Tag Archives: Lamentations 5:18

Lamentations 5:18 עַ֤ל הַר־צִיֹּון֙ שֶׁשָּׁמֵ֔ם שׁוּעָלִ֖ים הִלְּכוּ־בֹֽו׃ Desolation’s Location: עַל הַר־צִיּוֹן עַל (“upon”) is a preposition introducing the place affected. הַר־צִיּוֹן — “Mount Tsiyon (Zion),” a construct phrase with the article prefixed to הַר (“mountain”) and bound to צִיּוֹן (Zion) This locates the tragedy not just geographically but symbolically — Zion was the site of the temple, God’s dwelling place, now devastated. Relative Clause: שֶׁשָּׁמֵם שֶׁ is a relative pronoun (“which, that”) introducing a descriptive clause. שָּׁמֵם — Qal perfect 3ms of שׁ־מ־ם (“to be desolate”) with dagesh forte for doubling Together: “which is desolate” — emphasizing Zion’s ruined state, a key theme of Lamentations.… Learn Hebrew