The Meaning of Ezekiel 4:4 Explained

Ezekiel 4:4

KJV: Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.

YLT: 'And thou, lie on thy left side, and thou hast placed the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; the number of the days that thou liest on it, thou bearest their iniquity.

Darby: And thou, lie upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: the number of the days that thou liest upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity.

ASV: Moreover lie thou upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it; according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Lie  thou also upon thy left  side,  and lay  the iniquity  of the house  of Israel  upon it: [according] to the number  of the days  that thou shalt lie  upon it thou shalt bear  their iniquity. 

What does Ezekiel 4:4 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 4

1  Under type of a siege is shown the time from the defection of Jeroboam to captivity
9  By the provision of the siege, is shown the hardness of the famine

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 4:4 mean?

And You lie on your side left and lay - the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it [According] to the number of the days that you lie on it you shall bear their iniquity
וְאַתָּ֤ה שְׁכַב֙ עַל־ צִדְּךָ֣ הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔י וְשַׂמְתָּ֛ אֶת־ עֲוֺ֥ן בֵּֽית־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עָלָ֑יו מִסְפַּ֤ר הַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁכַּ֣ב עָלָ֔יו תִּשָּׂ֖א עֲוֺנָֽם

וְאַתָּ֤ה  And  You 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
שְׁכַב֙  lie 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
צִדְּךָ֣  your  side 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צַד 
Sense: side.
הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔י  left 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שְׂמָאלִי  
Sense: left, left side, on the left.
וְשַׂמְתָּ֛  and  lay 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֲוֺ֥ן  the  iniquity 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
בֵּֽית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  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.
עָלָ֑יו  upon  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine 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.
מִסְפַּ֤ר  [According]  to  the  number 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.
הַיָּמִים֙  of  the  days 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תִּשְׁכַּ֣ב  you  lie 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
עָלָ֔יו  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine 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.
תִּשָּׂ֖א  you  shall  bear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
עֲוֺנָֽם  their  iniquity 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.