כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֨ר אֱדֹ֜ום רֻשַּׁ֗שְׁנוּ וְנָשׁוּב֙ וְנִבְנֶ֣ה חֳרָבֹ֔ות כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות הֵ֥מָּה יִבְנ֖וּ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶהֱרֹ֑וס וְקָרְא֤וּ לָהֶם֙ גְּב֣וּל רִשְׁעָ֔ה וְהָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־זָעַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַד־עֹולָֽם׃
For Edom says “We have been shattered, but we will return and we will build the ruins.” Thus says YHWH of Hosts “They may build, but I will tear down, and they shall call them the territory of wickedness, and the people with whom YHWH is indignant unto perpetuity.”
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction כִּי; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces a causal or explanatory clause.
- תֹאמַר (toʾmar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she says” or “it says”; Notes: Feminine singular agreeing with אֱדֹום understood as a collective or land.
- אֱדֹום (Edom) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Edom”; Notes: Nation descended from ʿEsaw.
- רֻשַּׁשְׁנוּ (rushashnu) – Root: רשׁשׁ (rashash); Form: Pual perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we have been shattered”; Notes: Passive intensive form indicating devastation experienced.
- וְנָשׁוּב (ve-nashuv) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “and we will return”; Notes: Expresses resolve to restore former condition.
- וְנִבְנֶה (ve-nivne) – Root: בנה (banah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Nifal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “and we will be built” or reflexively “we will build”; Notes: Nifal form functioning here with active nuance in context.
- חֳרָבֹות (ḥoravot) – Root: חרב (ḥarav); Form: Noun feminine plural absolute; Translation: “ruins”; Notes: Refers to devastated cities or structures.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Adverb כֹּה; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces prophetic formula.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he says”; Notes: Prophetic declaration formula.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- צְבָאֹות (Tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural absolute in construct with divine name; Translation: “hosts”; Notes: Title emphasizing divine sovereignty over heavenly and earthly armies.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphatic pronoun highlighting contrast.
- יִבְנוּ (yivnu) – Root: בנה (banah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they will build”; Notes: Expresses future intention.
- וַאֲנִי (va-ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “but I”; Notes: Strong contrastive emphasis.
- אֶהֱרֹוס (ʾeheros) – Root: הרס (haras); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will tear down”; Notes: Expresses decisive divine action.
- וְקָרְאוּ (ve-qareʾu) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they shall call”; Notes: Resulting recognition by observers.
- לָהֶם (la-hem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Dative of reference.
- גְּבוּל (gevul) – Root: גבול (gevul); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “territory” or “boundary”; Notes: Denotes defined region or domain.
- רִשְׁעָה (rishʿah) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “wickedness”; Notes: Moral characterization of the land.
- וְהָעָם (ve-ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Conjunction וְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the people”; Notes: Identifies the nation collectively.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whom” or “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- זָעַם (zaʿam) – Root: זעם (zaʿam); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is indignant” or “was indignant”; Notes: Expresses divine anger.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Subject of the verb זָעַם.
- עַד (ʿad) – Root: —; Form: Preposition עַד; Translation: “unto”; Notes: Indicates extent in time.
- עֹולָם (ʿolam) – Root: עלם (ʿalam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “perpetuity” or “everlasting”; Notes: Denotes indefinite duration.