Ezekiel 14:16

American Standard Version (1901)

though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵלֶּה֮ בְּתוֹכָהּ֒ חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה אִם־בָּנִ֥ים וְאִם־בָּנ֖וֹת יַצִּ֑ילוּ הֵ֤מָּה לְבַדָּם֙ יִנָּצֵ֔לוּ וְהָאָ֖רֶץ תִּהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמָמָֽה׃

Transliteration

Šəlōšeṯ the-hā-ʾănāšîm the-hā-ʾēlleh in-bəṯôḵāh, ḥay-I nəʾum ʾăḏōnāy YHWH, if-bānîm and-if-bānôṯ yaṣṣîlû they alone yinnāṣēlû and-the-hā-ʾāreṣ tihyeh šəmāmāh.

Grammar Details

• *šəlōšeṯ*: feminine singular construct - three of
• *hā-ʾănāšîm*: definite article + masculine plural - the men
• *hā-ʾēlleh*: definite article + demonstrative adjective - these
• *bəṯôḵāh*: preposition + masculine singular + 3rd feminine singular suffix - in its midst
• *ḥay*: adjective - living/alive
• *nəʾum*: masculine singular construct - declaration of
• *ʾăḏōnāy*: noun with 1st person singular suffix - my Lord
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the LORD
• *bānîm*: masculine plural - sons
• *bānôṯ*: feminine plural - daughters
• *yaṣṣîlû*: hiphil imperfect, 3rd masculine plural - they would deliver
• *yinnāṣēlû*: niphal imperfect, 3rd masculine plural - they would be delivered
• *hā-ʾāreṣ*: definite article + feminine singular - the land
• *tihyeh*: qal imperfect, 3rd feminine singular - it will be
• *šəmāmāh*: feminine singular noun - desolation

Word Meanings

• *ḥay*-I: as I live/by my life/I swear
• *yaṣṣîlû*: would deliver/would save/would rescue
• *yinnāṣēlû*: would be delivered/would be saved/would escape
• *šəmāmāh*: desolation/waste/ruin

Referenced Verses

• Gen 19:29 : 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.
• Num 14:28-29 : 28 Say unto them, As I live, saith Jehovah, surely as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, that have murmured against me,
• Job 22:20 : 20 [ Saying], Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.
• Ezek 14:14 : 14 though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah.
• Ezek 14:18 : 18 though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should be delivered themselves.
• Ezek 14:20 : 20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
• Ezek 18:20 : 20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
• Ezek 33:11 : 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
• Matt 18:19-20 : 19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
• Acts 27:24 : 24 saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and lo, God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee.
• Heb 11:7 : 7 By faith Noah, being warned [of God] concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
• Jas 5:16 : 16 Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.
• Gen 18:23-33 : 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes: 28 peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. 29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. 30 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake. 33 And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.