The Meaning of Ezekiel 37:16 Explained

Ezekiel 37:16

KJV: Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

YLT: 'And thou, son of man, take to thee one stick, and write on it, For Judah, and for the sons of Israel, his companions; and take another stick, and write on it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel, his companions,

Darby: And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel, his companions. And take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.

ASV: And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Moreover, thou son  of man,  take  thee one  stick,  and write  upon it, For Judah,  and for the children  of Israel  his companions:  then take  another  stick,  and write  upon it, For Joseph,  the stick  of Ephraim,  and [for] all the house  of Israel  his companions: 

What does Ezekiel 37:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 37

1  By the resurrection of dry bones
11  the dead hope of Israel is revived
15  By the uniting of two sticks
18  is shown the incorporation of Israel into Judah
21  The promises of Christ's kingdom

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 37:16 mean?

and as for you son of man take for yourself stick a and write on it for Judah and for the sons of Israel - his companions and take stick one and write on it for Joseph the stick of Ephraim and [for] all the house his companions
וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־ אָדָ֗ם קַח־ לְךָ֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֔ד וּכְתֹ֤ב עָלָיו֙ לִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וְלִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [חברו] (חֲבֵרָ֑יו) וּלְקַח֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֔ד וּכְת֣וֹב עָלָ֗יו לְיוֹסֵף֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְכָל־ בֵּ֥ית (חֲבֵרָֽיו)

וְאַתָּ֣ה  and  as  for  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֗ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
קַח־  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לְךָ֙  for  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
עֵ֣ץ  stick 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וּכְתֹ֤ב  and  write 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
עָלָיו֙  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
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.
לִֽיהוּדָ֔ה  for  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וְלִבְנֵ֥י  and  for  the  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: 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.
[חברו]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
(חֲבֵרָ֑יו)  his  companions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חָבֵר  
Sense: united.
וּלְקַח֙  and  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
עֵ֣ץ  stick 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
אֶחָ֔ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
וּכְת֣וֹב  and  write 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
עָלָ֗יו  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
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.
לְיוֹסֵף֙  for  Joseph 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
עֵ֣ץ  the  stick 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
אֶפְרַ֔יִם  of  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
וְכָל־  and  [for]  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בֵּ֥ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
(חֲבֵרָֽיו)  his  companions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חָבֵר  
Sense: united.