וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָכְלוּ֮ שְׁאֵ֣ר עַמִּי֒ וְעֹורָם֙ מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם הִפְשִׁ֔יטוּ וְאֶת־עַצְמֹֽתֵיהֶ֖ם פִּצֵּ֑חוּ וּפָרְשׂוּ֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּסִּ֔יר וּכְבָשָׂ֖ר בְּתֹ֥וךְ קַלָּֽחַת׃
And who ate the flesh of My people and their skin from off them they stripped and their bones they broke and they spread as that which is in the pot and as flesh in the midst of the cauldron.
Morphology
- וַאֲשֶׁר (va-asher) — Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Conjunction וַ + relative particle; Translation: “And who”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause describing violent oppressors.
- אָכְלוּ (akhlu) — Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they ate”; Notes: Imagery of devouring, a metaphor for exploitation.
- שְׁאֵר (sheʾer) — Root: שאר (shaʾar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “flesh”; Notes: Represents the people’s physical substance—part of the predatory metaphor.
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) — Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “My people”; Notes: Emphasizes YHWH’s personal relationship with His people.
- וְעֹורָם (ve-ʿoram) — Root: עור (ʿor); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and their skin”; Notes: Continuation of imagery showing total exploitation.
- מֵעֲלֵיהֶם (me-ʿaleihem) — Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition מִן (reduced form מֵ) + preposition עַל + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “from off them”; Notes: Composite phrase describing violent removal.
- הִפְשִׁיטוּ (hifshitū) — Root: פשט (pashat); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they stripped”; Notes: Intensive causative action removing the skin.
- וְאֶת (ve-et) — Root: את (ʾet); Form: Conjunction וְ + direct object marker; Translation: “—”; Notes: Marks the following noun phrase as the direct object.
- עַצְמֹתֵיהֶם (ʿatsmoteihem) — Root: עצם (ʿetsem); Form: Noun feminine plural construct + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “their bones”; Notes: Forms the object of the next verb.
- פִּצֵּחוּ (pittsēḥu) — Root: פצח (patsach); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they broke”; Notes: Intensive stem emphasizing violent crushing of bones.
- וּפָרְשׂוּ (u-farśu) — Root: פרשׂ (paras); Form: Conjunction וּ + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “and they spread”; Notes: Continues the culinary metaphor of preparing meat.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka-asher) — Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Preposition כְּ + relative particle; Translation: “as that which”; Notes: Introduces comparison to cooking practices.
- בַּסִּיר (ba-sir) — Root: סיר (sir); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the pot”; Notes: Imagery of cooking meat, intensifying the horror of the metaphor.
- וּכְבָשָׂר (u-ke-vasar) — Root: בשר (basar); Form: Conjunction וּ + preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and as flesh”; Notes: Parallel comparison reinforcing the culinary metaphor.
- בְּתֹוךְ (be-tokh) — Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the midst of”; Notes: Locative phrase setting the scene inside the vessel.
- קַלָּחַת (kallaḥat) — Root: קלח (qalaḥ); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “cauldron”; Notes: Large cooking pot; final term heightens graphic metaphor.