Ezekiel 29:7

בְּתָפְשָׂ֨ם בְּךָ֤ בְּכַפְּךָ֙ תֵּרֹ֔וץ וּבָקַעְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם כָּל־כָּתֵ֑ף וּבְהִשָּׁעֲנָ֤ם עָלֶ֨יךָ֙ תִּשָּׁבֵ֔ר וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם כָּל־מָתְנָֽיִם׃ ס

When they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore for them every shoulder; and when they leaned upon you, you were broken, and you made all their loins to stand still.

Morphology

1. בְּתָפְשָׂם (be-tafśam) – Root: תפשׂ (tafaś); Form: Preposition בְּ + Qal infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “when they grasped”; Notes: Temporal use of the infinitive construct; describes Yisraʾel’s attempt to rely on Mitsrayim for support.
2. בְּךָ (bekha) – Root: ב (bet); Form: Preposition בְּ + second person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon you” or “with you”; Notes: Indicates the object of grasping—Mitsrayim, the unreliable ally.
3. בְּכַפְּךָ (be-khapkha) – Root: כף (kaf); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in your hand”; Notes: Depicts literal contact imagery—dependence on Mitsrayim’s power, represented by the hand.
4. תֵּרֹוץ (terotṣ) – Root: רוץ (rutṣ); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you broke”; Notes: Here “broke” (not “run”), since in context it refers to snapping like a weak staff; an idiomatic use expressing collapse under pressure.
5. וּבָקַעְתָּ (u-vaqaʿta) – Root: בקע (baqaʿ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you tore”; Notes: Conveys the result of breaking—the staff (Mitsrayim) injures those who depend on it.
6. לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: ל (lamed); Form: Preposition לְ + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for them”; Notes: Marks the beneficiaries (or victims) of the tearing—Yisraʾel.
7. כָּל־כָּתֵף (kol-katef) – Root: כתף (katef); Form: Noun masculine singular in construct chain; Translation: “every shoulder”; Notes: Symbolic of the burden or the body parts wounded by the broken staff.
8. וּבְהִשָּׁעֲנָם (u-ve-hishaʿnam) – Root: שׁען (shaʿan); Form: Conjunction וְ + Preposition בְּ + Nifal infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and when they leaned”; Notes: Expresses the moment of dependency; describes Israel’s trust in Egypt’s supposed support.
9. עָלֶיךָ (ʿalekha) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + second person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon you”; Notes: Indicates the object upon which the people leaned—the nation of Mitsrayim.
10. תִּשָּׁבֵר (tishaver) – Root: שׁבר (shavar); Form: Nifal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you were broken”; Notes: Passive voice—depicts the collapse of Mitsrayim under the weight of false trust.
11. וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ (ve-haʿamadtah) – Root: עמד (ʿamad); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you made to stand”; Notes: Causative form implies Mitsrayim’s action of forcing hardship on Yisraʾel as a result of their collapse.
12. לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: ל (lamed); Form: Preposition לְ + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for them”; Notes: Specifies the affected people—Yisraʾel—who suffer because of Egypt’s unreliability.
13. כָּל־מָתְנָיִם (kol-motnayim) – Root: מתן (matan); Form: Noun masculine dual in construct with “all”; Translation: “all loins”; Notes: Symbolic for physical strength or stability; implies paralysis or fear caused by Egypt’s downfall.