The Meaning of Ezekiel 29:12 Explained

Ezekiel 29:12

KJV: And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

YLT: And I have made the land of Egypt a desolation, In the midst of desolate lands, And its cities, in the midst of waste cities, Are a desolation forty years, And I have scattered the Egyptians among nations, And I have dispersed them through lands.

Darby: And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolated, and her cities shall be, in the midst of the cities that are laid waste, a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

ASV: And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will make  the land  of Egypt  desolate  in the midst  of the countries  [that are] desolate,  and her cities  among  the cities  [that are] laid waste  shall be desolate  forty  years:  and I will scatter  the Egyptians  among the nations,  and will disperse  them through the countries. 

What does Ezekiel 29:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 29

1  The judgment of Pharaoh for his treachery to Israel
8  The desolation of Egypt
13  The restoration thereof after forty years
17  Egypt the reward of Nebuchadnezzar
21  Israel shall be restored

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 29:12 mean?

And I will make - the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries [that] [are] desolate and her cities among the cities [that] [are] laid waste shall be desolate forty years and I will scatter Egypt among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries -
וְנָתַתִּ֣י אֶת־ אֶרֶץ֩ מִצְרַ֨יִם שְׁמָמָ֜ה בְּת֣וֹךְ ׀ אֲרָצ֣וֹת נְשַׁמּ֗וֹת וְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙ בְּת֨וֹךְ עָרִ֤ים מָֽחֳרָבוֹת֙ תִּֽהְיֶ֣יןָ שְׁמָמָ֔ה אַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַהֲפִצֹתִ֤י מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם וְֽזֵרִיתִ֖ים בָּאֲרָצֽוֹת פ

וְנָתַתִּ֣י  And  I  will  make 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
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.
אֶרֶץ֩  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֨יִם  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”.
שְׁמָמָ֜ה  desolate 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמָמָה 
Sense: devastation, waste, desolation.
בְּת֣וֹךְ ׀  in  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
אֲרָצ֣וֹת  of  the  countries 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נְשַׁמּ֗וֹת  [that]  [are]  desolate 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: שָׁמֵם  
Sense: to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy.
וְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙  and  her  cities 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
עָרִ֤ים  the  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מָֽחֳרָבוֹת֙  [that]  [are]  laid  waste 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: חָרֵב 
Sense: to be waste, lay waste, make desolate, be desolate, be in ruins.
תִּֽהְיֶ֣יןָ  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
שְׁמָמָ֔ה  desolate 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמָמָה 
Sense: devastation, waste, desolation.
אַרְבָּעִ֖ים  forty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
שָׁנָ֑ה  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
וַהֲפִצֹתִ֤י  and  I  will  scatter 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: פּוּץ 
Sense: to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered.
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙  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”.
בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם  among  the  nations 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וְֽזֵרִיתִ֖ים  and  disperse  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: זָרָה 
Sense: to scatter, fan, cast away, winnow, disperse, compass, spread, be scattered, be dispersed.
בָּאֲרָצֽוֹת  throughout  the  countries 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation