The Meaning of Ezekiel 9:4 Explained

Ezekiel 9:4

KJV: And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

YLT: And He calleth unto the man who is clothed with linen, who hath the scribe's inkhorn at his loins, and Jehovah saith unto him, 'Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Jerusalem, and thou hast made a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and who are groaning for all the abominations that are done in its midst.'

Darby: and Jehovah said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said  unto him, Go through  the midst  of the city,  through the midst  of Jerusalem,  and set  a mark  upon the foreheads  of the men  that sigh  and that cry  for all the abominations  that be done  in the midst  thereof. 

What does Ezekiel 9:4 Mean?

Study Notes

set a mark
.
thee Remnant.
Jeremiah 15:11-21 ; Jeremiah 23:3-8 ; Jeremiah 31:7 ; Jeremiah 31:14 ; Isaiah 1:9 ; Ezekiel 6:8 ; Ezekiel 8:11-14 ; Ezekiel 9:4 ; Ezekiel 11:16-21 ; Joel 2:32 ; Amos 5:15 ; Micah 2:12 ; Micah 4:1 ; Micah 5:3 ; Micah 7:18 ; Zephaniah 2:7 ; Zephaniah 3:13 ; Haggai 1:14 ; Zechariah 8:6 ; Malachi 3:16-18 ; Romans 11:5 . (See Scofield " Romans 11:5 ") .
redeem (See Scofield " Isaiah 59:20 ") See Scofield " Exodus 14:30 ".
thee Marg
redeem
thee Remnant.
Jeremiah 15:11-21 ; Jeremiah 23:3-8 ; Jeremiah 31:7 ; Jeremiah 31:14 ; Isaiah 1:9 ; Ezekiel 6:8 ; Ezekiel 8:11-14 ; Ezekiel 9:4 ; Ezekiel 11:16-21 ; Joel 2:32 ; Amos 5:15 ; Micah 2:12 ; Micah 4:1 ; Micah 5:3 ; Micah 7:18 ; Zephaniah 2:7 ; Zephaniah 3:13 ; Haggai 1:14 ; Zechariah 8:6 ; Malachi 3:16-18 ; Romans 11:5 . (See Scofield " Romans 11:5 ") .
redeem (See Scofield " Isaiah 59:20 ") See Scofield " Exodus 14:30 ".
redeem
thee Remnant.
Jeremiah 15:11-21 ; Jeremiah 23:3-8 ; Jeremiah 31:7 ; Jeremiah 31:14 ; Isaiah 1:9 ; Ezekiel 6:8 ; Ezekiel 8:11-14 ; Ezekiel 9:4 ; Ezekiel 11:16-21 ; Joel 2:32 ; Amos 5:15 ; Micah 2:12 ; Micah 4:1 ; Micah 5:3 ; Micah 7:18 ; Zephaniah 2:7 ; Zephaniah 3:13 ; Haggai 1:14 ; Zechariah 8:6 ; Malachi 3:16-18 ; Romans 11:5 . (See Scofield " Romans 11:5 ") .
redeem (See Scofield " Isaiah 59:20 ") See Scofield " Exodus 14:30 ".

Verse Meaning

The Lord instructed this man to go through Jerusalem and put a mark on everyone who expressed grief over the abominations that existed in Jerusalem (cf. Revelation 7:3; Revelation 9:4; Revelation 14:1). The mark distinguished the godly from the wicked (cf. Exodus 12:7; Exodus 12:13; Joshua 2). Some expositors believed that this individual was the Angel of the Lord, the preincarnate Christ, because of his prominence among these messengers and because of what he did (cf. Ezekiel 10:2; Ezekiel 10:6-7). [1] There is no way to prove or disprove this theory. Most interpreters believe he was an angel.
"There was special significance to the "mark" used for the purpose. The word "mark" is the Hebrew word taw, which is the name of the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It may have been understood as an abbreviation for tam, "blameless." In the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. the taw of Paleo-Hebrew script was written like an X or sloped cross." [2]
" Ezekiel , of course, could not have thought of Christian symbolism nor is the passage a direct prediction of Christ"s cross. It is a remarkable coincidence, however." [3]
"This is one of the many examples where the Hebrew prophets spoke better than they knew." [4]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 9

1  A vision, whereby is shown the preservation of some
5  and the destruction of the rest
8  God cannot be entreated for them

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 9:4 mean?

and said Yahweh - to go through the midst of the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ [אלו] (אֵלָ֔יו) עֲבֹר֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהִתְוִ֨יתָ תָּ֜ו עַל־ מִצְח֣וֹת הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַנֶּֽאֱנָחִים֙ וְהַנֶּ֣אֱנָקִ֔ים עַ֚ל כָּל־ הַתּ֣וֹעֵב֔וֹת הַֽנַּעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּתוֹכָֽהּ

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
[אלו]  - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
עֲבֹר֙  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בְּת֣וֹךְ  through  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הָעִ֔יר  of  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וְהִתְוִ֨יתָ  and  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: תָּוָה  
Sense: to scrabble, limit, mark, make or set a mark.
תָּ֜ו  a  mark 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תָּו  
Sense: desire, mark.
מִצְח֣וֹת  the  foreheads  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֵצַח  
Sense: brow, forehead.
הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים  the  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
הַנֶּֽאֱנָחִים֙  who  sigh 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָנַח  
Sense: (Niphal) sigh, groan (in pain or grief), gasp.
וְהַנֶּ֣אֱנָקִ֔ים  and  cry 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָנַק  
Sense: to cry, groan.
עַ֚ל  over 
Parse: Preposition
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.
הַתּ֣וֹעֵב֔וֹת  the  abominations 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
הַֽנַּעֲשׂ֖וֹת  that  are  done 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְּתוֹכָֽהּ  within  it 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.