The Meaning of Ezekiel 2:10 Explained

Ezekiel 2:10

KJV: And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

YLT: and He spreadeth it before me, and it is written in front and behind, and written on it are lamentations, and mourning, and woe!

Darby: And he spread it out before me; and it was written within and without; and there were written in it lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

ASV: And he spread it before me: and it was written within and without; and there were written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he spread  it before  me; and it [was] written  within  and without:  and [there was] written  therein lamentations,  and mourning,  and woe. 

What does Ezekiel 2:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezekiel 2:1-10 - A Hard Commission
The people were impudent and stiff-hearted; their words as briars and thorns; their speech like the poison of scorpions; but the prophet was commissioned to go on with his divine mission, undeterred by their opposition. Under such circumstances we must be sure of a Thus saith the Lord. But no man can stand against the continual opposition of his fellows, unless his strength is renewed, as Ezekiel's was, by eating that which God gives. Open thy mouth, and eat that which I give thee, Ezekiel 2:8. Let us specially consider the divine denunciations of sin, that our words may be sharper than any two-edged sword. Nothing makes us so strong as feeding perpetually upon the roll of the Book, and especially on the Word within the words. We must eat the flesh and drink in the life of the Son of man, if we can deal aright with the needs of the sons of men. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 2

1  Ezekiel's commission
6  His instruction
9  The scroll of his heavy prophecy

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 2:10 mean?

And He spread it before me and was writing on the inside and on the outside and written on it [were] lamentations and mourning and woe -
וַיִּפְרֹ֤שׂ אוֹתָהּ֙ לְפָנַ֔י וְהִ֥יא כְתוּבָ֖ה פָּנִ֣ים וְאָח֑וֹר וְכָת֣וּב אֵלֶ֔יהָ קִנִ֥ים וָהֶ֖גֶה וָהִֽי ס

וַיִּפְרֹ֤שׂ  And  He  spread 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
לְפָנַ֔י  before  me 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְהִ֥יא  and  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
כְתוּבָ֖ה  writing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
פָּנִ֣ים  on  the  inside 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְאָח֑וֹר  and  on  the  outside 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָחֹור  
Sense: the back side, the rear.
וְכָת֣וּב  and  written 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
אֵלֶ֔יהָ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
קִנִ֥ים  [were]  lamentations 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: קִינָה  
Sense: lamentation, dirge, elegy.
וָהֶ֖גֶה  and  mourning 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֶגֶה  
Sense: a rumbling, growling, moaning.
וָהִֽי  and  woe 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הִי  
Sense: lamentation, wailing.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation