The Meaning of Ezekiel 16:5 Explained

Ezekiel 16:5

KJV: None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.

YLT: No eye hath had pity on thee, to do to thee any of these, To have compassion on thee, And thou art cast on the face of the field, With loathing of thy person. In the day thou hast been born -- thou!

Darby: No eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, from abhorrence of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.

ASV: No eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, for that thy person was abhorred, in the day that thou wast born.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

None eye  pitied  thee, to do  any  of these unto thee, to have compassion  upon thee; but thou wast cast out  in the open  field,  to the lothing  of thy person,  in the day  that thou wast born. 

What does Ezekiel 16:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

No one had compassion on Jerusalem but abandoned her because she was an unwanted child. A common method of disposing of unwanted children in the ancient Near East, especially girls, was to abandon them to the elements. [1] When the Israelites entered the land in Joshua"s day, they did not take Jerusalem ( Joshua 15:63).

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 16:5 mean?

No pitied you eye to do for you one of these [things] to have compassion on you but you were thrown out into open the field when were loathed you yourself on the day were born you
לֹא־ חָ֨סָה עָלַ֜יִךְ עַ֗יִן לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לָ֛ךְ אַחַ֥ת מֵאֵ֖לֶּה לְחֻמְלָ֣ה עָלָ֑יִךְ וַֽתֻּשְׁלְכִ֞י אֶל־ פְּנֵ֤י הַשָּׂדֶה֙ בְּגֹ֣עַל נַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ בְּי֖וֹם הֻלֶּ֥דֶת אֹתָֽךְ

לֹא־  No 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
חָ֨סָה  pitied 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חוּס  
Sense: (Qal) to pity, have compassion, spare, look upon with compassion.
עַ֗יִן  eye 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת  to  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָ֛ךְ  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
אַחַ֥ת  one 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
מֵאֵ֖לֶּה  of  these  [things] 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
לְחֻמְלָ֣ה  to  have  compassion 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: חָמַל 
Sense: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on.
עָלָ֑יִךְ  on  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וַֽתֻּשְׁלְכִ֞י  but  you  were  thrown  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
פְּנֵ֤י  open 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
בְּגֹ֣עַל  when  were  loathed 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גֹּעַל  
Sense: loathing.
נַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ  you  yourself 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בְּי֖וֹם  on  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הֻלֶּ֥דֶת  were  born 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.