הִכְרַ֣תִּי גֹויִ֗ם נָשַׁ֨מּוּ֙ פִּנֹּותָ֔ם הֶחֱרַ֥בְתִּי חֽוּצֹותָ֖ם מִבְּלִ֣י עֹובֵ֑ר נִצְדּ֧וּ עָרֵיהֶ֛ם מִבְּלִי־אִ֖ישׁ מֵאֵ֥ין יֹושֵֽׁב׃
“I have cut off nations; their corners have been desolated. I have laid waste their streets, without one passing through; their cities have been destroyed, without a man, with no inhabitant.
Morphology
- הִכְרַתִּי (hikhratti) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Hifil perfect 1cs; Translation: “I have cut off”; Notes: YHWH declares His decisive act of judgment upon nations.
- גּוֹיִם (goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Refers to foreign peoples judged by YHWH.
- נָשַׁמּוּ (nashammu) – Root: שׁמם (shamam); Form: Nifal perfect 3cp; Translation: “they were desolated”; Notes: Passive—destruction came upon their structures.
- פִּנּוֹתָם (pinnotam) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Noun feminine plural + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their corners”; Notes: Likely “fortified towers,” “corner structures,” or “citadels” now ruined.
- הֶחֱרַבְתִּי (heḥeravti) – Root: חרב (ḥarav); Form: Hifil perfect 1cs; Translation: “I have laid waste”; Notes: Further describes divine destruction.
- חוּצוֹתָם (ḥutsotam) – Root: חוץ (ḥuts); Form: Noun feminine plural + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their streets”; Notes: Urban areas now emptied and ruined.
- מִבְּלִי (mi-beli) – Root: בלי (beli); Form: Preposition מִן + noun meaning “without”; Translation: “without”; Notes: Indicates total absence.
- עוֹבֵר (ʿover) – Root: עבר (avar); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “one passing through”; Notes: No foot traffic remains in the streets.
- נִצְדּוּ (nitsdu) – Root: צדה (tsadah); Form: Nifal perfect 3cp; Translation: “they have been destroyed”; Notes: Possibly “besieged/blocked off,” here meaning devastated cities.
- עָרֵיהֶם (areihem) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun feminine plural construct + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their cities”; Notes: Refers to all urban centers belonging to the nations.
- מִבְּלִי (mi-beli) – Root: בלי (beli); Form: Preposition מִן + noun meaning “without”; Translation: “without”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- אִישׁ (ish) – Root: אישׁ (ish); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: No human presence remains.
- מֵאֵין (me-ein) – Root: אין (ein); Form: Preposition מִן + negative noun; Translation: “with no / from lack of”; Notes: Strengthens the sense of complete emptiness.
- יֹושֵׁב (yoshev) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “inhabitant”; Notes: Summarizes the depopulated condition of the judged cities.