King James Version

Ezekiel 18:2

What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

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Hebrew

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מַהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.לָּכֶ֗םlakhemtoלָּכֶ֗םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”toאַתֶּם֙atemtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.מֹֽשְׁלִים֙moshelimuse proverbמָשַׁלverb, qal, participle, absolute — “use proverb”, a verb used as a describing wordH4911to liken, i.e. (transitively) to use figurative language (an allegory, adage, song or the like); intransitively, to resemblebe(-come) like, compare, use (as a) proverb, speak (in proverbs), utter.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַמָּשָׁ֣לhamashalthe bywordמָשָׁלdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the byword”, the ordinary formH4912properly, a pithy maxim, usually of metaphorical nature; hence, a simile (as an adage, poem, discourse)byword, like, parable, proverb.הַזֶּ֔הhazehthe the one...the otherזֶהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…אַדְמַ֥תadmatcountryאֲדָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “country”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH127soil (from its general redness)country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.לֵאמֹ֑רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אָבוֹת֙avotfatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “father”, the ordinary formH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.יֹ֣אכְלוּyokhlveatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.בֹ֔סֶרvosersour grapeבֹּסֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “sour grape”, the ordinary formH1155{an immature grape}sour grape.וְשִׁנֵּ֥יveshineand ivoryשֵׁןconjunction, noun, common, both genders, dual, construct — “and ivory”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8127a tooth (as sharp); specifically ivory; figuratively, a cliffcrag, [idiom] forefront, ivory, [idiom] sharp, tooth.הַבָּנִ֖יםhabanimthe sonבֵּןdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the son”, the ordinary formH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […תִּקְהֶֽינָהtiqheynahbe set on edgeקָהָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, plural — “be set on edge”, an unfinished actionH6949to be dullbe set on edge, be blunt.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

'What mean ye, that ye use this proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

Young’s Literal Translation

'What — to you, ye — using this simile Concerning the ground of Israel, saying: Fathers do eat unripe fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted?

World English Bible

“What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

Darby Translation

What mean ye, ye who use this proverb of the land of Israel, saying, [The] fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

Douay-Rheims

That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

'What mean ye, that ye use this proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Son of man, what mean ye by this parable among the children of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten unripe grapes, and the children's teeth have been set on edge?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, τί ὑμῖν ἡ παραβολὴ αὕτη ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, λέγοντες, οἱ πατέρες ἔφαγον ὄμφακα, καὶ οἱ ὀδόντες τῶν τέκνων ἐγομφίασαν;