The Meaning of Ezekiel 17:2 Explained

Ezekiel 17:2

KJV: Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

YLT: 'Son of man, put forth a riddle, and use a simile unto the house of Israel,

Darby: Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel,

ASV: Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Son  of man,  put forth  a riddle,  and speak  a parable  unto the house  of Israel; 

What does Ezekiel 17:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 17

1  Under the parable of two eagles and a vine
11  is shown God's judgment upon Jerusalem for revolting from Babylon to Egypt
22  God promises to plant the cedar of the Gospel

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 17:2 mean?

Son of man pose a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel
בֶּן־ אָדָ֕ם ח֥וּד חִידָ֖ה וּמְשֹׁ֣ל מָשָׁ֑ל אֶל־ בֵּ֖ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֕ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
ח֥וּד  pose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: חוּד  
Sense: (Qal) to propose a riddle, propound a riddle.
חִידָ֖ה  a  riddle 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חִידָה  
Sense: riddle, difficult question, parable, enigmatic saying or question, perplexing saying or question.
וּמְשֹׁ֣ל  and  speak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: מָשַׁל 
Sense: to represent, liken, be like.
מָשָׁ֑ל  a  parable 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָשָׁל  
Sense: proverb, parable.
בֵּ֖ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  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.