Ezekiel 31:11

וְאֶ֨תְּנֵ֔הוּ בְּיַ֖ד אֵ֣יל גֹּויִ֑ם עָשֹׂ֤ו יַֽעֲשֶׂה֙ לֹ֔ו כְּרִשְׁעֹ֖ו גֵּרַשְׁתִּֽהוּ׃

and I gave him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him according to his wickedness, I drove him out.

Morphology

1. וְאֶתְּנֵהוּ (veʾet’nehū) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular with prefixed conjunction וְ and suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And I gave him”; Notes: Expresses divine action of delivering the proud cedar (Assyria) into judgment—YHWH is the subject.
2. בְּיַד (be-yad) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “into the hand of”; Notes: Idiom denoting power or control—YHWH transfers dominion or authority to the instrument of punishment.
3. אֵיל (ʾeyl) – Root: איל (ʾayil); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “mighty one” or “strong leader”; Notes: Symbolic of a powerful nation or ruler, most likely referring to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
4. גֹּויִם (goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Refers collectively to foreign nations used as instruments of divine judgment against arrogant empires.
5. עָשֹׂו (ʿasō) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “he shall surely do”; Notes: Infinitive absolute before a finite verb intensifies certainty—emphasizing the inevitability of divine retribution.
6. יַעֲשֶׂה (yaʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will do”; Notes: Refers to the agent’s action in executing YHWH’s judgment—“he will act upon him” as decreed.
7. לֹו (lō) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Direct object of divine punishment—refers to the exalted cedar, symbol of Assyria.
8. כְּרִשְׁעֹו (ke-rishʿō) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular construct + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “according to his wickedness”; Notes: Denotes just retribution—measure-for-measure punishment proportional to moral corruption.
9. גֵּרַשְׁתִּהוּ (gerash’tihu) – Root: גרשׁ (garash); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “I drove him out”; Notes: Concludes the verse emphatically—YHWH Himself expelled the arrogant ruler from his exalted place, highlighting divine sovereignty and justice.