What Does Ezekiel 19:1 Mean in the King James?

Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

Ezekiel 19:1 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

“Take up” a lament and “princes” share the root ⁨נשׂא⁩: the lament is lifted for the lifted ones.

THE MEANING

You are given a lament to raise over Israel’s princes. Their rank and their place inside grief occupy the same line: being elevated does not put anyone beyond mourning.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

A title of rank shields a ruler from being named in grief.

THE ROOT

שָׂא

śāʾ

GROWS FROM

נשׂא

nśʾ

to lift, carry, or bear

“take up / princes” in this verse is śāʾ. The command to “take up” and the word for “princes” share this root. Hebrew holds the lifted lament and the elevated leaders together: the ones raised in rank become the ones toward whom the lament is lifted.

ALSO GROWS

nāśāʾ: to lift, carry, or bear

נָשָׂא

This is the verb behind “take up”; it makes the lament something carried or raised.

nāśîʾ: prince, chief; one elevated

נָשִׂיא

This is the singular form behind “princes,” linking their rank to the same root as the act of lifting.

nōśēʾ ʿāwōn: bearing crookedness

נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן

The root can also describe bearing what is heavy; it adds weight to the verse’s picture of those elevated now being held within lament.

THE PATTERN

Those raised to a place of power remain within the reach of being brought low.

The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

1 Samuel 2:7 · KJVThe verse places being brought low and lifted up within the same movement.

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

Luke 1:52 · KJVThe mighty are lowered while those of low degree are raised.

But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Psalm 75:7 · KJVA person’s position can change from being set up to being brought down.

THE THREAD

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

Genesis 40:13 · KJV

“Lift up” there uses ⁨נשׂא⁩, the same root behind “take up” and “princes” here. In Genesis the root raises someone back to his place; in Ezekiel, those raised in rank are the ones for whom lament is lifted.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us