The Meaning of Ezekiel 16:3 Explained

Ezekiel 16:3

KJV: And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.

YLT: Thus said the Lord Jehovah to Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity Are of the land of the Canaanite, Thy father the Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.

Darby: and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanite: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.

ASV: and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was thy father, and thy mother was a Hittite.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And say,  Thus saith  the Lord  GOD  unto Jerusalem;  Thy birth  and thy nativity  [is] of the land  of Canaan;  thy father  [was] an Amorite,  and thy mother  an Hittite. 

What does Ezekiel 16:3 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 16

1  Under the parable of a wretched infant is shown the natural state of Jerusalem
6  God's extraordinary love toward her,
15  Her grievous judgment
35  Her sin, equal to her mother,
46  and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria,
59  calls for judgments
60  Mercy is promised her in the end

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 16:3 mean?

and say thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem Your birth and your nativity [are] from the land of the Canaanite your father [was] an Amorite and your mother a Hittite
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־ אָמַ֨ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ לִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם מְכֹרֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ וּמֹ֣לְדֹתַ֔יִךְ מֵאֶ֖רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑י אָבִ֥יךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֖י וְאִמֵּ֥ךְ חִתִּֽית

וְאָמַרְתָּ֞  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֨ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֤י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִה֙  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
לִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם  to  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-l, 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.
מְכֹרֹתַ֙יִךְ֙  Your  birth 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מְכוּרָה  
Sense: origin.
וּמֹ֣לְדֹתַ֔יִךְ  and  your  nativity  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: מֹולֶדֶת  
Sense: kindred, birth, offspring, relatives.
מֵאֶ֖רֶץ  from  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑י  of  the  Canaanite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
אָבִ֥יךְ  your  father  [was] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
הָאֱמֹרִ֖י  an  Amorite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱמֹרִי  
Sense: one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt.
וְאִמֵּ֥ךְ  and  your  mother 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
חִתִּֽית  a  Hittite 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִתִּי  
Sense: the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon.