The Meaning of Ezekiel 17:9 Explained

Ezekiel 17:9

KJV: Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

YLT: Say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: It prospereth -- its roots doth he not draw out, And its fruit cut off, and it is withered? In all the leaves of its springing it withereth, And not by great strength, and by a numerous people, To lift it up by its roots.

Darby: Say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither? All its fresh sprouting leaves shall wither, even without a great arm and many people to pluck it up by its roots.

ASV: Say thou, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? and not by a strong arm or much people can it be raised from the roots thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Say  thou, Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  Shall it prosper?  shall he not pull up  the roots  thereof, and cut off  the fruit  thereof, that it wither?  it shall wither  in all the leaves  of her spring,  even without great  power  or many  people  to pluck it up  by the roots  thereof. 

What does Ezekiel 17:9 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 17

1  Under the parable of two eagles and a vine
11  is shown God's judgment upon Jerusalem for revolting from Babylon to Egypt
22  God promises to plant the cedar of the Gospel

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 17:9 mean?

Say thus says the Lord GOD will it thrive will not - its roots he pull up and its fruit Cut off and leave it to wither all of leaves its spring will wither and no power great or people many will be needed to pluck up it by its roots
אֱמֹ֗ר כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִ֖ה ؟ תִּצְלָ֑ח הֲלוֹא֩ אֶת־ שָׁרָשֶׁ֨יהָ יְנַתֵּ֜ק וְאֶת־ פִּרְיָ֣הּ ׀ יְקוֹסֵ֣ס ؟ וְיָבֵ֗שׁ כָּל־ טַרְפֵּ֤י צִמְחָהּ֙ תִּיבָ֔שׁ וְלֹֽא־ בִזְרֹ֤עַ גְּדוֹלָה֙ וּבְעַם־ רָ֔ב לְמַשְׂא֥וֹת אוֹתָ֖הּ מִשָּׁרָשֶֽׁיהָ

אֱמֹ֗ר  Say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּ֥ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֛ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֥י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהֹוִ֖ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
؟ תִּצְלָ֑ח  will  it  thrive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: צָלַח 
Sense: (Qal) to rush.
הֲלוֹא֩  will  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
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.
שָׁרָשֶׁ֨יהָ  its  roots 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שֹׁרֶשׁ  
Sense: root.
יְנַתֵּ֜ק  he  pull  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָתַק  
Sense: to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, li ft, root out.
פִּרְיָ֣הּ ׀  its  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
יְקוֹסֵ֣ס  Cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָסַס  
Sense: (Poel) to strip off, cut off.
؟ וְיָבֵ֗שׁ  and  leave  it  to  wither 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָבֵשׁ  
Sense: to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered.
כָּל־  all  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
טַרְפֵּ֤י  leaves 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: טֶרֶף  
Sense: prey, food, leaf.
צִמְחָהּ֙  its  spring 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: צֶמַח  
Sense: sprout, growth, branch.
תִּיבָ֔שׁ  will  wither 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָבֵשׁ  
Sense: to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered.
וְלֹֽא־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
בִזְרֹ֤עַ  power 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: זְרֹועַ  
Sense: arm, forearm, shoulder, strength.
גְּדוֹלָה֙  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וּבְעַם־  or  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
רָ֔ב  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
לְמַשְׂא֥וֹת  will  be  needed  to  pluck  up 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
מִשָּׁרָשֶֽׁיהָ  by  its  roots 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שֹׁרֶשׁ  
Sense: root.