אֶל־מִ֨י דָמִ֥יתָ כָּ֛כָה בְּכָבֹ֥וד וּבְגֹ֖דֶל בַּעֲצֵי־עֵ֑דֶן וְהוּרַדְתָּ֨ אֶת־עֲצֵי־עֵ֜דֶן אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ תַּחְתִּ֗ית בְּתֹ֨וךְ עֲרֵלִ֤ים תִּשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב ה֤וּא פַרְעֹה֙ וְכָל־הֲמֹונֹ֔ה נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ ס
To whom are you likened thus in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower earth; you shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword; he is Parʿo and all his multitude,’ declares the Lord YHWH.”
Morphology
- אֶל־מִי (el-mi) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל (“to”) + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “To whom”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question highlighting incomparable pride and downfall.
- דָמִיתָ (damita) – Root: דמה (damah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you are likened” or “you resemble”; Notes: Used here ironically to question Egypt’s greatness compared with the fallen nations of Edenic imagery.
- כָּכָה (kakhah) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus” or “so”; Notes: Emphasizes the extent of the comparison being made — “so great,” “in such manner.”
- בְּכָבֹוד (be-kavod) – Root: כבד (kaved); Form: Preposition בְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in glory”; Notes: Refers to Egypt’s former splendor and majesty before its humiliation.
- וּבְגֹדֶל (u-ve-godel) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and in greatness”; Notes: Expresses both material and political power — the height of Egypt’s pride.
- בַּעֲצֵי־עֵדֶן (baʿatsei-ʿeden) – Root: עץ (ʿets) / עדן (ʿeden); Form: Preposition בְ + definite article assimilated + plural construct + proper noun; Translation: “among the trees of Eden”; Notes: Metaphorical for other great nations or kingdoms once flourishing in divine favor.
- וְהוּרַדְתָּ (ve-huradta) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Hophal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have been brought down”; Notes: Passive causation — Egypt’s fall is divinely orchestrated.
- אֶת־עֲצֵי־עֵדֶן (et-ʿatsei-ʿeden) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Direct object marker + plural construct; Translation: “with the trees of Eden”; Notes: The imagery continues — Egypt joins other fallen empires in Sheol.
- אֶל־אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית (el-erets taḥtit) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets) / תחת (taḥat); Form: Preposition + noun + adjective feminine singular; Translation: “to the lower earth”; Notes: Synonymous with Sheol; symbolizes ultimate humiliation beneath the living world.
- בְּתֹוךְ עֲרֵלִים (be-tokh arelim) – Root: ערל (ʿarel); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural; Translation: “among the uncircumcised”; Notes: Ironically humiliating — Egyptians, known for circumcision, now lie with the uncircumcised, equating them with the unclean dead.
- תִּשְׁכַּב (tishkav) – Root: שׁכב (shakav); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall lie”; Notes: Euphemism for death and burial — resting among the slain.
- אֶת־חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב (et-chalalei-cherev) – Root: חלל (ḥalal) / חרב (ḥerev); Form: Direct object marker + plural construct + noun feminine singular; Translation: “with those slain by the sword”; Notes: Denotes violent death in battle — divine judgment through warfare.
- הוּא פַרְעֹה (hu Parʿo) – Root: —; Form: Pronoun + proper noun; Translation: “He is Parʿo”; Notes: Identifies the fallen figure explicitly as Parʿo, emphasizing the culmination of Egypt’s pride and downfall.
- וְכָל־הֲמֹונֹה (ve-khol-hamonah) – Root: המון (hamon); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and all her multitude”; Notes: Refers to the entire Egyptian population or army sharing the king’s fate.
- נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (neʾum Adonai YHWH) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + divine title; Translation: “declares the Lord YHWH”; Notes: Formal prophetic conclusion affirming divine authority and finality of judgment.