The Meaning of Ezekiel 33:10 Explained

Ezekiel 33:10

KJV: Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?

YLT: And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Rightly ye have spoken, saying: Surely our transgressions and our sins are on us, And in them we are wasting away, How, then, do we live?

Darby: And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel, Thus ye speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we waste away in them, how then should we live?

ASV: And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Thus ye speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore, O thou son  of man,  speak  unto the house  of Israel;  Thus ye speak,  saying,  If our transgressions  and our sins  [be] upon us, and we pine away  in them, how should we then live? 

What does Ezekiel 33:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezekiel 33:1-16 - "why Will Ye Die?"
The prophet depicts the peasantry of a fertile valley as engaged in pastoral pursuits. It is a peaceful, happy scene; but, creeping through the mountain passes, are their deadliest foes. How necessary that there should be a watchman, trumpet in hand, to give notice; and how unspeakable his guilt if he forbear to sound a warning! We are not responsible for those who refuse to take warning from our announcements, faithfully given; but if we perceive a soul in mortal danger and forbear to warn it, we are not only responsible for its ruin, but we bring awful retribution upon ourselves. Well might Richard Baxter lie awake at night beneath his awful sense of responsibility for the souls of men. God desires our salvation. If only the sinner will confess his sins to the faithful and merciful High Priest, and make such restitution as he can, not one of his sins shall be remembered against him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 33

1  According to the duty of a watchman in warning the people
7  Ezekiel is admonished of his duty
10  God shows the justice of his ways toward the penitent and toward revolters
17  He maintains his justice
21  Upon the news of the taking of Jerusalem
25  he prophecies the desolation of the land
30  God's judgment upon the mockers of the prophets

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 33:10 mean?

And therefore you son of man say to the house of Israel thus you say if our transgressions and our sins [lie] upon us and in them we pine away then how can we live
וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־ אָדָ֗ם אֱמֹר֙ אֶל־ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כֵּ֤ן אֲמַרְתֶּם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כִּֽי־ פְשָׁעֵ֥ינוּ וְחַטֹּאתֵ֖ינוּ עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּבָ֛ם אֲנַ֥חְנוּ נְמַקִּ֖ים וְאֵ֥יךְ ؟ נִֽחְיֶֽה

וְאַתָּ֣ה  And  therefore  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
בֶן־  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.
אֱמֹר֙  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בֵּ֣ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  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.
כֵּ֤ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  say 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
פְשָׁעֵ֥ינוּ  our  transgressions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
וְחַטֹּאתֵ֖ינוּ  and  our  sins  [lie] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
עָלֵ֑ינוּ  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
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.
וּבָ֛ם  and  in  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine plural
נְמַקִּ֖ים  pine  away 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מָקַק  
Sense: to decay, pine away, rot, fester.
וְאֵ֥יךְ  then  how 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
؟ נִֽחְיֶֽה  can  we  live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
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.