The Meaning of Ezekiel 47:3 Explained

Ezekiel 47:3

KJV: And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles.

YLT: In the going out of the man eastward, and a line in his hand, then he measureth a thousand by the cubit, and he causeth me to pass over into water -- water to the ankles.

Darby: When the man went forth eastward, a line was in his hand; and he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters: the waters were to the ankles.

ASV: When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when the man  that had the line  in his hand  went forth  eastward,  he measured  a thousand  cubits,  and he brought me through  the waters;  the waters  [were] to the ankles. 

What does Ezekiel 47:3 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 47

1  The vision of the holy waters
6  The virtue of them
13  The borders of the land
22  The division of it by lot

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 47:3 mean?

And when went out the man to the east and with the line in his hand and he measured a thousand cubits and he brought me through the waters the water [came] [up] [to] [my] ankles
בְּצֵאת־ הָאִ֥ישׁ קָדִ֖ים וְקָ֣ו בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיָּ֤מָד אֶ֙לֶף֙ בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֥נִי בַמַּ֖יִם מֵ֥י אָפְסָֽיִם

בְּצֵאת־  And  when  went  out 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הָאִ֥ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
קָדִ֖ים  to  the  east 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָדִים  
Sense: east, east wind.
וְקָ֣ו  and  with  the  line 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָו 
Sense: cord, line, measuring-line.
בְּיָד֑וֹ  in  his  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וַיָּ֤מָד  and  he  measured 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָדַד  
Sense: to measure, stretch.
אֶ֙לֶף֙  a  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה  cubits 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֥נִי  and  he  brought  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בַמַּ֖יִם  through  the  waters 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
מֵ֥י  the  water  [came]  [up] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
אָפְסָֽיִם  [to]  [my]  ankles 
Parse: Noun, md
Root: אֶפֶס 
Sense: ceasing, end, finality.