The Meaning of Ezekiel 40:4 Explained

Ezekiel 40:4

KJV: And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

YLT: and the man speaketh unto me: 'Son of man, see with thine eyes, And with thine ears hear, And set thy heart to all that I am shewing thee, For, in order to shew it thee, Thou hast been brought in hither, Declare all that thou art seeing to the house of Israel.'

Darby: And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thy heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for in order that it might be shewn unto thee art thou brought hither. Declare to the house of Israel all that thou seest.

ASV: And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thy heart upon all that I shall show thee; for, to the intent that I may show them unto thee, art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the man  said  unto me, Son  of man,  behold  with thine eyes,  and hear  with thine ears,  and set  thine heart  upon all that I shall shew  thee; for to the intent  that I might shew  [them] unto thee [art] thou brought  hither: declare  all that thou seest  to the house  of Israel. 

What does Ezekiel 40:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The man told Ezekiel to pay close attention to what he would see and hear because he needed to declare the content of his vision to the Israelites. Its details were important.
"If all God wanted to do was impress Ezekiel with "spiritual worship," the angel would have told him so." [1]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 40

1  The time, manner, and end of the vision of the city and temple
6  The description of the east gate of the outer court
20  of the north gate
24  of the south gate
27  of the south gate of the inner court
32  of the east gate
35  and of the north gate
39  Eight tables
44  The chambers
48  The porch of the house

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 40:4 mean?

And said to me the man Son of man look with your eyes and with your ears hear and fix your mind on everything I show you for so that I might show [them] to you you [were] brought here Declare - all you see to the house of Israel
וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֵלַ֜י הָאִ֗ישׁ בֶּן־ אָדָ֡ם רְאֵ֣ה בְעֵינֶיךָ֩ וּבְאָזְנֶ֨יךָ שְּׁמָ֜ע וְשִׂ֣ים לִבְּךָ֗ לְכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־ אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אוֹתָ֔ךְ כִּ֛י לְמַ֥עַן הַרְאוֹתְכָ֖ה הֻבָ֣אתָה הֵ֑נָּה הַגֵּ֛ד אֶת־ כָּל־ אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלַ֜י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאִ֗ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֡ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
רְאֵ֣ה  look 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְעֵינֶיךָ֩  with  your  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וּבְאָזְנֶ֨יךָ  and  with  your  ears 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
שְּׁמָ֜ע  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וְשִׂ֣ים  and  fix 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
לִבְּךָ֗  your  mind 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
אֲשֶׁר־  everything 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מַרְאֶ֣ה  show 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
לְמַ֥עַן  so  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
הַרְאוֹתְכָ֖ה  I  might  show  [them]  to  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הֻבָ֣אתָה  you  [were]  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הֵ֑נָּה  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: הֵנָּה  
Sense: here, there, now, hither.
הַגֵּ֛ד  Declare 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
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.
רֹאֶ֖ה  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
לְבֵ֥ית  to  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  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.