נַפְשָֽׁם׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 נַפְשָֽׁם׃

   naf-SHAM

   their life
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וּמְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשָֽׁם׃

   u-me-vak-she naf-SHAM

   and those seeking their life
3. clause🔊 בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֧יקוּ לָהֶ֛ם אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם וּמְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשָֽׁם׃

   be-ma-TSOR u-ve-ma-TSOK a-SHER ya-TSI-ku la-HEM o-ye-ve-HEM u-me-vak-she naf-SHAM

   in a siege and in distress which they will press or distress to them their enemies and those seeking their life
4. sentence🔊 וְהַֽאֲכַלְתִּ֞ים אֶת־בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֵיהֶ֗ם וְאֵת֙ בְּשַׂ֣ר בְּנֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ בְּשַׂר־רֵעֵ֖הוּ יֹאכֵ֑לוּ בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצִ֧יקוּ לָהֶ֛ם אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם וּמְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשָֽׁם׃

   ve-ha-a-khal-TIM et-be-SAR be-ne-HEM ve-ET be-SAR be-no-te-HEM ve-ISH be-sar-re-e-HU yo-khe-LU be-ma-TSOR u-ve-ma-TSOK a-SHER ya-TSI-ku la-HEM o-ye-ve-HEM u-me-vak-she naf-SHAM

   and I will cause-them-to-eat the flesh of their sons and flesh of their daughters and a man the flesh of his neighbor they will eat in a siege and in distress which they will press or distress to them their enemies and those seeking their life

Exegesis

The relative asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} links to the Hiphil imperfect yatziku {יָצִיקוּ | yā-ṣî-qû} ‘they will oppress’, identifying oyeveihem {אֹיְבֵיהֶם | ʾō-yə-ḇê-hem} ‘their enemies’ and umevakshei nafsham {וּמְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם | û-mə-ḇaq-šê nap̄-šām} ‘those seeking their lives’ as agents of infliction. The parallel structure and repeated flesh constructs intensify the depiction of siege-induced cannibalism.