The Meaning of Ezekiel 20:47 Explained

Ezekiel 20:47

KJV: And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

YLT: and thou hast said to the forest of the south: Hear a word of Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am kindling in thee a fire, And it hath devoured in thee every moist tree, and every dry tree, Not quenched is the glowing flames, And burnt by it have been all faces from south to north.

Darby: and say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flashing flame shall not be quenched; and all that it meets from the south to the north shall be burned thereby.

ASV: and say to the forest of the South, Hear the word of Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burnt thereby.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And say  to the forest  of the south,  Hear  the word  of the LORD;  Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  Behold, I will kindle  a fire  in thee, and it shall devour  every green  tree  in thee, and every dry  tree:  the flaming  flame  shall not be quenched,  and all faces  from the south  to the north  shall be burned  therein. 

What does Ezekiel 20:47 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 20

1  God refuses to be consulted by the elders of Israel
4  He shows the story of their rebellions in Egypt
19  in the desert
27  and in the land
33  He promises to gather them by the Gospel
45  Under the name of a forest he shows the destruction of Jerusalem

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 20:47 mean?

And say to the forest of the Negev Hear the word of Yahweh thus says the Lord GOD behold I will kindle in you a fire and it shall devour in you every tree green and every tree dry not shall be quenched the flame blazing and shall be scorched by it all faces from the south to the north
וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ לְיַ֣עַר הַנֶּ֔גֶב שְׁמַ֖ע דְּבַר־ יְהוָ֑ה כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֡ה הִנְנִ֣י מַֽצִּית־ בְּךָ֣ ׀ אֵ֡שׁ וְאָכְלָ֣ה בְךָ֣ כָל־ עֵֽץ־ לַח֩ וְכָל־ עֵ֨ץ יָבֵ֤שׁ לֹֽא־ תִכְבֶּה֙ לַהֶ֣בֶת שַׁלְהֶ֔בֶת וְנִצְרְבוּ־ בָ֥הּ כָּל־ פָּנִ֖ים מִנֶּ֥גֶב צָפֽוֹנָה

וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙  And  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְיַ֣עַר  to  the  forest 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.
הַנֶּ֔גֶב  of  the  Negev 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
שְׁמַ֖ע  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
דְּבַר־  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֣י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֡ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
הִנְנִ֣י  behold 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
מַֽצִּית־  I  will  kindle 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָצַת  
Sense: to kindle, burn, set on fire.
בְּךָ֣ ׀  in  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
אֵ֡שׁ  a  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וְאָכְלָ֣ה  and  it  shall  devour 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בְךָ֣  in  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
כָל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵֽץ־  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
לַח֩  green 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: לַח  
Sense: moist, fresh, new.
וְכָל־  and  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵ֨ץ  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
יָבֵ֤שׁ  dry 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָבֵשׁ  
Sense: dry.
תִכְבֶּה֙  shall  be  quenched 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּבָה  
Sense: to quench, put out, be put out, be quenched, be extinguished.
לַהֶ֣בֶת  the  flame 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: לֶהָבָה  
Sense: flame.
שַׁלְהֶ֔בֶת  blazing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁלְהֶבֶת 
Sense: flame.
וְנִצְרְבוּ־  and  shall  be  scorched 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: צָרַב  
Sense: to burn, scorch.
בָ֥הּ  by  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
פָּנִ֖ים  faces 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מִנֶּ֥גֶב  from  the  south 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
צָפֽוֹנָה  to  the  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.