Zephaniah 2:4

כִּ֤י עַזָּה֙ עֲזוּבָ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְאַשְׁקְלֹ֖ון לִשְׁמָמָ֑ה אַשְׁדֹּ֗וד בַּֽצָּהֳרַ֨יִם֙ יְגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּהָ וְעֶקְרֹ֖ון תֵּעָקֵֽר׃ ס

For ʿAzza shall be forsaken and Ashqelon to desolation Ashdod at noonday they shall drive her out and ʿEqron shall be uprooted.

Morphology

1. כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the basis or explanation for the coming judgment on the cities.
2. עַזָּה (ʿAzzah) – Root: עזז (ʿazaz); Form: Proper noun feminine singular; Translation: “ʿAzzah”; Notes: Name of the Pelishti city Gaza, treated here as the subject of the first clause.
3. עֲזוּבָה (ʿazuvah) – Root: עזב (ʿazav); Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “forsaken”; Notes: Functions predicatively, describing the condition that will characterize ʿAzzah.
4. תִהְיֶה (tihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Verb of being agreeing with the feminine subject ʿAzzah, expressing future state.
5. וְאַשְׁקְלֹון (ve-ʾAshqelon) – Root: אשקלון (ʾAshqelon); Form: Conjunction וְ + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “and Ashqelon”; Notes: Adds a second Pelishti city as a coordinated subject in the oracle of judgment.
6. לִשְׁמָמָה (li-shemamah) – Root: שמם (shamam); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to desolation”; Notes: The לְ marks result or destined state, indicating that Ashqelon will become a place of ruin.
7. אַשְׁדֹּוד (ʾAshdod) – Root: אשדוד (ʾAshdod); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Ashdod”; Notes: A third Pelishti city, serving as the feminine referent for the later 3rd person feminine suffix.
8. בַּצָּהֳרַיִם (ba-tsohorayim) – Root: צהר (tsahar); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine dual; Translation: “at noonday”; Notes: The form with בַּ reflects בְּ + הַ; noonday suggests an unexpected or especially vulnerable time.
9. יְגָרְשׁוּהָ (yegarshuhah) – Root: גרשׁ (garash); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “they shall drive her out”; Notes: Intensive Piel highlights forceful expulsion; the 3fs suffix refers back to the city (understood as feminine, here Ashdod).
10. וְעֶקְרֹון (ve-ʿEqron) – Root: עקרון (ʿEqron); Form: Conjunction וְ + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “and ʿEqron”; Notes: Fourth Pelishti city in the series, linked by conjunction to share the same prophetic judgment context.
11. תֵּעָקֵר (teʿaqer) – Root: עקר (ʿaqar); Form: Niphal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall be uprooted”; Notes: Niphal conveys a passive nuance, with ʿEqron as a feminine city subject that will experience thorough removal like a plant torn up by the roots.