The Meaning of Ezekiel 21:22 Explained

Ezekiel 21:22

KJV: At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.

YLT: At his right hath been the divination -- Jerusalem, To place battering-rams, To open the mouth with slaughter, To lift up a voice with shouting, To place battering-rams against the gates, To pour out a mount, to build a fortification.

Darby: In his right hand is the lot of Jerusalem to appoint battering-rams, to open the mouth for bloodshed, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering-rams against the gates, to cast mounds, to build siege-towers.

ASV: In his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build forts.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

At his right hand  was the divination  for Jerusalem,  to appoint  captains,  to open  the mouth  in the slaughter,  to lift up  the voice  with shouting,  to appoint  [battering] rams  against the gates,  to cast  a mount,  [and] to build  a fort. 

What does Ezekiel 21:22 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 21

1  Ezekiel prophesies against Jerusalem with a sign of sighing
8  The sharp and bright sword
18  against Jerusalem
25  against the kingdom
28  and against the Ammonites

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 21:22 mean?

In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem to set up battering rams to call for the mouth a slaughter to lift the voice with shouting to set battering rams against the gates to heap up a [siege] mound and to build a wall
בִּֽימִינ֞וֹ הָיָ֣ה ׀ הַקֶּ֣סֶם יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם לָשׂ֤וּם כָּרִים֙ לִפְתֹּ֤חַ פֶּה֙ בְּרֶ֔צַח לְהָרִ֥ים ק֖וֹל בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה לָשׂ֤וּם כָּרִים֙ עַל־ שְׁעָרִ֔ים לִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ סֹלְלָ֖ה לִבְנ֥וֹת דָּיֵֽק

בִּֽימִינ֞וֹ  In  his  right  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
הַקֶּ֣סֶם  the  divination 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֶסֶם  
Sense: divination, witchcraft.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם  for  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
לָשׂ֤וּם  to  set  up 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
כָּרִים֙  battering  rams 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּר 
Sense: howdah, palanquin, basket saddle.
לִפְתֹּ֤חַ  to  call  for 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
פֶּה֙  the  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
בְּרֶ֔צַח  a  slaughter 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶצַח  
Sense: shattering.
לְהָרִ֥ים  to  lift 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
ק֖וֹל  the  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה  with  shouting 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּרוּעָה  
Sense: alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or j oy.
לָשׂ֤וּם  to  set 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
כָּרִים֙  battering  rams 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּר 
Sense: howdah, palanquin, basket saddle.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שְׁעָרִ֔ים  the  gates 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
לִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ  to  heap  up 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
סֹלְלָ֖ה  a  [siege]  mound 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סׄלְלָה  
Sense: mound.
לִבְנ֥וֹת  and  to  build 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
דָּיֵֽק  a  wall 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּיֵק  
Sense: bulwark, siege-wall, sidewall.