The Meaning of Ezekiel 20:46 Explained

Ezekiel 20:46

KJV: Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;

YLT: Son of man, set thy face the way of Teman, and prophesy unto the south, and prophesy unto the forest of the field -- the south;

Darby: Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop words against the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;

ASV: Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Son  of man,  set  thy face  toward  the south,  and drop  [thy word] toward the south,  and prophesy  against the forest  of the south  field; 

What does Ezekiel 20:46 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 20:46 mean?

Son of man set your face toward toward the south and preach against the south and prophesy forest the land the Negev
בֶּן־ אָדָ֗ם שִׂ֤ים פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ תֵּימָ֔נָה וְהַטֵּ֖ף אֶל־ דָּר֑וֹם וְהִנָּבֵ֛א יַ֥עַר הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה נֶֽגֶב

בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֗ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
שִׂ֤ים  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙  your  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
דֶּ֣רֶךְ  toward 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
תֵּימָ֔נָה  toward  the  south 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: תֵּימָן  
Sense: south, southward, whatever is on the right (so the southern quarter), south wind.
וְהַטֵּ֖ף  and  preach 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָטַף  
Sense: to drop, drip, distil, prophesy, preach, discourse.
אֶל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
דָּר֑וֹם  the  south 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּרֹום  
Sense: south.
וְהִנָּבֵ֛א  and  prophesy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
יַ֥עַר  forest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.
הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
נֶֽגֶב  the  Negev 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.