סָ֣פַת

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 סָ֣פַת

   sa-FAT

   was fulfilled
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 סָ֣פַת עַל־נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּר֒

   sa-FAT al-neh-voo-KHAD-ne-TSAR

   was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar
3. clause🔊 בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָ֗א מִנְתָא֮ סָ֣פַת עַל־נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּר֒ וּמִן־אֲנָשָׁ֣א טְרִ֔יד וְעִשְׂבָּ֤א כְּתוֹרִין֙ יֵאכַּ֔ל וּמִטַּ֥ל שְׁמַיָּ֖א גְּשִׁמֵ֣הּ יִצְטַבַּ֑ע

   bah-SHA-a-TA min-TA sa-FAT al-neh-voo-KHAD-ne-TSAR oo-min-ah-na-SHA te-RID veh-ihs-BA keh-to-REEN ye-AK-kal oo-mi-TAL she-ma-YA geh-shee-MEH yits-ta-BA

   at that time the matter was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar from among men was driven away and grass like oxen ate and with dew of heaven his body was drenched
4. sentence🔊 בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָ֗א מִנְתָא֮ סָ֣פַת עַל־נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּר֒ וּמִן־אֲנָשָׁ֣א טְרִ֔יד וְעִשְׂבָּ֤א כְּתוֹרִין֙ יֵאכַּ֔ל וּמִטַּ֥ל שְׁמַיָּ֖א גְּשִׁמֵ֣הּ יִצְטַבַּ֑ע עַ֣ד דִּֽי־שַׂעֲרֵ֤הּ כְּנִשְׁרִ֣ין רְבָ֣ה וְטִפְר֖וֹהִי כְּצִפְּרִֽין׃

   bah-SHA-a-TA min-TA sa-FAT al-neh-voo-KHAD-ne-TSAR oo-min-ah-na-SHA te-RID veh-ihs-BA keh-to-REEN ye-AK-kal oo-mi-TAL she-ma-YA geh-shee-MEH yits-ta-BA AD dee-sa-a-REH keh-nish-REEN re-VA veh-tif-ro-HI keh-tsip-REEN

   at that time the matter was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar from among men was driven away and grass like oxen ate and with dew of heaven his body was drenched until that his hair like eagles grew and his nails like birds

Exegesis

The subject milleta {מִלְּתָא | mil-lə-ṯāʾ} ‘the matter’ precedes the verb safat {סָפַת | sā-p̄aṯ} ‘was fulfilled’, reflecting Aramaic subject–verb order and emphasizing the decree as the active agent. The prepositional phrase al-nevukhadnetṣar ‘concerning Nebuchadnezzar’ identifies the target of the prophecy. The clause û-min-anasha tarid ‘and from people he was driven’ uses a preposition–noun chain before the verb, highlighting his exclusion. The sequence wə-ʿiś-bāʾ kə-ṯō-rīn yē-ʾā-ḵul ‘and grass like oxen he would eat’ employs an imperfect to indicate ongoing, habitual action. The phrase û-mit-ṭal šə-may-yāʾ giš-mēh ‘and from the dew of heaven his body’ leads into the Ithpaal yitstabba ‘was drenched’, conveying a reflexive/passive result. The ad dî ‘until that/when’ introduces the result clauses: saareh kə-niš-rīn rə-ḇā ‘his hair grew like eagles’ and wə-ṭip-rē-wō-hî kə-ṣip-rīn ‘and his nails like birds’, the latter a verbless nominal clause in Aramaic. Translating perfects as simple past and imperfects as past progressive preserves the original aspect and vivid imagery.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 י־ס־ףYod–Samekh–Pe

“to add, increase”

• 🔊 יָסַףyasafhe addedGenesis 4:2
• 🔊 תּוֹסָפָהtosafahadditionLeviticus 6:5