The Meaning of Ezekiel 20:5 Explained

Ezekiel 20:5

KJV: And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;

YLT: and thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In the day of My fixing on Israel, I lift up My hand, To the seed of the house of Jacob, And am known to them in the land of Egypt, And I lift up My hand to them, Saying, I am Jehovah your God.

Darby: and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up my hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up my hand unto them, saying, I am Jehovah your God,

ASV: and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when I chose Israel, and sware unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I sware unto them, saying, I am Jehovah your God;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And say  unto them, Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  In the day  when I chose  Israel,  and lifted up  mine hand  unto the seed  of the house  of Jacob,  and made myself known  unto them in the land  of Egypt,  when I lifted  up mine hand  unto them, saying,  I [am] the LORD  your God; 

What does Ezekiel 20:5 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 20:5 mean?

And Say to them thus says the Lord GOD On the day when I chose Israel and raised in an oath My hand to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt and I raised in an oath My hand to them saying I [am] Yahweh your God
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּֽה־ אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ בְּיוֹם֙ בָּחֳרִ֣י בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וָאֶשָּׂ֣א יָדִ֗י לְזֶ֙רַע֙ בֵּ֣ית יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וָאִוָּדַ֥ע לָהֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וָאֶשָּׂ֨א יָדִ֤י לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣  And  Say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַר֮  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.
יְהוִה֒  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
בְּיוֹם֙  On  the  day  when 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בָּחֳרִ֣י  I  chose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, 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.
וָאֶשָּׂ֣א  and  raised  in  an  oath 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
יָדִ֗י  My  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לְזֶ֙רַע֙  to  the  descendants 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
בֵּ֣ית  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב  of  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
וָאִוָּדַ֥ע  and  made  Myself  known 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
לָהֶ֖ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרָ֑יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וָאֶשָּׂ֨א  and  I  raised  in  an  oath 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
יָדִ֤י  My  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לָהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲנִ֖י  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).