Zechariah 9:13

כִּֽי־דָרַ֨כְתִּי לִ֜י יְהוּדָ֗ה קֶ֚שֶׁת מִלֵּ֣אתִי אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְעֹורַרְתִּ֤י בָנַ֨יִךְ֙ צִיֹּ֔ון עַל־בָּנַ֖יִךְ יָוָ֑ן וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ כְּחֶ֥רֶב גִּבֹּֽור׃

For I have bent for myself Yehuda as a bow, I have filled Efrayim, and I will rouse your sons, Tsiyyon, against your sons, Yavan, and I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Morphology

1. כִּי־ (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding promise.
2. דָרַכְתִּי (darakh­ti) – Root: דרך (darakh); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have bent”; Notes: Used metaphorically of bending a bow in preparation for battle.
3. לִי (li) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “for myself”; Notes: Emphasizes YHWH’s personal agency and purpose.
4. יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: —; Form: Proper tribal name; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Personified as a weapon in YHWH’s hand.
5. קֶשֶׁת (qeshet) – Root: קשׁת (qeshet); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a bow”; Notes: Image of ranged power and military readiness.
6. מִלֵּאתִי (milleʾti) – Root: מלא (maleʾ); Form: Piel perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have filled”; Notes: Continues the weapon metaphor, preparing the bow.
7. אֶפְרַיִם (Efrayim) – Root: —; Form: Proper tribal name; Translation: “Efrayim”; Notes: Depicted as the arrow or complement to Yehudah.
8. וְעֹורַרְתִּי (ve-ʿorarti) – Root: עור (ʿur); Form: Conjunction וְ + Piel perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I will rouse”; Notes: Denotes stirring up for action or conflict.
9. בָנַיִךְ (vanayikh) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural with suffix 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “your sons”; Notes: Addressed to the personified city that follows.
10. צִיֹּון (Tsiyyon) – Root: —; Form: Proper place name; Translation: “Tsiyyon”; Notes: Vocative, personified mother of the people.
11. עַל־ (ʿal) – Root: —; Form: Preposition עַל; Translation: “against”; Notes: Marks hostile opposition.
12. בָּנַיִךְ (vanayikh) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural with suffix 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “your sons”; Notes: Parallel construction intensifying the contrast.
13. יָוָן (Yavan) – Root: —; Form: Proper ethnonym; Translation: “Yavan”; Notes: Represents the Greek world or Hellenic powers.
14. וְשַׂמְתִּיךְ (ve-samtikh) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 1st person common singular + suffix 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “and I will make you”; Notes: Causative sense of transformation.
15. כְּחֶרֶב (ke-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “like a sword”; Notes: Close-combat counterpart to the bow imagery.
16. גִּבֹּור (gibbor) – Root: גבר (gavar); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “of a mighty man”; Notes: Conveys strength, valor, and effectiveness in battle.