The Meaning of Ezekiel 16:6 Explained

Ezekiel 16:6

KJV: And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

YLT: And I do pass over by thee, And I see thee trodden down in thy blood, And I say to thee in thy blood, Live, And I say to thee in thy blood, Live.

Darby: And I passed by thee, and saw thee weltering in thy blood, and I said unto thee, in thy blood, Live! yea, I said unto thee, in thy blood, Live!

ASV: And when I passed by thee, and saw thee weltering in thy blood, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live; yea, I said unto thee, Though thou art in thy blood, live.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when I passed  by thee, and saw  thee polluted  in thine own blood,  I said  unto thee [when thou wast] in thy blood,  Live;  yea, I said  unto thee [when thou wast] in thy blood,  Live. 

What does Ezekiel 16:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord had compassion on Jerusalem in her helpless and undesirable condition and took care of her so she survived. [1] The city remained as an unwanted child until, at the Lord"s direction, David captured it from the Jebusites and made it the capital of his kingdom ( 2 Samuel 5:6-10).

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 16:6 mean?

And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood and I said to you in your blood Live and Yes I said to you Live
וָאֶעֱבֹ֤ר עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ וָֽאֶרְאֵ֔ךְ מִתְבּוֹסֶ֖סֶת בְּדָמָ֑יִךְ וָאֹ֤מַר לָךְ֙ בְּדָמַ֣יִךְ חֲיִ֔י וָאֹ֥מַר לָ֖ךְ חֲיִֽי

וָאֶעֱבֹ֤ר  And  when  I  passed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
עָלַ֙יִךְ֙  by  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine 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.
וָֽאֶרְאֵ֔ךְ  and  saw  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, second person feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
מִתְבּוֹסֶ֖סֶת  struggling 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, feminine singular
Root: בּוּס  
Sense: to tread down, reject, trample down.
בְּדָמָ֑יִךְ  in  your  own  blood 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וָאֹ֤מַר  and  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָךְ֙  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
בְּדָמַ֣יִךְ  in  your  blood 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
חֲיִ֔י  Live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
וָאֹ֥מַר  and  Yes  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֖ךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
חֲיִֽי  Live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.