The conjunction therefore introduces God’s punishment in verses 4-5 for the gloating of the Ammonites. Good News Translation renders this connector well with “Because you were glad.” The attention-getting Hebrew particle hinneh (rendered “behold” in New American Standard Bible) occurs after this connector. Here it adds emphasis to God’s punishment. Revised Standard Version and most other translations omit this particle.

I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession means God will give the country of Ammon into the power of another nation who will conquer the people, take over the country, and live in it. The people of the East were probably the nomadic tribes that lived in the Arabian Desert, east of Ammon. These tribes were often a threat to the Israelites and other nations who lived on the edge of the desert (see Jdg 6.3; Jer 49.28). Nomads are people who do not settle in one place. Although they may live for extended periods in certain areas where there is a spring or good seasonal pastures, at other times they move from place to place, searching for feed and water for their animals.

And they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst: Encampments were the circular settlements that the nomadic tribes of the desert regularly returned to and where they stayed as long as the feed lasted. They tried to make them easy to defend by building low stone walls around them. Dwellings is another word for their camps. These two terms imply that the nomadic tribes will take over the whole of the country of Ammon.

They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk: The invading nomads will take what the land produced and the milk from the cows, sheep and goats.

For a model of this verse see the discussion on the next verse.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .