סָבַ֖ב אֶל־ר֣וּחַ הַיָּ֑ם מָדַ֛ד חֲמֵשׁ־מֵאֹ֥ות קָנִ֖ים בִּקְנֵ֥ה הַמִּדָּֽה׃
He turned to the west side, and he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
Morphology
- סָבַב (savav) – Root: סבב (savav); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He turned”; Notes: Describes the shift in direction to the next side of measurement — from south to west.
- אֶל־ר֣וּחַ (ʾel-ruaḥ) – Root: רוח (ruaḥ); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun feminine singular; Translation: “toward the side”; Notes: Indicates directional movement or orientation toward a specific compass point.
- הַיָּם (ha-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the west”; Notes: Literally “the sea,” a common Hebrew term for “west,” since the Mediterranean Sea lay to Israel’s west.
- מָדַד (madad) – Root: מדד (madad); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he measured”; Notes: Continuation of the measuring process around the temple enclosure.
- חֲמֵשׁ־מֵאֹות (ḥamesh-meʾot) – Root: חמשׁ (ḥamesh) / מא (meʾah); Form: Compound numeral; Translation: “five hundred”; Notes: Indicates the length of the western boundary, equal to the other sides.
- קָנִים (qanim) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “reeds”; Notes: Unit of measure used throughout Ezekiel’s vision, each reed being six long cubits.
- בִּקְנֵה (bi-qneh) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “with the reed of”; Notes: Indicates the specific measuring tool or standard reed employed in the process.
- הַמִּדָּה (ha-middah) – Root: מדד (madad); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the measurement”; Notes: Refers to the standardized measuring reed used consistently in all four directions.