The Meaning of Ezekiel 13:12 Explained

Ezekiel 13:12

KJV: Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?

YLT: And lo, fallen hath the wall! Doth not one say unto you, Where is the daubing that ye daubed?

Darby: And lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing with which ye have daubed it?

ASV: Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Lo, when the wall  is fallen,  shall it not be said  unto you, Where [is] the daubing  wherewith ye have daubed  [it]? 

What does Ezekiel 13:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

When the walls, or the picture of the future that the false prophets had painted, had collapsed, the people would ask a question. They would question the materials out of which they constructed the wall, either the literal wall or the wall of false speculation. It had proved inadequate and unreliable.
"An attractive external appearance is no substitute for intrinsic soundness." [1]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 13

1  The reproof of false prophets
10  and their untempered mortar
17  Of prophecies and their pillows

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 13:12 mean?

And when surely has fallen the wall will not it be said to you where [is] the mortar with which you plastered [it] -
וְהִנֵּ֖ה נָפַ֣ל הַקִּ֑יר הֲלוֹא֙ יֵאָמֵ֣ר אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אַיֵּ֥ה הַטִּ֖יחַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר טַחְתֶּֽם ס

וְהִנֵּ֖ה  And  when  surely 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
נָפַ֣ל  has  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
הַקִּ֑יר  the  wall 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִיר  
Sense: wall, side.
הֲלוֹא֙  will  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֵאָמֵ֣ר  it  be  said 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אַיֵּ֥ה  where  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: אַיֵּה  
Sense: where?.
הַטִּ֖יחַ  the  mortar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: טִיחַ  
Sense: a coating, plaster.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  with  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
טַחְתֶּֽם  you  plastered  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: טוּחַ 
Sense: to spread over, overlay, plaster, cover over, coat, besmear.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation