Ezekiel 31:14

לְמַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁר֩ לֹא־יִגְבְּה֨וּ בְקֹומָתָ֜ם כָּל־עֲצֵי־מַ֗יִם וְלֹֽא־יִתְּנ֤וּ אֶת־צַמַּרְתָּם֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ין עֲבֹתִ֔ים וְלֹֽא־יַעַמְד֧וּ אֵלֵיהֶ֛ם בְּגָבְהָ֖ם כָּל־שֹׁ֣תֵי מָ֑יִם כִּֽי־כֻלָּם֩ נִתְּנ֨וּ לַמָּ֜וֶת אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ תַּחְתִּ֗ית בְּתֹ֛וךְ בְּנֵ֥י אָדָ֖ם אֶל־יֹ֥ורְדֵי בֹֽור׃ ס

In order that none of the trees by the waters may exalt themselves in their height, nor set their top among the thick branches, nor that any drinking water should stand beside them in their height; for they all are delivered to death, to the lower earth, in the midst of the sons of man, to those who go down to the pit.’

Morphology

1. לְמַעַן (lemaʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order that”; Notes: Introduces the divine purpose clause explaining why the proud are brought low—moral instruction against arrogance.
2. אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that” or “so that”; Notes: Links the purpose clause to the preceding act of judgment.
3. לֹא־יִגְבְּהוּ (lo-yigbehū) – Root: גבה (gavah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with negative particle לֹא; Translation: “they may not exalt themselves”; Notes: Expresses prohibition—no more self-exaltation among the mighty trees (nations).
4. בְקֹומָתָם (be-qomatam) – Root: קומה (qomah); Form: Preposition בְ + noun feminine singular construct + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “in their height”; Notes: Figurative of pride and political elevation.
5. כָּל־עֲצֵי־מַיִם (kol-ʿatsei-mayim) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + noun masculine plural; Translation: “all the trees of water”; Notes: “Trees of water” symbolize nations flourishing through abundance or divine provision.
6. וְלֹא־יִתְּנוּ (ve-lo-yitenu) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with conjunction וְ and negative particle; Translation: “and they shall not set”; Notes: Continues the purpose clause—restriction on self-exaltation or human arrogance.
7. אֶת־צַמַּרְתָּם (et-tsammartam) – Root: צמרת (tsammeret); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + noun feminine singular construct + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “their top” or “their crown”; Notes: Symbolic of the peak of power or influence—now restrained.
8. אֶל־בֵּין עֲבֹתִים (el-bein-avotim) – Root: עבת (ʿavat); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun בֵּין + plural noun; Translation: “among the thick branches”; Notes: “Thick branches” evokes the dense canopy of heaven—metaphor for aspiring beyond limits set by God.
9. וְלֹא־יַעַמְדוּ (ve-lo-yaʿamdu) – Root: עמד (ʿamad); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they shall not stand”; Notes: Refers to durability or endurance—those who rise too high will not remain firm.
10. אֵלֵיהֶם (ʾelehem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “beside them” or “toward them”; Notes: Indicates comparison among trees—lesser nations not to rival the mighty.
11. בְּגָבְהָם (be-gavham) – Root: גבה (gavah); Form: Preposition בְ + noun masculine singular construct + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “in their height”; Notes: Reinforces theme of pride and elevation.
12. כָּל־שֹׁתֵי מָיִם (kol-shotei-mayim) – Root: שתה (shatah); Form: Participle masculine plural construct + noun masculine plural; Translation: “all drinkers of water”; Notes: Poetic expression for living, thriving nations dependent on divine sustenance.
13. כִּי־כֻלָּם (ki-kullam) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction כִּי + noun כֻּלָּם (all of them); Translation: “for they all”; Notes: Introduces causal clause—explains the equality of mortality among nations.
14. נִתְּנוּ (nittenu) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they were given”; Notes: Passive voice emphasizing divine decree—YHWH Himself consigns them to death.
15. לַמָּוֶת (la-mavet) – Root: מות (mavet); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to death”; Notes: Symbolizes finality of divine judgment—no escape from mortality or decline.
16. אֶל־אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית (el-erets taḥtit) – Root: ארץ (erets) / תחת (taḥat); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun feminine singular + adjective feminine singular; Translation: “to the lower earth”; Notes: Refers to the underworld—Sheol, the realm of the dead.
17. בְּתֹוךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם (be-tokh bnei adam) – Root: תוך (tokh) / אדם (adam); Form: Preposition בְ + noun construct + plural noun; Translation: “in the midst of the sons of man”; Notes: Indicates human mortality shared even by the most exalted empires.
18. אֶל־יֹורְדֵי בֹור (el-yordei bor) – Root: ירד (yarad) / בור (bor); Form: Preposition אֶל + participle masculine plural construct + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to those who go down to the pit”; Notes: “Pit” (bor) signifies Sheol—the common destination of the proud, humbled to dust and death.