וְיֶחֱתוּן מֵעַל כּוּרְסְוָתֵיהוֹן כָּל רַבְרְבֵי יַמָא וְיַעְדוּן יַת מְעִילֵיהוֹן וְיַת לְבוּשֵׁי צִיוּרֵיהוֹן יַשְׁלְחוּן זְיַע יִלְבְּשׁוּן עַל אַרְעָא יַתְבוּן וִיזוּעוּן מִן קֳדָם תְּבִירֵיהוֹן וְיִצְדוּן עֲלָךְ
And all the lords of the sea shall descend from their thrones, and they shall remove their cloaks and the garments of their adornments; trembling they shall put on; they shall sit upon the ground and shall quake before their breaking, and shall lament over you.
Why This Verse?
This verse from Targum Jonathan on Ezekiel 26:16 is a poetic and powerful expression of lament over Tyre. It illustrates:
- Direct object suffix chains with plural masculine possessives
- Sequential imperfect verbs expressing ritual descent and mourning
- Construct and causative patterns that convey both structure and emotion
Morphological Table: Suffix Chains and Verbal Sequencing
| Form | Root | Type | Parsing | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יַשְׁלְחוּן | ש־ל־ח | Paʿel Imperfect | 3mp + direct object | They shall send away |
| לְבוּשֵׁי צִיוּרֵיהוֹן | צ־ו־ר | Construct chain + 3mp suffix | Adorned garments | The garments of their adornments |
| יִלְבְּשׁוּן | ל־ב־ש | Peal Imperfect | 3mp | They shall wear |
| יַתְבוּן | י־ת־ב | Peal Imperfect | 3mp | They shall sit |
| וִיזוּעוּן | ז־ו־ע | Peal Imperfect | 3mp | They shall quake |
| יִצְדוּן | צ־ד־ד | Shaphel Imperfect | 3mp | They shall lament |
Syntax: Grammatical Mourning
1. Direct Object Syntax with יַת
– יַת precedes direct objects explicitly: יַת מְעִילֵיהוֹן, יַת לְבוּשֵׁי צִיוּרֵיהוֹן.
– This marks syntactic precision in Aramaic, especially in emphatic narrative or lament.
2. Construct Chains with Possessive Suffixes
– כּוּרְסְוָתֵיהוֹן (“their thrones”) and צִיוּרֵיהוֹן (“their adornments”) are good examples of plural construct nouns + 3mp suffixes.
– These reinforce social status in contrast to their humiliation.
Discourse Flow and Prophetic Drama
– The verse is structured as a rising crescendo of ritual humiliation: descent from thrones → shedding garments → dressing in trembling → sitting → shaking → lamenting.
– This six-step verbal chain stages a full bodily response to judgment — an Aramaic choreography of mourning.
Echoes from the Sea
Ezekiel 26:16 in Targum Jonathan speaks not only of Tyre’s fall but of the world’s reaction to it. The grammar of possession and prophetic anguish, the movement from high to low, and the suffix-laden cries of mourning create a linguistic lament. Here, grammar itself weeps.
