What Does Ezekiel 36:1 Mean in the King James?

Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:

Ezekiel 36:1 · 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.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The mountains are not scenery here: the word of the LORD addresses the land itself as a hearer.

THE MEANING

The word of the LORD reaches the land itself, treating the mountains of Israel as listeners rather than scenery. This speaks to you now: even what seems fixed and silent remains within reach of a word that calls forth response.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It dissolves the assumption that divine speech concerns only human interiors: here, the land itself is summoned to hear.

THE ROOT

שִׁמְעוּ

shimʿu

GROWS FROM

ש־מ־ע

sh-m-ʿ

To hear, listen, or heed.

The mountains are commanded to hear, using a word that can carry the sense of listening with response. The verse makes the land an audience for the LORD’s word, not merely a backdrop to human life.

ALSO GROWS

shemaʿ: Hear or listen.

שְׁמַע

This branch shows the basic act of receiving what is spoken, as the mountains are directly addressed.

shemuʿah: A report or news; what has been heard.

שְׁמוּעָה

The word-family joins hearing with receiving communicated content, fitting the mountains’ role as listeners to the LORD’s word.

דְּבַר

devar

GROWS FROM

ד־ב־ר

d-b-r

To speak; the noun can mean a word, speech, matter, or thing.

Davar holds spoken word and matter or thing within one word-family. The LORD’s word here is more than sound directed at the land: it concerns the land itself and reaches into its reality.

ALSO GROWS

dābār: A word, speech, matter, or thing.

דָּבָר

This branch shows that the word addressed to the mountains can also concern what happens to them.

dibbēr: To speak or utter.

דִּבֵּר

This verbal branch links the word the mountains hear with the act of speaking that brings the message to them.

THE PATTERN

Creation is addressed as a responsive participant in God’s word, not as passive scenery.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12 · KJVThe mountains and hills respond to deliverance with song, as this verse treats them as hearers of the LORD’s word.

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Mark 4:39 · KJVThe wind and sea receive direct speech and respond, showing creation within the reach of divine address.

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Luke 19:40 · KJVEven stones are imagined as able to answer, echoing the mountains addressed as listeners here.

THE THREAD

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

Ezekiel 37:4 · KJV

The same Hebrew pairing, ⁨שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר־יְהוָה⁩ (shimʿu devar-YHWH, “hear the word of the LORD”), is spoken to dry bones. In both passages, what appears inert is named as an audience; the bones’ reassembly makes the force of this address visible.

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