The Meaning of Ezekiel 38:12 Explained

Ezekiel 38:12

KJV: To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

YLT: To take a spoil, and to take a prey, To turn back thy hand on inhabited wastes, And on a people gathered out of nations, Making cattle and substance, Dwelling on a high part of the land.

Darby: to seize a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thy hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and against a people gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the middle of the land.

ASV: to take the spoil and to take the prey; to turn thy hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and against the people that are gathered out of the nations, that have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the middle of the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

To take  a spoil,  and to take  a prey;  to turn  thine hand  upon the desolate places  [that are now] inhabited,  and upon the people  [that are] gathered  out of the nations,  which have gotten  cattle  and goods,  that dwell  in the midst  of the land. 

What does Ezekiel 38:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 38

1  The army
8  and malice of Gog
14  God's judgment against him

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 38:12 mean?

To take plunder and to take booty to stretch out your hand against the waste [places] [that] [are] [again] inhabited and against a people gathered from the nations who have acquired livestock and goods who dwell in the midst of the land
לִשְׁלֹ֥ל שָׁלָ֖ל וְלָבֹ֣ז בַּ֑ז לְהָשִׁ֨יב יָדְךָ֜ עַל־ חֳרָב֣וֹת נוֹשָׁבֹ֗ת וְאֶל־ עַם֙ מְאֻסָּ֣ף מִגּוֹיִ֔ם עֹשֶׂה֙ מִקְנֶ֣ה וְקִנְיָ֔ן יֹשְׁבֵ֖י עַל־ טַבּ֥וּר הָאָֽרֶץ

לִשְׁלֹ֥ל  To  take 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁלַל 
Sense: (Qal) to draw out.
שָׁלָ֖ל  plunder 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
וְלָבֹ֣ז  and  to  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּזַז  
Sense: to spoil, plunder, prey upon, seize.
בַּ֑ז  booty 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּז  
Sense: spoil, booty, robbery, spoiling.
לְהָשִׁ֨יב  to  stretch  out 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יָדְךָ֜  your  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
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.
חֳרָב֣וֹת  the  waste  [places] 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: חָרְבָּה  
Sense: a place laid waste, ruin, waste, desolation.
נוֹשָׁבֹ֗ת  [that]  [are]  [again]  inhabited 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וְאֶל־  and  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עַם֙  a  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מְאֻסָּ֣ף  gathered 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
מִגּוֹיִ֔ם  from  the  nations 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
עֹשֶׂה֙  who  have  acquired 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
מִקְנֶ֣ה  livestock 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִקְנֶה  
Sense: cattle, livestock.
וְקִנְיָ֔ן  and  goods 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִנְיָן  
Sense: thing acquired, acquisition, possession, purchased property, wealth.
יֹשְׁבֵ֖י  who  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
טַבּ֥וּר  the  midst 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: טַבּוּר  
Sense: centre, midst, navel, highest part.
הָאָֽרֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.