Ezekiel 20:1

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some men from the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat before me.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ית בַּֽחֲמִשִׁי֙ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ בָּ֧אוּ אֲנָשִׁ֛ים מִזִּקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לִדְרֹ֣שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ לְפָנָֽי׃

Transliteration

And wayehî in-the-šānâ the-šebîʿît in-the-ḥămîšî in-ʿāśôr to-the-ḥōdeš bāʾû ʾănāšîm from-ziqnê yiśrāʾēl to-lidrōš ʾet-YHWH and-wayyēšbû before-pānāy.

Grammar Details

• *wayehî*: waw-consecutive with imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and it happened/came to pass
• *šānâ*: noun, feminine singular with definite article - year
• *šebîʿît*: adjective, feminine singular with definite article - seventh
• *ḥămîšî*: ordinal number, masculine singular with definite article - fifth (month)
• *ʿāśôr*: noun, masculine singular - tenth (day)
• *ḥōdeš*: noun, masculine singular with preposition - month
• *bāʾû*: verb, qal perfect, 3rd plural - they came
• *ʾănāšîm*: noun, masculine plural - men
• *ziqnê*: noun, masculine plural construct - elders of
• *yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *lidrōš*: verb, qal infinitive construct with preposition - to inquire/seek
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *YHWH*: divine name - Yahweh/LORD
• *wayyēšbû*: waw-consecutive with imperfect, 3rd plural - and they sat
• *pānāy*: noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person singular suffix - my face/presence

Word Meanings

• *wayehî*: and it happened/came to pass/was
• *lidrōš*: to inquire/seek/consult
• *pānāy*: my face/my presence/before me

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  In in the xvij yeare the x daye of the v Moneth, it happened, that certayne of the elders of Israel came vnto me for to axe councell at the LORDE, and sat them downe by me.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And in the seuenth yeere, in the fift moneth, the tenth day of the moneth, came certaine of the elders of Israel to enquire of the Lord, and sate before me.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  In the seuenth yere the tenth day of the fift moneth, certayne of the elders of Israel came for to aske counsayle at the Lorde, and sate downe before me.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month, [that] certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  It happened in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And it cometh to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth `month', in the tenth of the month, come in have certain of the elders of Israel to seek Jehovah, and they sit before me;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth `month', the tenth `day' of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Now it came about in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that certain of the responsible men of Israel came to get directions from the Lord and were seated before me.

• World English Bible (2000)

  It happened in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Israel’s Rebellion In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to seek the LORD, and they sat down in front of me.

Referenced Verses

• Ezek 8:1 : 1 In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me. There the hand of the Lord Yahweh came upon me.
• Ezek 1:2 : 2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—
• Ezek 24:1 : 1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, saying:
• Ezek 26:1 : 1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
• Ezek 29:1 : 1 In the tenth year, on the twelfth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
• Ezek 29:17 : 17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
• Ezek 30:20 : 20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
• Ezek 31:1 : 1 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
• Ezek 32:1 : 1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
• Ezek 40:1 : 1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me there.
• Matt 22:16 : 16 And they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians, saying, 'Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth. You do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you do not look at people’s appearances.'
• Luke 2:46 : 46 After three days, they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
• Luke 8:35 : 35 The people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man who had been possessed by demons sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
• Luke 10:39 : 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His word.
• Acts 22:3 : 3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our ancestors. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
• 1 Kgs 14:2-6 : 2 Jeroboam said to his wife, "Please get up and disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Look, there is Ahijah the prophet, the one who told me I would become king over these people. 3 Take ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey with you, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy. 4 Jeroboam's wife did as he said: she arose, went to Shiloh, and arrived at the house of Ahijah. Now, Ahijah could no longer see because his eyes had grown dim due to his age. 5 But the LORD had already told Ahijah, "The wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire about her son, for he is sick. You are to say such-and-such to her. When she arrives, she will be pretending to be someone else." 6 When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming to the doorway, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have been sent to give you harsh news.
• 1 Kgs 22:15-28 : 15 When Micaiah arrived before the king, the king said to him, 'Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we refrain?' Micaiah answered, 'Go and succeed, for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.' 16 But the king said to him, 'How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?' 17 Then Micaiah said, 'I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, “These people have no master; each one should go home in peace.”' 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, only bad?' 19 Micaiah continued, 'Therefore, hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, with all the host of heaven standing around Him on His right and on His left.' 20 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One suggested this, and another suggested that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ 22 ‘By what means?’ the LORD asked. 'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. The LORD replied, 'You will succeed in enticing him. Go and do it.' 23 So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has decreed disaster for you. 24 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah on the cheek and demanded, 'Which way did the spirit of the LORD go when he left me to speak to you?' 25 Micaiah replied, 'You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.' 26 Then the king of Israel ordered, 'Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son.' 27 And say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water of affliction until I return safely.’ 28 Micaiah said, 'If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.' Then he added, 'Pay attention, all you people!'
• 2 Kgs 3:13 : 13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, because it is the LORD who has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab."
• Isa 29:13 : 13 The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their reverence for me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.'
• Isa 58:2 : 2 Day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the justice of their God. They ask me for righteous judgments and delight in drawing near to God.
• Jer 37:17 : 17 Then King Zedekiah sent for him and secretly questioned him in his palace, saying, "Is there any word from the LORD?" Jeremiah replied, "There is. You will be handed over to the king of Babylon."
• Ezek 33:30-33 : 30 As for you, son of man, the people of your nation are talking about you near the walls and at the doorways of their houses. They are saying to one another, each to their brother, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.' 31 They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express love, but their hearts pursue unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are like someone who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays the instrument well. They listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. 33 When it happens—and behold, it will happen—they will know that a prophet was among them.
• Ezek 14:1-3 : 1 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and placed the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I really let myself be consulted by them?