The Meaning of Ezekiel 11:1 Explained

Ezekiel 11:1

KJV: Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

YLT: And lift me up doth a spirit, and it bringeth me in unto the east gate of the house of Jehovah, that is facing the east, and lo, at the opening of the gate twenty and five men, and I see in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, heads of the people.

Darby: And the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of Jehovah's house, which looketh eastward; and behold, at the door of the gate were five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

ASV: Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of Jehovah's house, which looketh eastward: and behold, at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Moreover the spirit  lifted me up,  and brought  me unto the east  gate  of the LORD'S  house,  which looketh  eastward:  and behold at the door  of the gate  five  and twenty  men;  among  whom I saw  Jaazaniah  the son  of Azur,  and Pelatiah  the son  of Benaiah,  princes  of the people. 

What does Ezekiel 11:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Spirit next lifted Ezekiel up in his vision and transported him to the east (main) gate of the temple courtyards where God"s glory had moved (cf. Ezekiel 10:19). There the prophet saw25 of the governing leaders of the people of Jerusalem, including Jaazaniah the son of Azzur and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah. [1] These25 civic leaders were not the same individuals as the25 sun-worshipping priests whom Ezekiel had seen earlier ( Ezekiel 8:16). Jaazaniah the son of Azzur does not seem to be the same man as Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan in Ezekiel 8:11. The name was evidently common at this time (cf. 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 35:3). Gates were the traditional places where city elders administered justice and conducted legal matters.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 11

1  The presumption of the princes
4  Their sin and judgment
13  Ezekiel complaining, God shows him his purpose in saving a remnant
22  The glory of God leaves the city
24  Ezekiel is returned to the captivity

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 11:1 mean?

And lifted up me the Spirit and brought me to Gate of the house of Yahweh the East which faces eastward and there were at the door of the gate twenty and five men and I saw among whom - Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah of Benaiah princes of the people -
וַתִּשָּׂ֨א אֹתִ֜י ר֗וּחַ וַתָּבֵ֣א אֹ֠תִי אֶל־ שַׁ֨עַר בֵּית־ יְהוָ֤ה הַקַּדְמוֹנִי֙ הַפּוֹנֶ֣ה קָדִ֔ימָה וְהִנֵּה֙ בְּפֶ֣תַח הַשַּׁ֔עַר עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אִ֑ישׁ וָאֶרְאֶ֨ה בְתוֹכָ֜ם אֶת־ יַאֲזַנְיָ֧ה בֶן־ עַזֻּ֛ר וְאֶת־ פְּלַטְיָ֥הוּ בְּנָיָ֖הוּ שָׂרֵ֖י הָעָֽם פ

וַתִּשָּׂ֨א  And  lifted  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
אֹתִ֜י  me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
ר֗וּחַ  the  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
וַתָּבֵ֣א  and  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֹ֠תִי  me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שַׁ֨עַר  Gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֤ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַקַּדְמוֹנִי֙  the  East 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קַדְמֹנִי  
Sense: former, ancient, eastern.
הַפּוֹנֶ֣ה  which  faces 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
קָדִ֔ימָה  eastward 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קָדִים  
Sense: east, east wind.
וְהִנֵּה֙  and  there  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בְּפֶ֣תַח  at  the  door 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּתַח  
Sense: opening, doorway, entrance.
הַשַּׁ֔עַר  of  the  gate 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
עֶשְׂרִ֥ים  twenty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה  and  five 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
אִ֑ישׁ  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וָאֶרְאֶ֨ה  and  I  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְתוֹכָ֜ם  among  whom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יַאֲזַנְיָ֧ה  Jaazaniah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַאֲזַנְיָה 
Sense: a Judean, son of the Maachathite, a captain of the Judean forces who visited Gedaliah at Mizpah after Gedaliah had been appointed governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַזֻּ֛ר  of  Azzur 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַזֻּר  
Sense: a Benjamite of Gibeon, father of the false prophet Hananiah.
פְּלַטְיָ֥הוּ  Pelatiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּלַטְיָה 
Sense: son of Hananiah and grandson of Zerubbabel.
בְּנָיָ֖הוּ  of  Benaiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּנָיָה 
Sense: one of David’s mighty warriors, son of Jehoiada the chief priest, a Levite, set by David over his bodyguard, later having remained faithful to Solomon during Adonijah’s attempt on the crown, was raised into the place of Joab as commander-in-chief of the army.
שָׂרֵ֖י  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
הָעָֽם  of  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation