Ezekiel 38:17

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

This is what the Lord GOD says: Are you the one I spoke of in former days through my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time, they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הַֽאַתָּה־ה֨וּא אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֜רְתִּי בְּיָמִ֣ים קַדְמוֹנִ֗ים בְּיַד֙ עֲבָדַי֙ נְבִיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַֽנִבְּאִ֛ים בַּיָּמִ֥ים הָהֵ֖ם שָׁנִ֑ים לְהָבִ֥יא אֹתְךָ֖ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ ס

Transliteration

Thus-ʾāmar ʾĂdōnāy YHWH, "?ha-ʾattâ-hûʾ whom-dibbartî in-yāmîm qadmônîm by-hand ʿăḇāday nəḇîʾê Yiśrāʾēl, the-ones-hannibbəʾîm in-yāmîm hāhēm šānîm, to-bring you against-them?"

Grammar Details

• *kōh*: adverb - thus/so
• *ʾāmar*: qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he said/says
• *ʾĂdōnāy*: proper noun with 1st person plural suffix - my Lord/Master
• *YHWH*: divine name - Yahweh/LORD
• *ha-ʾattâ*: interrogative particle with independent personal pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular - are you
• *hûʾ*: independent personal pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular - he/that one
• *ʾăšer-dibbartî*: relative particle with piel perfect, 1st person singular - whom I spoke
• *bə-yāmîm*: preposition with common noun, masculine plural - in days
• *qadmônîm*: adjective, masculine plural - former/ancient
• *bə-yad*: preposition with common noun, feminine singular construct - by the hand of
• *ʿăḇāday*: common noun, masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix - my servants
• *nəḇîʾê*: common noun, masculine plural construct - prophets of
• *Yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *hannibbəʾîm*: niphal participle, masculine plural with definite article - who prophesied
• *ba-yāmîm*: preposition with common noun, masculine plural with definite article - in the days
• *hāhēm*: demonstrative pronoun, masculine plural - those
• *šānîm*: common noun, feminine plural - years
• *lə-hāḇîʾ*: hiphil infinitive construct with preposition - to bring
• *ʾōṯəḵā*: direct object marker with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - you
• *ʿălêhem*: preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix - against them

Word Meanings

• *yāmîm qadmônîm*: ancient days/former times/days of old
• *hannibbəʾîm*: who prophesied/who were prophesying/who spoke as prophets

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  Thus says the Lord GOD; Are you he of whom I have spoken in former times by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days many years that I would bring you against them?

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Art thou he of whom I spake in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, that prophesied in those days for [many] years that I would bring thee against them?

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Thus saieth the LORDE God: Thou art he, of whom I haue spoken aforetyme, by my seruauntes ye prophetes of Israel, which prophecied in those dayes & yeares, that I shulde bringe the vpon them.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Thus saith the Lord God, Art not thou he, of whom I haue spoken in olde time, by ye hand of my seruants the Prophets of Israel which prophecied in those dayes and yeeres, that I woulde bring thee vpon them?

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thus sayth the Lorde God: Art not thou he of whom I haue spoken in olde time by the handes of my seruauntes the prophetes of Israel, which prophecied in those dayes and yeres, that I should bring thee vpon them?

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Thus saith the Lord GOD; [Art] thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days [many] years that I would bring thee against them?

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Are you he of whom I spoke in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for [many] years that I would bring you against them?

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Art thou he of whom I spake in former days, By the hand of My servants, prophets of Israel, Who are prophesying in those days -- years, To bring thee in against them?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Art thou he of whom I spake in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, that prophesied in those days for `many' years that I would bring thee against them?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Art thou he of whom I spake in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, that prophesied in those days for [many] years that I would bring thee against them?

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  This is what the Lord has said: You are he of whom I gave them word in earlier times by my servants, the prophets of Israel, who in those days went on saying, year after year, that I would make you come up against them.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Are you he of whom I spoke in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for [many] years that I would bring you against them?

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days that I would bring you against them?

Referenced Verses

• Isa 34:1-6 : 1 Come near, O nations, to listen; and pay attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all its inhabitants. 2 For the Lord is angry with all nations, and His wrath is against all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them, He has handed them over to slaughter. 3 Their slain will be thrown out, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will be dissolved with their blood. 4 All the stars of the heavens will rot away, and the skies will be rolled up like a scroll. All their armies will wither, as a leaf withers on the vine or a fig shrivels and falls from the fig tree. 5 For My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens. Behold, it will descend upon Edom, upon the people of My judgment, to bring justice. 6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood; it is fat with the fat of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
• Isa 63:1-6 : 1 Who is this coming from Edom, with garments stained red from Bozrah? This one, splendid in his clothing, striding forward in the greatness of his strength. "It is I, proclaiming righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why are your clothes red, and your garments like those of someone who treads in a winepress? 3 "I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the nations, no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and crushed them in my wrath; their lifeblood splattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing." 4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption had come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one gave support. So my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath sustained me. 6 I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath, I made them drunk and poured their lifeblood onto the ground.
• Isa 66:15-16 : 15 For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and His chariots will be like a whirlwind, to bring down His wrath in fury and His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For the Lord will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all mankind, and many will be those slain by the Lord.
• Joel 3:9-9 : 9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Arouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and advance. 10 Hammer your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’ 11 Hasten and come, all you nations from every side, and gather yourselves there. Bring down, LORD, your mighty ones. 12 Let the nations be aroused; let them advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow—because their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
• Zech 12:2-8 : 2 Behold, I am making Jerusalem a cup of reeling for all the surrounding nations. Even Judah will be besieged as Jerusalem is attacked. 3 And on that day, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who try to lift it will be severely injured, and all the nations of the earth will gather against her. 4 On that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the nations with blindness. 5 Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are our strength in the Lord Almighty, their God.’ 6 On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire pot in a woodpile and like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples on the right and on the left, while Jerusalem will remain secure in her place. 7 The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not exceed that of Judah. 8 On that day, the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them.
• Zech 14:1-9 : 1 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when your plunder will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle, and the city will be captured, the houses will be plundered, and the women violated. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in a day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a very great valley, so that half of the mountain will move northward and the other half southward. 5 You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley between the mountains will reach to Azal. You will flee as you fled because of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. 6 On that day, there will be no light; the precious lights will diminish and freeze. 7 It will be a unique day—known only to the Lord—not day nor night, but at evening time there will be light. 8 On that day, living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea. It will continue in both summer and winter. 9 The Lord will be King over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one, and His name one. 10 The whole land will be transformed like the plain of the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, from the Benjamin Gate to the place of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. 11 And people will live in it, and there will no longer be any curse of destruction. Jerusalem will dwell in security. 12 This will be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day, a great panic from the Lord will come upon them. Each will seize the hand of his neighbor, and they will attack one another. 14 Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations—gold, silver, and clothing—will be gathered in great abundance. 15 A similar plague will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the animals in the camps. 16 Then all who survive from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17 If any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, they will have no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt does not go up and come, they too will receive the plague that the Lord will strike on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 20 On that day, the bells of the horses will be inscribed with 'Holy to the Lord,' and the pots in the house of the Lord will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21 On that day, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord of Hosts. All who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And there will no longer be any Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts on that day.
• Ps 110:5-6 : 5 The Lord is at your right hand; He will crush kings on the day of His wrath. 6 He will judge among the nations, filling the lands with corpses; He will crush the heads of many over the wide earth.
• Isa 27:1 : 1 On that day, the LORD will punish with his fierce, great, and strong sword Leviathan, the fleeing serpent, Leviathan, the twisting serpent, and he will kill the sea monster that is in the sea.
• Ezek 38:10-11 : 10 This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your heart, and you will devise an evil plan. 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will attack peaceful people who live securely—all of them living without walls, without gates and bars.’
• Ezek 38:16 : 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land so that the nations may know me, as I show myself holy through you before their eyes, O Gog.
• Dan 11:40-45 : 40 At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries, sweeping through them like a flood. 41 He will also enter the Glorious Land, and many will fall, but Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon will escape from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many lands, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will follow in his steps. 44 But reports from the east and the north will trouble him, and he will set out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet, he will come to his end, and no one will help him.