| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the construct phrase memotei tachaluim {מְמוֹתֵי תַחֲלֻאִים | mə-mō-tê ta-ḥă-lu-’îm} “deaths of sicknesses,” a collective expression of calamity. The Qal imperfect yamutu {יָמֻתוּ | yā-mu-tû} “they will die” asserts the fatal outcome. The paired Nifal verbs lo yissafedu {לֹא יִסָּפְדוּ | lōʾ yis-sāp̄-ḏû} and ve-lo yikkaveru {וְלֹא יִקָּבֵרוּ | wə-lōʾ yik-kā-ḇê-rû} convey absence of mourning rites and burial, highlighting societal collapse. The metaphor le-domen al-peney ha-adamah {לְדֹמֶן עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה | lə-ḏō-men ʿal-pə-nê hā-’ă-ḏā-māh} “as dung on the face of the earth” underscores humiliation. Parallel agents u-va-ḥerev u-va-raʿav {וּבַחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב | û-ḇa-ḥe-reḇ û-ḇā-rā-ʿāḇ} “by the sword and by famine” with yiklu {יִכְלוּ | yikh-lû} “they will be consumed” portray divine judgment through violence and deprivation. The final clause ve-hayetah nivlatam le-maakhal le-of ha-shamayim u-le-vehemat ha-aretz {וְהָיְתָה נִבְלָתָם לְמַאֲכָל לְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְבֶהֱמַת הָאָרֶץ} “and their corpses will become food for the birds of the heavens and for the beasts of the earth” depicts total desecration and the breakdown of order. |