dabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: Command to proclaim a prophetic message with intensity.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Demonstrative adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + divine name; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: Formal affirmation of divine origin of message.
- וְנָפְלָה (ve-nafelah) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and shall fall”; Notes: Refers to the fate of the human corpse, prophetic perfect.
- נִבְלַת (nivlat) – Root: נבל (naval); Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “the carcass of”; Notes: Graphic image of disgrace and death.
- הָאָדָם (ha-adam) – Root: אדם (adam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the man”; Notes: Represents humanity or the people in general.
- כְּדֹמֶן (ke-domen) – Root: דמן (domen); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like dung”; Notes: Simile expressing utter humiliation and worthlessness.
- עַל־פְּנֵי (ʿal-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition + construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “upon the face of”; Notes: Describes location or exposure.
- הַשָּׂדֶה (ha-sadeh) – Root: שדה (sadeh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the field”; Notes: Symbol of open exposure and abandonment.
- וּכְעָמִיר (u-keʿamir) – Root: עמיר (ʿamir); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and like sheaves”; Notes: Continues simile, referencing cut grain left exposed.
- מֵאַחֲרֵי (me-aḥarei) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Preposition + construct noun; Translation: “after”; Notes: Temporal preposition relating to the reaper.
- הַקֹּצֵר (ha-qotser) – Root: קצר (qatsar); Form: Qal participle masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the reaper”; Notes: Represents a harvest worker, metaphor for death.
- וְאֵין (ve-ein) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Particle of nonexistence; Translation: “and there is none”; Notes: Introduces negated clause.
- מְאַסֵּף (meʾassef) – Root: אסף (ʾasaf); Form: Piel participle masculine singular; Translation: “gatherer”; Notes: Indicates abandonment—no one left to collect the dead.