הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֗יִךְ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות וְגִלֵּיתִ֥י שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ עַל־פָּנָ֑יִךְ וְהַרְאֵיתִ֤י גֹויִם֙ מַעְרֵ֔ךְ וּמַמְלָכֹ֖ות קְלֹונֵֽךְ׃
“Behold, I am against you,” declares YHWH of Hosts, “and I will uncover your skirts upon your face and I will show nations your nakedness and kingdoms your shame.
Morphology
- הִנְנִי (hineni) — Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Particle + 1cs suffix; Translation: “Behold I”; Notes: Standard divine self-announcement formula.
- אֵלַיִךְ (elayikh) — Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition אֶל + 2fs suffix; Translation: “against you”; Notes: Indicates hostile divine direction toward Nineweh.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) — Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “declaration”; Notes: Technical prophetic announcement formula.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) — Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of Israel’s God.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) — Root: צבא (tsava); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “hosts”; Notes: Heavenly armies under YHWH’s command.
- וְ (ve) — Root: ו; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects sequential divine actions.
- גִּלֵּיתִי (gilleyti) — Root: גלה (galah); Form: Piel perfect 1cs; Translation: “I will uncover”; Notes: Piel intensifies the exposure of shame.
- שׁוּלַיִךְ (shulayikh) — Root: שׁול (shul); Form: Noun masculine dual + 2fs suffix; Translation: “your skirts”; Notes: A metaphor for humiliating exposure.
- עַל (ʿal) — Root: על; Form: Preposition עַל; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Introduces spatial relation.
- פָּנָיִךְ (panayikh) — Root: פנה (panah); Form: Noun masculine plural (irregular) + 2fs suffix; Translation: “your face”; Notes: Complete humiliation imagery.
- וְ (ve) — Root: ו; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the next divine action.
- הַרְאֵיתִי (harʾeyti) — Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Hiphil perfect 1cs; Translation: “I will show”; Notes: Causative—YHWH makes nations behold Nineweh’s disgrace.
- גֹּויִם (goyim) — Root: גוי (goy); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Foreign peoples witnessing judgment.
- מַעְרֵךְ (maʿrekh) — Root: ערה (ʿarah); Form: Noun masculine singular + 2fs suffix; Translation: “your nakedness”; Notes: Exposure as a symbol of utter disgrace.
- וּ (u) — Root: ו; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds a parallel object of exposure.
- מַמְלָכֹות (mamlakhot) — Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “kingdoms”; Notes: Political entities observing Nineweh’s fall.
- קְלֹונֵךְ (kelonek) — Root: קלן (qalon); Form: Noun masculine singular + 2fs suffix; Translation: “your shame”; Notes: Moral and political disgrace openly displayed.