מִקֹּ֤ול מַפַּלְתֹּו֙ הִרְעַ֣שְׁתִּי גֹויִ֔ם בְּהֹורִדִ֥י אֹתֹ֛ו שְׁאֹ֖ולָה אֶת־יֹ֣ורְדֵי בֹ֑ור וַיִּנָּ֨חֲמ֜וּ בְּאֶ֤רֶץ תַּחְתִּית֙ כָּל־עֲצֵי־עֵ֔דֶן מִבְחַ֥ר וְטֹוב־לְבָנֹ֖ון כָּל־שֹׁ֥תֵי מָֽיִם׃
At the sound of his fall I made the nations tremble, when I brought him down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and the good of Levanon, all the drinkers of water, were comforted in the lower earth.
Morphology
- מִקֹּול (mi-qol) – Root: קול (qol); Form: Preposition מִן (“from”) + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “at the sound of”; Notes: Marks cause or source — the mere sound of his downfall causes cosmic trembling.
- מַפַּלְתֹּו (mapalto) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his fall” or “his collapse”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to the destruction of the great cedar (Assyria) — the fall of an empire.
- הִרְעַשְׁתִּי (hirʿashti) – Root: רעשׁ (raʿash); Form: Hiphil perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I caused to tremble”; Notes: Denotes divine causation — YHWH shakes the nations with the downfall of the proud.
- גֹויִם (goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “nations”; Notes: The political entities that trembled at Assyria’s fall, emphasizing the worldwide impact of divine judgment.
- בְּהֹורִדִי (be-horidi) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Preposition בְ + Hiphil infinitive construct + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “when I brought down”; Notes: Indicates God’s direct action in lowering the proud to Sheol — symbolic of death and humiliation.
- אֹתֹו (oto) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the fallen cedar, metaphor for Assyria’s king or empire.
- שְׁאֹולָה (sheʾolah) – Root: שׁאל (shaʾal); Form: Noun feminine singular + locative ending; Translation: “to Sheol”; Notes: Refers to the underworld or realm of the dead; imagery of descent signifies loss of glory.
- אֶת־יֹורְדֵי בֹור (et-yordei bor) – Root: ירד (yarad) / בור (bor); Form: Direct object marker + participle masculine plural construct + noun masculine singular; Translation: “with those who go down to the pit”; Notes: Expression of solidarity with the dead — the mighty joins the humbled in Sheol.
- וַיִּנָּחֲמוּ (vayinnaḥamu) – Root: נחם (naḥam); Form: Niphal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they were comforted”; Notes: Ironically, the trees (nations) in Sheol are comforted, signifying relief that the once-great has joined them in death.
- בְּאֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית (be-erets taḥtit) – Root: ארץ (erets) / תחת (taḥat); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular + adjective feminine singular; Translation: “in the lower earth”; Notes: A poetic synonym for Sheol — the subterranean abode of the dead.
- כָּל־עֲצֵי־עֵדֶן (kol-ʿatsei-ʿeden) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun plural construct; Translation: “all the trees of Eden”; Notes: Represents nations or kings once flourishing in divine favor — now in the underworld.
- מִבְחַר (mivḥar) – Root: בחר (baḥar); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “the choice”; Notes: Describes the most excellent or noble among them — the elite of ancient kingdoms.
- וְטוֹב־לְבָנֹון (ve-tov-lebanon) – Root: טוב (tov) / לבנון (lebanon); Form: Conjunction + adjective + proper noun; Translation: “and the good of Lebanon”; Notes: Lebanon symbolizes majesty and beauty — here its “good” trees are metaphors for renowned nations.
- כָּל־שֹׁתֵי מָיִם (kol-shotei-mayim) – Root: שתה (shatah); Form: Participle masculine plural construct + noun plural; Translation: “all drinkers of water”; Notes: Expression for flourishing nations dependent on abundance, now reduced to the realm of death.