| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the volitional Qal perfect verb veasaphti {וְאָסַפְתִּ֨י | wə-ʾā-sap-hā-tî} ‘and I will gather,’ indicating divine initiative. The direct-object marker et introduces totality with kol hagoyim {כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם | kol ha-gō-yim} ‘all the nations,’ while the prepositional phrase el yerushalayim {אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם | ʾel yə-rû-šā-la-yim} marks spatial direction, and lamilchamah {לַמִּלְחָמָה | la-mil-ḥā-māh} expresses purpose ‘for battle.’ A sequence of Niphal perfect verbs (nilkəḏāh, nāšassū) and a Niphal imperfect (tishakavnah) portrays the city’s capture, plunder, and violation of women, emphasizing the completeness of judgment. The coordination veyatsa chatzi ha-ir ba-golah {וְיָצָא חֲצִי הָעִיר בַּגּוֹלָה | wə-yā-ṣāʾ ḥă-ṣî ha-ʿîr ba-gō-lāh} continues the narrative with quantitative precision ‘half of the city goes into exile,’ while the adversative clause veyeter ha-am lo yikaret min ha-ir {וְיֶתֶר הָעָם לֹא יִכָּרֵת מִן־הָעִיר | wə-ye-ter ha-ʿām lōʾ yi-kā-rēt min-ha-ʿîr} ‘but the remainder of the people will not be cut off from the city’ contrasts judgment with the promise of preservation. The repetition of ha-ir {הָעִיר | ha-ʿîr} ‘the city’ bookends the passage, reinforcing the prophecy’s focal point. |