Daniel 11:22
וּזְרֹעֹ֥ות הַשֶּׁ֛טֶף יִשָּׁטְפ֥וּ מִלְּפָנָ֖יו וְיִשָּׁבֵ֑רוּ וְגַ֖ם נְגִ֥יד בְּרִֽית׃
1. Transliteration
Ûzerōʿōt hashshéṭef yishshāṭefû millefānāyw, veyishshāvē-rû, vegam negîd berît.
2. Literal Translation
And the arms of the flood shall be swept away from before him, and they shall be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.
3. Grammar Focus: One Root Creates the Flooding Motion
This verse has a strong wordplay built from the root שׁ־ט־ף, connected with flooding, sweeping, or overflowing:
הַשֶּׁטֶף יִשָּׁטְפוּ
הַשֶּׁטֶף means “the flood” or “the sweeping force.”
יִשָּׁטְפוּ means “they shall be swept away.”
For beginners, this is a powerful Hebrew pattern: the noun and verb share the same root, so the sound of the sentence imitates the action. The verse does not merely describe defeat. It makes the defeat feel like a rushing flood being swept away.
4. The Verse as a Collapse Sequence
| Movement | Hebrew Phrase | Beginner Insight |
|---|---|---|
| Power is pictured | זְרֹעוֹת הַשֶּׁטֶף | The “arms” of a flood picture overwhelming force. |
| The force is swept away | יִשָּׁטְפוּ מִלְּפָנָיו | The flood-force disappears from before him. |
| The collapse is completed | וְיִשָּׁבֵרוּ | They are broken, not merely pushed back. |
| A specific figure is added | וְגַם נְגִיד בְּרִית | Even the prince of the covenant is included in the fall. |
5. Vocabulary Builder: Arms, Flood, Breaking, Covenant
| Hebrew Word | Pronunciation | Core Root & Meaning | Ancient Concrete Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| זְרֹעוֹת | zerōʿōt | From זְרוֹעַ, “arm, strength, force” | The arm represents power extended outward in action. |
| הַשֶּׁטֶף | hashsheṭef | Root שׁ־ט־ף, “flood, sweeping overflow” | A rushing force that overwhelms what stands before it. |
| יִשָּׁטְפוּ | yishshāṭefû | Root שׁ־ט־ף, “be swept away” | The same flood-root returns as action: the sweeping force itself is swept away. |
| יִשָּׁבֵרוּ | yishshāvē-rû | Root שׁ־ב־ר, “be broken, shattered” | The image is not a gentle defeat, but a breaking apart. |
| נְגִיד | negîd | “leader, prince, ruler” | A prominent figure who stands before others in authority. |
| בְּרִית | berît | “covenant, binding agreement” | A solemn bond that binds parties in obligation and relationship. |
6. Syntax Insight: Passive Verbs Make the Forces Look Overpowered
The verbs יִשָּׁטְפוּ and יִשָּׁבֵרוּ are passive in feeling:
- יִשָּׁטְפוּ = they shall be swept away
- יִשָּׁבֵרוּ = they shall be broken
The subject is not shown as powerful here. The “arms of the flood” are acted upon. They are swept away and broken.
Flood-force → swept away → broken → even the covenant prince included
For beginners, this is a helpful clue: when Hebrew uses forms like these, the focus often falls on what happens to the subject, not on who performs the action.
7. An Observation: The Arms of a Flood
The phrase זְרֹעוֹת הַשֶּׁטֶף literally means “arms of the flood.”
This is vivid Hebrew imagery. זְרֹעוֹת, “arms,” often suggests strength or military force. הַשֶּׁטֶף, “the flood,” suggests overwhelming movement.
Together, the phrase pictures powerful forces rushing forward like floodwaters with arms extended. But the verse reverses the image: those flood-arms are themselves swept away.
8. Beginner Practice Activity: Spot the Repeated Root
Find the two Hebrew forms that come from the root שׁ־ט־ף, connected with flooding or sweeping.
| Hebrew Form | Your Discovery |
|---|---|
| הַשֶּׁטֶף | Is this connected with flood or covenant? |
| יִשָּׁטְפוּ | Is this connected with being swept away? |
| בְּרִית | Is this connected with covenant? |
Click to Reveal the Scribal Answer
Answer: The two forms from the flood-root שׁ־ט־ף are הַשֶּׁטֶף and יִשָּׁטְפוּ.
הַשֶּׁטֶף means “the flood” or “the sweeping force,” and יִשָּׁטְפוּ means “they shall be swept away.” Hebrew repeats the root to make the movement of the verse feel forceful.
Hearing the Flood Break Apart
This verse is short, but its imagery is intense. It begins with זְרֹעוֹת הַשֶּׁטֶף, “the arms of the flood,” a picture of overwhelming strength.
Then Hebrew reverses the image. The sweeping force is itself swept away. The powerful arms are broken. Even נְגִיד בְּרִית, the prince of the covenant, is drawn into the collapse.
For beginners, this verse shows how Biblical Hebrew can compress dramatic movement into only a few words. Repeated roots, passive verbs, and concrete imagery make the sentence feel like a flood rising, striking, and suddenly breaking apart.
