The Meaning of Ezekiel 9:9 Explained

Ezekiel 9:9

KJV: Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

YLT: And He saith unto me, 'The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very very great, and the land is full of blood, and the city hath been full of perverseness, for they have said: Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah is not seeing.

Darby: And he said unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness; for they say, Jehovah hath forsaken the earth, and Jehovah seeth not.

ASV: Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of wrestling of judgment : for they say, Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah seeth not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  he unto me, The iniquity  of the house  of Israel  and Judah  [is] exceeding  great,  and the land  is full  of blood,  and the city  full  of perverseness:  for they say,  The LORD  hath forsaken  the earth,  and the LORD  seeth  not. 

What does Ezekiel 9:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord replied that the wickedness of the Israelites was extremely great (cf. Exodus 23:2). Bloodshed and perversion filled the land because the people had concluded that the Lord had abandoned them and would not see and take action regardless of what they did. Awareness that God sees us restrains people from sinning, but belief that He does not see us leads to flagrant sinning.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 9

1  A vision, whereby is shown the preservation of some
5  and the destruction of the rest
8  God cannot be entreated for them

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 9:9 mean?

and He said to me the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] great is very exceedingly and is full of the land bloodshed and the city full of perversity for they say has forsaken Yahweh - the land and not Yahweh does see
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י עֲוֺ֨ן בֵּֽית־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל וִֽיהוּדָה֙ גָּדוֹל֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וַתִּמָּלֵ֤א הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ דָּמִ֔ים וְהָעִ֖יר מָלְאָ֣ה מֻטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אָמְר֗וּ עָזַ֤ב יְהוָה֙ אֶת־ הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֵ֥ין יְהוָ֖ה רֹאֶֽה

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  He  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַ֗י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עֲוֺ֨ן  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.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל  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.
וִֽיהוּדָה֙  and  Judah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
גָּדוֹל֙  [is]  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
בִּמְאֹ֣ד  is  very 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
מְאֹ֔ד  exceedingly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
וַתִּמָּלֵ֤א  and  is  full 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
דָּמִ֔ים  bloodshed 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וְהָעִ֖יר  and  the  city 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מָלְאָ֣ה  full 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
מֻטֶּ֑ה  of  perversity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֻטֶּה  
Sense: a perversion, that which is perverted or warped, perverted.
אָמְר֗וּ  they  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עָזַ֤ב  has  forsaken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
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.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְאֵ֥ין  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
רֹאֶֽה  does  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.