Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Jerry Shepherd <jshepherd53 AT gmail.com>]

In Ezekiel 3:26 there is an occurrence of the verb YKX (יכח) in participial form.  The grand majority of translations and commentators take for granted that the verb in this instance means to “rebuke,” or to “reprove.”  This has always been a conundrum because, on the one hand, it seems that the verse is saying that Ezekiel will be silent and unable to rebuke the people.  On the other hand, rebuking the people is exactly what he does for the next twenty-some chapters.  Robert R. Wilson in a couple of articles, and Daniel Block in his massive commentary on Ezekiel, have cogently argued that YKX in this particular passage does not mean to “rebuke,” but rather means something along the lines of to “defend,” “arbitrate,” “plead,” or even “intercede.”  Thus, what Ezekiel is told here is that for a period of time he will be unable to exercise the normal prophetic prerogative of being an intercessor, a defender, an arbitrator on behalf of the people (cf. Jer 7:16; 11:14; 14:11-1).  That period of silence comes finally comes to an end in 33:21 when an escapee from Jerusalem arrives among the exiles and reports the news of the fall of  Jerusalem.  Ezekiel’s mouth is opened, and though he still has some rebuking things to say, a more positive tone and hopeful message come out in the chapters to follow.

 

Important for this whole discussion is the meaning of the verb YKX.  In its 59 occurrences, it has a wide variety of meanings, or to put it another way, a wide semantic range.  Negatively, it means to “reprove,” “rebuke” (Lev 19:17), to “accuse” (Hos 4:4; Amos 5:10; Mic 6:2), even bleeding over into the area of punishing and executing (2 Sam 7:14).  More neutrally, it means to simply decide the facts of the case and render a decision in a dispute between two or more parties (Gen 31:37; Isa 2:4; 11:3-4).  More positively, and more pertinent for Wilson’s and Block’s suggestion for Ezek 3:26, are those instances where it means to present one’s arguments in a particular matter, or to make a plea for another person (Job 9:33; 13:3, 15; 16:21; 23:7).  It can refer to the idea of vindication (Gen 20:16), and it can even mean “to appoint” or to “decree” or “to choose” (Gen 24:14, 44).

 

There is certainly room for subjectivity in how the meanings are assigned in the different passages. But what is important for the discussion is that, while all of these usages can be seen as being related to or developed from a particular concept, the way the word has been used in its various contexts, very different meanings have in fact developed.  And these meanings fall into different semantic domains.  The usage in Gen 20:16, for example, belongs to a different semantic domain than, say, the usage in 2 Sam 7:14.  And very important to note is that some of the developed meanings are opposites.  To rebuke or accuse someone is a directly opposite meaning to that of defending that person or pleading their case or arbitrating for them.

 

So, this lexeme has several different meanings.  It does not have just one meaning.  It even has opposite meanings.  And none of those meanings are unique—the same semantic notion could have been expressed with another synonymous or near synonymous lexeme or cluster of words.

 

Responses invited.

 

Blessings,

 

Jerry

Jerry Shepherd

Taylor Seminary

Edmonton, Alberta

jshepherd53 AT gmail.com