Ezekiel 30:25

וְהַחֲזַקְתִּ֗י אֶת־זְרֹעֹות֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל וּזְרֹעֹ֥ות פַּרְעֹ֖ה תִּפֹּ֑לְנָה וְֽיָדְע֞וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה בְּתִתִּ֤י חַרְבִּי֙ בְּיַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וְנָטָ֥ה אֹותָ֖הּ אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Bavel, but the arms of Parʿo shall fall; and they shall know that I am YHWH when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Bavel, and he shall stretch it out against the land of Mitsrayim.

Morphology

1. וְהַחֲזַקְתִּי (ve-haḥazaqti) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq); Form: Hiphil perfect 1st person singular with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and I will strengthen”; Notes: Causative action—YHWH empowers the king of Bavel (Babylon) as His chosen instrument of judgment.
2. אֶת־זְרֹעֹות (ʾet-zerōʿot) – Root: זרוע (zerōaʿ); Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine plural; Translation: “the arms”; Notes: Symbol of power and military might, representing strength and authority in battle.
3. מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל (melekh Bavel) – Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “the king of Bavel (Babylon)”; Notes: Refers to Nebukadretstsar (Nebuchadnezzar), empowered by YHWH to conquer Mitsrayim (Egypt).
4. וּזְרֹעֹות פַּרְעֹה (u-zerōʿot Parʿo) – Root: זרוע (zerōaʿ); Form: Conjunction וּ + noun feminine plural + proper noun; Translation: “but the arms of Parʿo”; Notes: Contrastive parallelism—while Babylon is strengthened, Egypt is weakened.
5. תִּפֹּלְנָה (tippolnah) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “shall fall”; Notes: Describes complete collapse or defeat—Egypt’s strength and defenses will fail utterly.
6. וְיָדְעוּ (ve-yadʿu) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and they shall know”; Notes: Common Ezekiel formula expressing the recognition of YHWH’s sovereignty through judgment.
7. כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה (ki-ʾani YHWH) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction כִּי + pronoun אֲנִי + divine name; Translation: “that I am YHWH”; Notes: Declarative clause affirming divine identity and authority revealed through historical events.
8. בְּתִתִּי (be-titti) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Preposition בְּ + infinitive construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “when I give” or “in My giving”; Notes: Temporal construction—marks the occasion of divine empowerment.
9. חַרְבִּי (ḥarbi) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “My sword”; Notes: Symbol of divine power and judgment wielded through human agents.
10. בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (be-yad melekh-Bavel) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular construct + noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “into the hand of the king of Bavel”; Notes: Denotes agency—YHWH entrusts Babylon with executing His will.
11. וְנָטָה (ve-natah) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and he shall stretch out”; Notes: Suggests deliberate and forceful action—Babylon extending divine judgment upon Egypt.
12. אֹותָהּ (otah) – Root: את (ʾot); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers to the sword, personified as a tool of divine wrath.
13. אֶל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם (ʾel-erets Mitsrayim) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun feminine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “against the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt)”; Notes: Marks the target of divine retribution, completing the image of YHWH’s justice mediated through Babylon.