Isaiah 31:8

וְנָפַ֤ל אַשּׁוּר֙ בְּחֶ֣רֶב לֹא־אִ֔ישׁ וְחֶ֥רֶב לֹֽא־אָדָ֖ם תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ וְנָ֥ס לֹו֙ מִפְּנֵי־חֶ֔רֶב וּבַחוּרָ֖יו לָמַ֥ס יִהְיֽוּ׃

“And Ashshur shall fall by a sword not of man, and a sword not of humankind shall devour him. And he shall flee from before the sword, and his young men shall be for forced labor.

Morphology

1. וְנָפַ֤ל (ve-nafal) – Root: נפל; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he shall fall”; Notes: Refers prophetically to the downfall of Ashshur.
2. אַשּׁוּר֙ (Ashshur) – Root: אשׁור; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ashshur”; Notes: Refers to Assyria, the empire opposed to Yisraʾel and YHWH.
3. בְּחֶ֣רֶב (be-ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “by a sword”; Notes: Instrument of destruction or judgment.
4. לֹא־אִ֔ישׁ (lo-ish) – Root: אישׁ; Form: Negative particle + noun masculine singular; Translation: “not of man”; Notes: Emphasizes supernatural origin of the judgment.
5. וְחֶ֥רֶב (ve-ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and a sword”; Notes: Repetition reinforces the image of destruction.
6. לֹֽא־אָדָ֖ם (lo-adam) – Root: אדם; Form: Negative particle + noun masculine singular; Translation: “not of humankind”; Notes: Parallels “not of man,” poetic emphasis on divine agency.
7. תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ (toʾakhelennu) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “shall devour him”; Notes: Feminine subject (ḥerev) consuming masculine object (Ashshur).
8. וְנָ֥ס (ve-nas) – Root: נס; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he shall flee”; Notes: Indicates panic or retreat.
9. לֹו֙ (lo) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “he”; Notes: Reinforces the subject of the verb “shall flee.”
10. מִפְּנֵי־חֶ֔רֶב (mi-penei-ḥerev) – Root: פנה; Form: Preposition + construct noun + absolute noun; Translation: “from before the sword”; Notes: Expresses the cause of the retreat.
11. וּבַחוּרָ֖יו (u-vachurav) – Root: בחר; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and his young men”; Notes: Represents the military elite or warriors of Ashshur.
12. לָמַ֥ס (lamas) – Root: מס; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for forced labor”; Notes: Implies submission and enslavement.
13. יִהְיֽוּ (yihyu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall be”; Notes: Resulting condition of the young warriors.