Ezekiel 21:8 — Word Study
WLCוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־ יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
BSAof the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] to meʼêl [toward me, in my direction] sayingʼâmar [to speak, to command]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֥י | and it came | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| דְבַר־ | [the] word of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| יְהוָ֖ה | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| אֵלַ֥י | to me | Preposition, suffix |
| לֵאמֹֽר׃ | saying | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, |
| KJV | ¶ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, |
| ASV | And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, |
| YLT | And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, |
| WEB | Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, |
| BBE | And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, |
Where they part company is in the rendering of the phrase 'the word of the LORD' — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause with two phrases adding direction and purpose to the divine message.






7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאָמַר
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 21:8
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 Call of Ezekielgenerated
Ezekiel 21:8 introduces a moment where the word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel, emphasizing the prophetic nature of his role. This verse sets the stage for the messages that follow, including prophecies of judgment and restoration, which are central themes in Ezekiel's ministry. The context highlights the urgency and seriousness of God's communication through His prophet.
Cross References
The Key Word — דְבַר־, de.var-generated
The Hebrew word דָּבָר (dabar) means 'word' or 'speech' and encompasses a range of meanings including discourse, saying, and matter. It is often used to denote a message or command from God, reflecting the divine authority behind the communication.
In this verse, דְבַר־ serves as the subject of God's message, indicating that what follows is not merely human speech but a divine utterance meant to convey God's intentions and instructions.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase is rendered as 'the word of the LORD,' which is consistent across most translations, including the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains one main clause introduced by the finite verb וַיְהִ֥י, and it came, followed by a noun phrase דְבַר־ יְהוָ֖ה, the word of the LORD, and a prepositional phrase אֵלַ֥י, to me, leading to the infinitive construct לֵאמֹֽר, saying.
The structure emphasizes the divine origin of the message, with the verb 'came' indicating the action of God's word arriving at Ezekiel.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates דְבַר־ as λόγος (logos), meaning 'word' or 'reason'. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but also reflects the Greek philosophical context, where 'logos' can imply a deeper, rational principle.
This translation indicates an interpretation that may broaden the understanding of God's message beyond mere speech to include the concept of divine reason or order.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 21:8 shows how the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel, indicating that God is speaking directly to him. This sets the stage for the prophetic messages that follow, emphasizing the importance of God's communication.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that God is directly communicating with Ezekiel, providing him with messages to convey to the people.
This phrase indicates the authority and divine origin of the message, distinguishing it from human speech.
Ezekiel acts as a prophet, receiving and delivering God's messages to the people of Israel.
It introduces the prophetic messages that address judgment and restoration, central themes throughout the book of Ezekiel.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I be attentive to the ways God communicates in my life?
- What does it mean for me to receive a 'word from the LORD' today?
- In what ways can I share God's messages with others, like Ezekiel?
- How do I discern between human words and what I believe to be God's word?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse highlights its significance in prophetic literature, where the word of the LORD directs the prophet's actions.
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God, speak: A sword, a sharp sword, has been sharpened and polished, to slaughter victims;Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 21 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 21:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAgain, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. Either this is a new prophecy of another sword, distinct and different from that of the Chaldeans, even of the sword of the Romans, as Cocceius
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 21 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAgain the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 21 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis I suppose is a further explication of what was said already of the sword God draweth out against them; with a further direction or command how the prophet should note out the nearness of the evil; he is bade to speak plainly, and tell them they may see it.
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 21 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 21:8 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,Ver. 8. Again the word.] See on Ezekiel 18:1.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 21 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8-17) This second prophecy is an expansion of the last, Ezekiel 21:8-13 corresponding to 2-5, and Ezekiel 21:14-17 to Ezekiel 21:6-7. In several of its clauses modern criticism has been able to improve the translation, and make it clearer.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 21 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8–17. The destroying sword of the Lord. The violent agitation of the prophet at the thought of the coming destruction finds expression in a wild and irregular ode upon the sword of the Lord. The general sense of the poem is discernible, but as in ch. 7 the text is in several places very obscure (e.g. Ezekiel 21:10; Ezekiel 21:13). There appear to be four divisions:— Ezekiel 21:9-11. A sword is furbished that it may glitter terribly in the eyes of men (cf. Ezekiel 32:10); it is sharpened for the slaughter—furbished and sharpened to give it into the hand of the slayer. Ezekiel 21:12-13. The prophet must cry and howl and smite in wild excitement on his thigh, for the princes of Israel and the…
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 21 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe second word of judgment: the glittering and destroying sword. The passage may be called the “Lay of the Sword;” it is written in the form of Hebrew poetry, with its characteristic parallelism.
Read Albert Barnes on Ezekiel 21 →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
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
The word of the Lord came to me:
Tyndale line
¶ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Againe, the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
Strictly literal
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,
And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
(21:13) And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
From the Latin
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Simplified
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
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 reads: וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־ יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃, which aligns closely with the Septuagint, where three of the five words match. This indicates a strong agreement between the witnesses on this verse, affirming the consistency of the divine message.
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־ יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
3 of the 5 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 21:8
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.
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Hc/Vqw3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
דָּבָר (dabar) means 'word' or 'speech' and encompasses a range of meanings including discourse, saying, and matter. It can refer to anything spoken or a topic of discussion, extending to concepts like business or affairs. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.
דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word
sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken
sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse
sg. a word, words
sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks
base
H1697 דָּבָר speech, word . sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken
. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse
. sg. a word, words
. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks
1697 dabar daw-baw'
from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or
thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X
any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case,
cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X
commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, +
dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, +
eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt,
+ iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter,
message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, +
please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose,
question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said,
sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness),
somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that,
X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings,
what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.
see HEBREW for 01696
דָּבָר (da.var) — word.
: word/speech/command
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: speaking.
: speaking
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: thing.
: thing/matter
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: promised.
: promised/duty
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: deed.
: deed
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),
prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place
Where the limit is actually entered, into
Of direction towards anything
Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
Of rule or standard according to (rare)
Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
base
H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place
. Where the limit is actually entered, into
. Of direction towards anything
. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
. Of rule or standard according to (rare)
. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
413 'el ale
(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});
a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but
occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or
among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,
against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,
by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,
over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,
with(-in).
אֶל (el) — to(wards).
1) to, toward, unto (of motion)
2) into (limit is actually entered)
2a) in among
3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)
4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)
5) in addition to, to
6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of
7) according to (rule or standard)
8) at, by, against (of one's presence)
9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Conj | V-Qal-2ms — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
