The Meaning of Ezekiel 40:2 Explained

Ezekiel 40:2

KJV: In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

YLT: in visions of God He hath brought me in unto the land of Israel, and causeth me to rest on a very high mountain, and upon it is as the frame of a city on the south.

Darby: In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain; and upon it was as the building of a city, on the south.

ASV: In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In the visions  of God  brought  he me into the land  of Israel,  and set  me upon a very  high  mountain,  by which [was] as the frame  of a city  on the south. 

What does Ezekiel 40:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord took Ezekiel in his vision to the land of Israel and set him on a high mountain there (cf. Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 8:3). Today Mount Scopus, on the north end of the Mt. Olivet ridge, rises slightly higher than the temple mount, as was true also in biblical times. Looking south Ezekiel saw a structure that resembled a city. As the vision unfolds, what he saw proved to be a temple complex with walls, courtyards, and various structures, probably on the site of Solomon"s temple.
Ezekiel"s transportation in a vision back to Israel amounted to a kind of homecoming for him. He had previously been in Babylon in his visions ( Ezekiel 3:14-15; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 11:24), but now the Lord took him, as He would later take all the Israelites, back to the Promised Land. [1]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 40

1  The time, manner, and end of the vision of the city and temple
6  The description of the east gate of the outer court
20  of the north gate
24  of the south gate
27  of the south gate of the inner court
32  of the east gate
35  and of the north gate
39  Eight tables
44  The chambers
48  The porch of the house

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 40:2 mean?

In the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and set me on a mountain high very and on it [was] something like the structure of a city toward the south
בְּמַרְא֣וֹת אֱלֹהִ֔ים הֱבִיאַ֖נִי אֶל־ אֶ֣רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְנִיחֵ֗נִי אֶל־ הַ֤ר גָּבֹ֙הַּ֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְעָלָ֥יו כְּמִבְנֵה־ עִ֖יר מִנֶּֽגֶב

בְּמַרְא֣וֹת  In  the  visions 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מַרְאָה 
Sense: vision.
אֱלֹהִ֔ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הֱבִיאַ֖נִי  He  took  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
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.
וַיְנִיחֵ֗נִי  and  set  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: נוּחַ 
Sense: to rest.
הַ֤ר  a  mountain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
גָּבֹ֙הַּ֙  high 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹהַּ  
Sense: high, exalted.
מְאֹ֔ד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
וְעָלָ֥יו  and  on  it  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine 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.
כְּמִבְנֵה־  something  like  the  structure 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִבְנֶה  
Sense: structure, building.
עִ֖יר  of  a  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מִנֶּֽגֶב  toward  the  south 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.