The Meaning of Ezekiel 14:16 Explained

Ezekiel 14:16

KJV: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

YLT: these three men in its midst: I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah -- neither sons nor daughters do they deliver; they alone are delivered, and the land is a desolation.

Darby: though these three men should be in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters: they only should be delivered, and the land should be a desolation.

ASV: though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Though] these three  men  [were] in it,  [as] I live,  saith  the Lord  GOD,  they shall deliver  neither sons  nor daughters;  they only shall be delivered,  but the land  shall be desolate. 

What does Ezekiel 14:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 14

1  God answers idolaters according to their own heart
6  They are exhorted to repent, for fear of judgments, by means of seduced prophets
12  God's irrevocable sentence of famine
15  of wild beasts
17  of the sword
19  and of pestilence
22  A remnant shall be reserved for example of others

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 14:16 mean?

three men [were] [even though] these in it live [as] I says the Lord GOD neither sons nor daughters they would deliver they only would be delivered and the land would be desolate
שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵלֶּה֮ בְּתוֹכָהּ֒ חַי־ אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה אִם־ בָּנִ֥ים וְאִם־ בָּנ֖וֹת יַצִּ֑ילוּ הֵ֤מָּה לְבַדָּם֙ יִנָּצֵ֔לוּ וְהָאָ֖רֶץ תִּהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמָמָֽה

שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים  men  [were] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֵלֶּה֮  [even  though]  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
בְּתוֹכָהּ֒  in  it 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
חַי־  live 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אָ֗נִי  [as]  I 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
נְאֻם֙  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
אֲדֹנָ֣י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֔ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אִם־  neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
בָּנִ֥ים  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְאִם־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
בָּנ֖וֹת  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
יַצִּ֑ילוּ  they  would  deliver 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
לְבַדָּם֙  only 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּד 
Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.
יִנָּצֵ֔לוּ  would  be  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
וְהָאָ֖רֶץ  and  the  land 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
תִּהְיֶ֥ה  would  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
שְׁמָמָֽה  desolate 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמָמָה 
Sense: devastation, waste, desolation.