מַדּ֣וּעַ רָאִ֗יתִי הֵ֣מָּה חַתִּים֮ נְסֹגִ֣ים אָחֹור֒ וְגִבֹּורֵיהֶ֣ם יֻכַּ֔תּוּ וּמָנֹ֥וס נָ֖סוּ וְלֹ֣א הִפְנ֑וּ מָגֹ֥ור מִסָּבִ֖יב נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
Why have I seen them dismayed and turning back? And their mighty ones are crushed, and they flee in flight and do not turn back—terror on every side, declares YHWH.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Jeremiah 46:5 is rich in poetic and rhetorical structures, particularly:
1. The use of the interrogative particle מַדּוּעַ (“Why?”), which introduces a rhetorical question expressing astonishment or lament.
2. Multiple participles and perfect verbs in sequential word order that paint a vivid picture of military collapse.
3. The phrase מָגֹור מִסָּבִיב (“terror on every side”) is a fixed prophetic idiom used to heighten the sense of panic and divine judgment.
Examples from Jeremiah 46:5
| Phrase | Form | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| מַדּוּעַ רָאִיתִי | Interrogative + perfect (1cs) | “Why have I seen…?” – introduces rhetorical shock or inquiry |
| הֵמָּה חַתִּים נְסֹגִים אָחֹור | Pronoun + participles | “They are dismayed, turning back” – participial chain describing retreat |
| וְגִבֹּורֵיהֶם יֻכַּתּוּ | Noun + passive (Pual, 3mp) | “Their mighty ones are crushed” – passive action, emphasizing defeat |
| וּמָנֹוס נָסוּ וְלֹא הִפְנוּ | Noun + perfect verbs (3mp) | “They flee in flight and do not turn back” – heightens chaos and total retreat |
| מָגֹור מִסָּבִיב | Fixed idiom | “Terror on every side” – a prophetic motif of utter fear and divine judgment |
Related Grammatical Insight
– Participial forms like חַתִּים and נְסֹגִים are used here to describe ongoing or repeated actions, typical in poetic narrative.
– The Pual form יֻכַּתּוּ emphasizes that the warriors are not acting but are being acted upon—they are defeated.
– The idiom מָגֹור מִסָּבִיב (used elsewhere in Jeremiah: 6:25; 20:3) conveys inescapable dread—an emotional and theological conclusion.
Jeremiah 46:5 uses these forms to dramatically portray the disintegration of Egypt’s military might as a divine act of judgment.
