The Meaning of Ezekiel 9:2 Explained

Ezekiel 9:2

KJV: And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

YLT: And lo, six men are coming from the way of the upper gate, that is facing the north, and each his slaughter-weapon in his hand, and one man in their midst is clothed with linen, and a scribe's inkhorn at his loins, and they come in, and stand near the brazen altar.

Darby: And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which is turned toward the north, and every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and in the midst of them, one man clothed with linen, with a writer's ink-horn by his side; and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.

ASV: And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lieth toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. And they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And, behold, six  men  came  from the way  of the higher  gate,  which lieth  toward the north,  and every man  a slaughter  weapon  in his hand;  and one  man  among  them [was] clothed  with linen,  with a writer's  inkhorn  by his side:  and they went in,  and stood  beside  the brasen  altar. 

What does Ezekiel 9:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Six men entered the inner courtyard from the north (upper; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 8:5; Ezekiel 8:14) gate each with a lethal weapon in his hand (cf. Jeremiah 51:20). A seventh man dressed in linen also approached with them, and he had a writing kit of the type that scribes used attached to his waist.
"This writing kit usually was made from an animal horn. It had a palette with a slot for pens and a hollow place for two kinds of ink, usually black and red. Professional scribes usually carried this kind of equipment." [1]
In other passages people who were divine messengers wore linen (cf. Daniel 10:5; Daniel 12:6-7; Revelation 15:6), and this was the role of these men. Priests also wore linen ( Exodus 28:39-42; 1 Samuel 2:18; 1 Samuel 22:18), and they too were divine messengers. They entered the inner courtyard and stood by the brazen altar. Their number, seven, often signified a complete work of God to the Jews, as in the seven days of creation. These seven would carry out God"s work of judgment completely.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 9

1  A vision, whereby is shown the preservation of some
5  and the destruction of the rest
8  God cannot be entreated for them

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 9:2 mean?

And suddenly six men came from the direction of gate the upper which faces north and each weapon with his battle-ax in his hand and man one among them [was] clothed with linen and inkhorn of had a writer at his side And they went in and stood beside altar the bronze
וְהִנֵּ֣ה שִׁשָּׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֡ים בָּאִ֣ים ׀ מִדֶּרֶךְ־ שַׁ֨עַר הָעֶלְי֜וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ מָפְנֶ֣ה צָפ֗וֹנָה וְאִ֨ישׁ כְּלִ֤י מַפָּצוֹ֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ וְאִישׁ־ אֶחָ֤ד בְּתוֹכָם֙ לָבֻ֣שׁ בַּדִּ֔ים וְקֶ֥סֶת הַסֹּפֵ֖ר בְּמָתְנָ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ וַיַּ֣עַמְד֔וּ אֵ֖צֶל מִזְבַּ֥ח הַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת

וְהִנֵּ֣ה  And  suddenly 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
שִׁשָּׁ֣ה  six 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁשׁ  
Sense: six.
אֲנָשִׁ֡ים  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בָּאִ֣ים ׀  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מִדֶּרֶךְ־  from  the  direction 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
שַׁ֨עַר  of  gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
הָעֶלְי֜וֹן  the  upper 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עֶלְיׄון 
Sense: high, upper.
מָפְנֶ֣ה  faces 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
צָפ֗וֹנָה  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
וְאִ֨ישׁ  and  each 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
כְּלִ֤י  weapon 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
מַפָּצוֹ֙  with  his  battle-ax 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַפָּץ  
Sense: shattering (of type of weapon).
בְּיָד֔וֹ  in  his  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְאִישׁ־  and  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶחָ֤ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
בְּתוֹכָם֙  among  them 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
לָבֻ֣שׁ  [was]  clothed  with 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
בַּדִּ֔ים  linen 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּד  
Sense: linen, white linen.
וְקֶ֥סֶת  and  inkhorn 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: קֶסֶת  
Sense: pot (for ink), inkhorn, inkwell.
הַסֹּפֵ֖ר  of  had  a  writer 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
בְּמָתְנָ֑יו  at  his  side 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, mdc, third person masculine singular
Root: מָתְנַיִם  
Sense: loins, hips.
וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙  And  they  went  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַיַּ֣עַמְד֔וּ  and  stood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
אֵ֖צֶל  beside 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֵצֶל  
Sense: beside, by, near, nearness, joining, proximity subst.
מִזְבַּ֥ח  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
הַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת  the  bronze 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.