Ezekiel 8:12

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then He said to me, 'Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each in the chamber of his carved images? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has abandoned the land.’'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר זִקְנֵ֤י בֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ אִ֖ישׁ בְּחַדְרֵ֣י מַשְׂכִּית֑וֹ כִּ֣י אֹמְרִ֗ים אֵ֤ין יְהוָה֙ רֹאֶ֣ה אֹתָ֔נוּ עָזַ֥ב יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Transliteration

And wayyōʾmer to me, hărāʾîtā ben-ʾādām, which ziqnê bêt-yiśrāʾēl ʿōśîm in the ḥōšek, ʾîš in ḥadrê maśkîtô; for ʾōmərîm, not YHWH rōʾeh us, ʿāzab YHWH ʾet-the ʾāreṣ.

Grammar Details

• *wayyōʾmer*: waw-consecutive with 3rd masculine singular qal imperfect - and he said
• *hărāʾîtā*: interrogative particle with 2nd masculine singular qal perfect - have you seen?
• *ben*: masculine singular construct noun - son of
• *ʾādām*: masculine singular noun - man/mankind
• *ziqnê*: masculine plural construct noun - elders of
• *bêt*: masculine singular construct noun - house of
• *yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *ʿōśîm*: masculine plural qal participle - doing
• *ḥōšek*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the darkness
• *ʾîš*: masculine singular noun - each man
• *ḥadrê*: masculine plural construct noun - chambers of
• *maśkîtô*: feminine singular noun with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his carved image/imagination
• *ʾōmərîm*: masculine plural qal participle - saying
• *YHWH*: divine name - Yahweh/LORD
• *rōʾeh*: masculine singular qal participle - seeing
• *ʿāzab*: 3rd masculine singular qal perfect - has forsaken/abandoned
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *ʾāreṣ*: feminine singular noun with definite article - the land

Word Meanings

• *ben*-*ʾādām*: son of man/mortal human
• *ziqnê*: elders/old men
• *ḥōšek*: darkness/secrecy
• *ḥadrê*: chambers/rooms/inner rooms
• *maśkîtô*: his carved image/imagination/inner chamber
• *ʿāzab*: forsaken/abandoned/left

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  Then he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the earth.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then said{H559} he unto me, Son{H1121} of man,{H120} hast thou seen{H7200} what the elders{H2205} of the house{H1004} of Israel{H3478} do{H6213} in the dark,{H2822} every man{H376} in his chambers{H2315} of imagery?{H4906} for they say,{H559} Jehovah{H3068} seeth{H7200} us not; Jehovah{H3068} hath forsaken{H5800} the land.{H776}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then said{H559}{(H8799)} he unto me, Son{H1121} of man{H120}, hast thou seen{H7200}{(H8804)} what the ancients{H2205} of the house{H1004} of Israel{H3478} do{H6213}{(H8802)} in the dark{H2822}, every man{H376} in the chambers{H2315} of his imagery{H4906}? for they say{H559}{(H8802)}, The LORD{H3068} seeth{H7200}{(H8802)} us not; the LORD{H3068} hath forsaken{H5800}{(H8804)} the earth{H776}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Then sayde he vnto me: Thou sonne off man, hast thou sene what the Senatours off the house off Israel do secretly, euery one in his chambre? For they saye: Tush, the LORDE seth vs not, the LORDE regardeth not the worlde.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Then saide hee vnto mee, Sonne of man, hast thou seene what the Ancients of the house of Israel do in the darke, euery one in the chamber of his imagerie? for they say, The Lorde seeth vs not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Then sayde he vnto me, Thou sonne of man, hast thou seene what the auncientes of the house of Israel do secretly, euery one in the chaumber of his imagerie? for they say, The Lorde seeth vs not, the Lorde hath forsaken the earth.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Then said he to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Yahweh doesn't see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And He saith unto me, `Hast thou seen, son of man, that which elders of the house of Israel are doing in darkness, each in the inner chambers of his imagery, for they are saying, Jehovah is not seeing us, Jehovah hath forsaken the land?'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath forsaken the land.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath forsaken the land.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the responsible men of the children of Israel do in the dark, every man in his room of pictured images? for they say, The Lord does not see us; the Lord has gone away from the land.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Then he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? for they say, Yahweh doesn't see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  He said to me,“Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images? For they think,‘The LORD does not see us! The LORD has abandoned the land!’”

Referenced Verses

• Isa 29:15 : 15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, 'Who sees us? Who knows us?'
• Ezek 9:9 : 9 He said to me, 'The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of injustice. They say, "The LORD has abandoned the land, and the LORD does not see."'
• Ps 10:11 : 11 He says in his heart, 'God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.'
• Ps 73:11 : 11 They say, 'How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?'
• Ps 94:7-9 : 7 They say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive." 8 Understand this, you brutish people! Fools, when will you understand? 9 Does He who formed the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? 10 Does He who disciplines nations not rebuke? Does He who teaches mankind knowledge not know?
• Job 22:12-13 : 12 Is not God in the height of heaven? Look at the distant stars; how high they are! 13 But you say, 'What does God know? Can He judge through such thick darkness?'
• Job 24:13-17 : 13 They are among those who rebel against the light; they do not recognize its ways nor stay on its paths. 14 At daybreak, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy, and at night, he is like a thief. 15 The adulterer waits for twilight, saying, 'No one will see me,' and he disguises his face. 16 In the darkness, they break into houses, but by day, they shut themselves in; they do not know the light. 17 For to them, the morning is like deep darkness; they are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
• Ezek 8:6-8 : 6 And He said to me, 'Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see even greater abominations.' 7 Then He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard, and I looked, and behold, there was a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, 'Son of man, dig through the wall now.' So I dug through the wall, and behold, there was an entrance.
• Ezek 8:11 : 11 Seventy elders of the house of Israel were standing there, with Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan, standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense was rising.
• Ezek 8:15 : 15 And He said to me, 'Have you seen this, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these.'
• Ezek 8:17 : 17 And He said to me, 'Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence and continually anger Me. Behold, they are even putting the branch to their nose!
• Ezek 14:1 : 1 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.
• Ezek 20:1 : 1 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.
• John 3:19-20 : 19 This is the verdict: The light has come into the world, but people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
• Eph 5:12 : 12 For it is shameful even to speak of what they do in secret.