What Does Ezekiel 27:30 Mean in the King James?

And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:

Ezekiel 27:30 · 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.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The mourners make grief rise into public sound and settle onto the body in dust and ash.

THE MEANING

Here, grief is audible and visible at once: voices cry out, dust covers the head, and bodies roll in ashes. Loss reaches speech, posture, and the surface of the body.

THE ROOT

הִשְׁמִיעוּ

hishmi'u

GROWS FROM

שמע

shamaʿ

Hear, listen, respond.

“heard” in this verse is hishmi'u. The verb is causative: the mourners make their voices audible against the city. This root also names hearing and report, carrying grief from the speaker into the hearing of others.

ALSO GROWS

shomea: One who hears or listens.

שֹׁמֵעַ

The hearer is the other side of the same root: the mourners’ voices are made to reach someone.

shemu'ah: Report, tidings.

שְׁמוּעָה

A report is what is heard and carried onward; here, grief becomes a public signal.

וְיַעֲלוּ

vaya'alu

GROWS FROM

עלה

alah

Rise, go up, ascend.

“cast” in this verse is vaya'alu. The verb pictures the dust being made to rise over the mourners’ heads. The same root underlies ⁨עֹלָה⁩ (olah), a burnt offering associated with what rises, placing the movement of dust near the verse’s ashes.

ALSO GROWS

olah: Burnt offering; literally, that which rises.

עֹלָה

The offering’s name shares the root of the dust rising over the mourners’ heads.

ma'aleh: Ascent, rising.

מַעֲלֶה

This noun names the upward movement expressed by the verb as dust is raised.

THE PATTERN

Grief takes audible and visible shape through the body.

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

Job 2:12 · KJVThe mourners raise their voices, weep, tear their clothes, and mark their heads with dust.

And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

2 Samuel 13:19 · KJVHer grief appears in ashes, torn clothing, posture, and continued crying.

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Revelation 18:19 · KJVThe city’s ruin draws out a public lament marked by cries and dust cast upon the head.

THE THREAD

O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

Jeremiah 6:26 · KJV

Jeremiah uses the same root ⁨פלש⁩ (palash, roll or wallow) for a mourner in ashes. The repeated root makes grief bodily and immersive, surrounding and covering the mourner.

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