The Meaning of Ezekiel 20:32 Explained

Ezekiel 20:32

KJV: And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.

YLT: And that which is going up on your mind, It is not at all -- in that ye are saying: We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands, To serve wood and stone.

Darby: And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, in serving wood and stone.

ASV: and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, in that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And that which cometh  into your mind  shall not be at all, that ye say,  We will be  as the heathen,  as the families  of the countries,  to serve  wood  and stone. 

What does Ezekiel 20:32 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 20

1  God refuses to be consulted by the elders of Israel
4  He shows the story of their rebellions in Egypt
19  in the desert
27  and in the land
33  He promises to gather them by the Gospel
45  Under the name of a forest he shows the destruction of Jerusalem

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 20:32 mean?

And what you have in your mind be at all never shall be when you say we will be like the Gentiles like the families in [other] countries serving wood and stone
וְהָֽעֹלָה֙ עַל־ ר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם הָי֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִֽהְיֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹמְרִ֗ים נִֽהְיֶ֤ה כַגּוֹיִם֙ כְּמִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת לְשָׁרֵ֖ת עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן

וְהָֽעֹלָה֙  And  what  you  have 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
ר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם  your  mind 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
הָי֖וֹ  be  at  all 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לֹ֣א  never 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תִֽהְיֶ֑ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֹמְרִ֗ים  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נִֽהְיֶ֤ה  we  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כַגּוֹיִם֙  like  the  Gentiles 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
כְּמִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת  like  the  families  in 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת  [other]  countries 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לְשָׁרֵ֖ת  serving 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁרַת  
Sense: (Piel) to minister, serve, minister to.
עֵ֥ץ  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וָאָֽבֶן  and  stone 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).