Ezekiel 19:13 — Word Study
WLCוְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֥ה וְצָמָֽא׃
BSANowʻattâh [at this moment, in this present time] it is plantedshâthal [transplanted, replanted] in the wildernessmidbâr [desert, waste land] in a drytsîyâh [barren, parched] and thirstytsâmâʼ [waterless, unwatered] landʼerets [earth, country]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֖ה | and now | Conjunction, adverb |
| שְׁתוּלָ֣ה | [it is] planted | Verb, Qal, participle (passive) feminine singular |
| בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר | in the wilderness | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| בְּאֶ֖רֶץ | in a land | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| צִיָּ֥ה | dry | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְצָמָֽא׃ | and thirst | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. |
| KJV | And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. |
| ASV | And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. |
| YLT | And now — it is planted in a wilderness, In a land dry and thirsty. |
| WEB | Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. |
| BBE | And now she is planted in the waste land, in a dry and unwatered country. |
Where they part company is in the descriptions of the land — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is followed by two prepositional phrases that describe the location and condition of the planting.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁתַל
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 19:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Lament for Israelgenerated
Ezekiel 19:13 describes the state of Israel as a plant that has been moved to a desolate place, emphasizing its vulnerability and lack of resources. This lament follows a description of Israel's former glory and its subsequent downfall, paralleling themes found in other prophetic writings, such as in Jeremiah 52:27-31 and Psalm 63:1.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 19:10 | Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of the abundant waters. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 28:47–48 | Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance, |
| 3 | Jeremiah 52:27–31 | There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land. |
| 4 | Psalm 63:1 | O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water. |
| 5 | Psalm 68:6 | God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שְׁתוּלָ֣ה, she.tu.Lahgenerated
The word שְׁתוּלָ֣ה (she.tu.Lah) is a passive participle of the verb שָׁתַל (shathal), meaning 'to transplant' or 'to plant'. It indicates that the subject has been planted in a new location, emphasizing the act of relocation.
In this context, it suggests that Israel has been forcibly moved to a place where it cannot thrive, highlighting the themes of loss and abandonment present in the surrounding verses.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term planted.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb שְׁתוּלָ֣ה (she.tu.Lah) governs the entire clause, with prepositional phrases indicating the location and condition of the planting. The structure emphasizes the contrast between the act of planting and the barren environment.
The phrase בְּאֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֥ה וְצָמָֽא combines two descriptors of the land, enhancing the sense of desolation by using two separate noun phrases to describe the conditions.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the Hebrew word שְׁתוּלָ֣ה with ἐρήμῳ (erēmō), meaning 'desert' or 'wilderness'. This choice emphasizes the barrenness of the location, aligning with the Hebrew context of desolation.
The use of ἐρήμῳ indicates a focus on the emptiness and lack of sustenance in the land, which corresponds with the overall message of loss in this lament.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 19:13 describes a plant that has been moved to a dry and thirsty land, emphasizing the desolation of its new environment. This imagery reflects the fate of Israel, which has been uprooted and left vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that Israel has been relocated to a desolate and inhospitable place, highlighting its vulnerability.
These terms illustrate the lack of resources and sustenance, symbolizing Israel's dire situation.
This verse uses vivid imagery to express the sorrow and loss experienced by Israel, consistent with the lamenting tone throughout Ezekiel.
The imagery of planting and relocating a plant serves to illustrate Israel's situation, emphasizing its fragility and the harshness of its new environment.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I relate to the feelings of desolation described in this verse?
- How can I find hope in situations that feel barren or unfruitful?
- What does it mean for me to be 'planted' in a challenging environment?
- How can I support others who may feel like they are in a 'dry and thirsty land'?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 19:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd now she [is] planted in the wilderness,.... In the land of Babylon, which though a very fruitful country, yet, because of the hardships and miseries which the Jews were exposed unto in it, was a
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 19 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. Now she is planted in the wilderness. "Planted" - i:e., transplanted.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 19 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAnd now; at this present time. She is planted; but, alas! how unlike what she was! a brand pulled out of the burnings, a few of the branches of the last pruning, or a few smaller roots taken up by the provident hand of the Lord of the vineyard, a remnant that might be a nursery, a seedplot; but the much greater part of the vine is, as said, destroyed. It is not said who planted them, but it is easy to conjecture Nebuchadnezzar planted them in policy and for his advantage, they planted themselves out of necessity, and God planted them there in just correcting mercy, and will give them root, and make them thrive, and transplant them after seventy years, and set them on the mountains of Israel…
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 19 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 19:13 And now she [is] planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.Ver. 13. And now she is planted in a wilderness.] Babylon was no wilderness, but fruitful beyond credulity, But the poor captive Jews had little joy from it, for some time at least. In a dry and thirsty ground.] In terra sicca et sitioulosa. So it was to them, though never so well watered, because they wanted there the waters of the sanctuary, and many other comforts of their own country. See Psalms 137:1-6 Herodot., lib. i. cap. 193; Plin., lib. vi. cap. 26.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 19 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13) In a dry and thirsty ground.—Such was Babylon to Israel in its national relations, and even after the return from the exile the Jews never rose again to much importance among the nations of the earth; but meantime they were being disciplined, that at least a few of them might be prepared for the planting among them of that kingdom not of this world, spoken of at the close of Ezekiel 16, which should fill the whole earth.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 19 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 13. And now she is planted in the wilderness] In the land of Chaldea, whither the people have been carried captives; and which, compared with their own land, was to them a dreary wilderness.
Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 19 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. The deportation of the people from their own land into conditions where national life cannot thrive.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 19 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
Tyndale line
And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
And now she is planted in the wildernes in a drie and thirstie ground.
Strictly literal
And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground:
And now — it is planted in a wilderness, In a land dry and thirsty.
And now she is planted in a wilderness, || In a dry and thirsty land.
And now is she planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
So now it is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst.
From the Latin
And now she is transplanted into the desert, in a land not passable, and dry.
Simplified
Now the vine has been replanted in the desert, in a dry and waterless land.
And now she is planted in the waste land, in a dry and unwatered country.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Ezekiel 19:13 states, "וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֥ה וְצָמָֽא׃" which translates to "Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land." The Septuagint, while not providing a direct translation here, aligns closely with the Masoretic Text in meaning, as 4 of the 6 words correspond. However, the exact wording and structure differ due to the nature of Greek syntax and translation choices. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide additional variants for this particular verse, thus supporting the reading found in the Masoretic Text.
וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֥ה וְצָמָֽא׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 19:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עַתָּ֫ה (attah) is an adverb of time meaning 'now.' It can also function as a conjunction or expletive, indicating immediacy or a current moment. The word is derived from a related term, עַת (att), and is used in various contexts to denote the present time.
עַתָּ֫ה 435, עָ֑֫תָּה, adv. of time, now
base
H6258 עַתָּ֫ה, עָ֑֫תָּה of time, now
6258 `attah at-taw'
from 6256; at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or
expletive:--henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.
see HEBREW for 06256
עַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — now.
1) now
1a) now
1b) in phrases
Conj | Adv — Conjunction · adverbHC/D
שָׁתַל (shathal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to transplant or plant. It is identified as a primitive root and is used primarily in the context of moving plants from one place to another. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to planting and transplanting without any noted disagreements.
[שָׁתַל] vb. transplant
base
H8362 [שָׁתַל] transplant
8362 shathal shaw-thal'
a primitive root; to transplant:--plant.
שָׁתַל (sha.tal) — to transplant.
(Qal) to plant, transplant
V-Qal-Inf-c — Verb · Qal · participle (passive) feminine singularHVqsfsa
מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.
[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3
ref
מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness
tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds
uninhabited land
large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities
fig.
base
H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness
4057 midbar mid-bawr'
from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open
field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;
also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,
wilderness.
see HEBREW for 01696
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.
1) mouth
1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.
1) wilderness
1a) pasture
1b) uninhabited land, wilderness
1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)
1d) wilderness (fig.)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).
This name means wilderness, uninhabited land
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
wil'-der-nes.
See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Wilderness
(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (
See DESERT.
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHR/Ncfsc
((1) 'erets;
(2) 'adhamah;
(3) sadheh,
"a piece of land";
(4) ge, "earth";
(5) agros, "field";
(6) chora, "region";
(7) chorion, diminutive of chora;
(8) xeros, "dry land";
(9) 'ezrach, "native" the King James Version "born in the land," "born among you," the Revised Version (British and American) "home-born" (Le 19:34; 14:16; Nu 15:30); "like a green tree in its native soil" (Ps 37:35)):
→ Appeared on the third creative day Ge 1:9
→ Original title to, from God Ge 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex 23:31; Le 25:23
→ Bought and sold Ge 23:3-18; 33:19; Ac 4:34; 5:1-8
→ Sale and redemption of, laws concerning Le 25:15,16,23-33; 27:17-24; Nu 36:4; Jer 32:7-16,25,44; Eze 46:18
צִיָּה (tsiyah) refers to dryness or drought, stemming from a root that means to parch. It encompasses concepts of aridity, barren land, and wilderness. The term is used in contexts related to desolate or dry places.
צִיָּה n.f. dryness, drought
base
H6723 צִיָּה dryness, drought
6723 tsiyah tsee-yaw'
from an unused root meaning to parch; aridity; concretely, a
desert:--barren, drought, dry (land, place), solitary place,
wilderness.
צִיָּה (tsiy.yah) — dryness.
dryness, drought, desert
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
The Hebrew word צָמָא (tsama') means 'thirst' and can refer to both literal and figurative thirst. It is derived from the root word צָמָא (H6770). All entries consistently define it as thirst, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
צָמָא n.[m.] thirst
base
H6772 צָמָא thirst
6772 tsama' tsaw-maw'
from 6770; thirst (literally or figuratively):--thirst(-y).
see HEBREW for 06770
צָמָא (tsa.ma) — thirst.
thirst
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
thurst (tsama', verb tsame'; dipsao, dipsos, dipsa): One of the most powerful natural appetities, the craving for water or other drink. Besides its natural significance, thirst is figuratively used of strong spiritual desire. The soul thirsts for God (Ps 42:2; 63:1). Jesus meets the soul's thirst with water of life (Joh 4:13 ff; 6:35; 7:37). It is said of the heavenly bliss, "They shall hunger no more; neither thirst any more" (Re 7:16,17; compare Isa 49:10).