The Meaning of Ezekiel 16:4 Explained

Ezekiel 16:4

KJV: And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

YLT: As to thy nativity, in the day thou wast born, Thou -- thy navel hath not been cut, And in water thou wast not washed for ease, And thou hast not been salted at all, And thou hast not been swaddled at all.

Darby: And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water for cleansing; thou wast not rubbed with salt at all, nor swaddled at all.

ASV: And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to cleanse thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And [as for] thy nativity,  in the day  thou wast born  thy navel  was not cut,  neither wast thou washed  in water  to supple  [thee]; thou wast not salted  at all,  nor swaddled  at all. 

What does Ezekiel 16:4 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 16

1  Under the parable of a wretched infant is shown the natural state of Jerusalem
6  God's extraordinary love toward her,
15  Her grievous judgment
35  Her sin, equal to her mother,
46  and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria,
59  calls for judgments
60  Mercy is promised her in the end

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 16:4 mean?

And [As for] your nativity on the day were born you not was cut your navel [cord] and in water nor were you washed to cleanse [you] and not you were rubbed with salt and nor wrapped in swaddling cloths
וּמוֹלְדוֹתַ֗יִךְ בְּי֨וֹם הוּלֶּ֤דֶת אֹתָךְ֙ לֹֽא־ כָרַּ֣ת שָׁרֵּ֔ךְ וּבְמַ֥יִם לֹֽא־ רֻחַ֖צְתְּ לְמִשְׁעִ֑י וְהָמְלֵ֙חַ֙ לֹ֣א הֻמְלַ֔חַתְּ וְהָחְתֵּ֖ל לֹ֥א חֻתָּֽלְתְּ

וּמוֹלְדוֹתַ֗יִךְ  And  [As  for]  your  nativity 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מֹולֶדֶת  
Sense: kindred, birth, offspring, relatives.
בְּי֨וֹם  on  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הוּלֶּ֤דֶת  were  born 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
כָרַּ֣ת  was  cut 
Parse: Verb, QalPass, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
שָׁרֵּ֔ךְ  your  navel  [cord] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: שֵׁר 
Sense: umbilical cord, navel, navel-string.
וּבְמַ֥יִם  and  in  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
לֹֽא־  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
רֻחַ֖צְתְּ  were  you  washed 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
לְמִשְׁעִ֑י  to  cleanse  [you] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb
Root: מִשְׁעִי  
Sense: cleansing.
הֻמְלַ֔חַתְּ  you  were  rubbed  with  salt 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: מָלַח 
Sense: to tear away, dissipate.
לֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
חֻתָּֽלְתְּ  wrapped  in  swaddling  cloths 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: חָתַל  
Sense: to entwine, enwrap, be swaddled.