Ezekiel 22:30

KJV1611 – Modern English

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וָאֲבַקֵּ֣שׁ מֵהֶ֡ם אִ֣ישׁ גֹּֽדֵר־גָּדֵר֩ וְעֹמֵ֨ד בַּפֶּ֧רֶץ לְפָנַ֛י בְּעַ֥ד הָאָ֖רֶץ לְבִלְתִּ֣י שַׁחֲתָ֑הּ וְלֹ֖א מָצָֽאתִי׃

Transliteration

And I wāʾăḇaqqēš from them ʾîš gōḏēr-gāḏēr and ʿōmēḏ in the pereṣ before me for bəʿaḏ the ʾāreṣ, for ləḇiltî šaḥăṯāh; and not I māṣāʾṯî

Grammar Details

• *wāʾăḇaqqēš*: piel imperfect with waw consecutive, 1st singular - 'I sought'
• *ʾîš*: masculine singular noun - 'man'
• *gōḏēr*: qal participle, masculine singular - 'one building'
• *gāḏēr*: masculine singular noun - 'wall'
• *ʿōmēḏ*: qal participle, masculine singular - 'standing'
• *pereṣ*: masculine singular noun with definite article - 'the breach'
• *bəʿaḏ*: preposition - 'on behalf of'
• *ʾāreṣ*: feminine singular noun with definite article - 'the land'
• *ləḇiltî*: preposition + conjunction - 'so as not to'
• *šaḥăṯāh*: piel infinitive construct with 3rd feminine singular suffix - 'destroy it'
• *māṣāʾṯî*: qal perfect, 1st singular - 'I found'

Word Meanings

• *gōḏēr*-*gāḏēr*: one building a wall/one who repairs the wall
• *ʿōmēḏ* in the *pereṣ*: standing in the breach/one who stands in the gap
• *bəʿaḏ*: on behalf of/for the sake of
• *ləḇiltî*: so as not to/in order not to

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  I searched for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And I sought in the londe for a man, that wolde make vp the hedge, and set him self in the gappe before me in the lodes behalfe, yt I shulde not vtterly destroye it: but I coude fynde none.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And I sought for a man among them, that should make vp the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And I sought among them for a man that woulde make vp the hedge, and set hym selfe in the gap before me in the landes behalfe, that I shoulde not destroy it: but I coulde fynde none.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  I sought for a man among them, who should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And I seek of them a man making a fence, And standing in the breach before Me, In behalf of the land -- not to destroy it, And I have not found.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And I was looking for a man among them who would make up the wall and take his station in the broken place before me for the land, so that I might not send destruction on it: but there was no one.

• World English Bible (2000)

  I sought for a man among them, who should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one.

Referenced Verses

• Isa 59:16 : 16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
• Jer 5:1 : 1 Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment, who seeks the truth; and I will pardon it.
• Ezek 13:5 : 5 You have not gone up into the gaps nor built a hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the LORD.
• Ps 106:23 : 23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
• Isa 63:5 : 5 And I looked, and there was no one to help; and I wondered that there was no one to uphold: therefore my own arm brought salvation for me; and my fury, it upheld me.
• Exod 32:10-14 : 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation." 11 Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people, whom You have brought forth from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this evil against Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" 14 So the LORD relented from the evil which He thought to do to His people.
• Jer 15:1 : 1 Then the LORD said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
• Gen 18:23-32 : 23 And Abraham drew near and said, Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are within it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there should lack five of the fifty righteous; will you destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it. 29 And he spoke to him yet again and said, Suppose there should be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the sake of forty. 30 And he said to him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak; suppose thirty should 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 it upon myself to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty should be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but this once; suppose ten should be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.