The Meaning of Ezekiel 21:12 Explained

Ezekiel 21:12

KJV: Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.

YLT: Cry and howl, son of man, For it hath been among My people, It is among all the princes of Israel, Cast unto the sword have been My people. Therefore strike on thy thigh,

Darby: Cry and howl, son of man; for it shall be against my people, it shall be against all the princes of Israel: they are given up to the sword along with my people: smite therefore upon the thigh.

ASV: Cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon my people, it is upon all the princes of Israel: they are delivered over to the sword with my people; smite therefore upon thy thigh.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Cry  and howl,  son  of man:  for it shall be upon my people,  it [shall be] upon all the princes  of Israel:  terrors  by reason of  the sword  shall be upon my people:  smite  therefore upon [thy] thigh. 

What does Ezekiel 21:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 21

1  Ezekiel prophesies against Jerusalem with a sign of sighing
8  The sharp and bright sword
18  against Jerusalem
25  against the kingdom
28  and against the Ammonites

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 21:12 mean?

Cry and wail son of man for it will be against My people it [is] Against all the princes of Israel Terrors including the sword will be against My people therefore strike on [your] thigh
זְעַ֤ק וְהֵילֵל֙ בֶּן־ אָדָ֔ם כִּי־ הִיא֙ הָיתָ֣ה‪‬ בְעַמִּ֔י הִ֖יא בְּכָל־ נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מְגוּרֵ֤י אֶל־ חֶ֙רֶב֙ הָי֣וּ אֶת־ עַמִּ֔י לָכֵ֖ן סְפֹ֥ק אֶל־ יָרֵֽךְ

זְעַ֤ק  Cry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: זָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, call for help.
וְהֵילֵל֙  and  wail 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָלַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to howl, wail, make a howling.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֔ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
הָיתָ֣ה‪‬  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְעַמִּ֔י  against  My  people 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הִ֖יא  it  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
בְּכָל־  Against  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נְשִׂיאֵ֣י  the  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מְגוּרֵ֤י  Terrors 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural construct
Root: מָגַר  
Sense: to throw, cast, toss.
אֶל־  including 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
חֶ֙רֶב֙  the  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
הָי֣וּ  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֶת־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
עַמִּ֔י  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
סְפֹ֥ק  strike 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: סָפַק 
Sense: to clap, slap.
יָרֵֽךְ  [your]  thigh 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָרֵךְ  
Sense: thigh, side, loin, base.