Ezekiel 16:21 — Word Study
WLCוַֽתִּשְׁחֲטִ֖י אֶת־ בָּנָ֑י וַֽתִּתְּנִ֔ים בְּהַעֲבִ֥יר אוֹתָ֖ם לָהֶֽם׃
BSAYou slaughteredshâchaṭ▸ [put to death] My childrenbên [sons, descendants] and delivered them upnâthan▸ [gave them up, sacrificed them] through the fireʻâbar [to be burned, as an offering]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַֽתִּשְׁחֲטִ֖י | and you slaughtered | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect second person feminine singular |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| בָּנָ֑י | children my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וַֽתִּתְּנִ֔ים | and you gave them | Verb qal sequential imperfect second person feminine singular, suffix |
| בְּהַעֲבִ֥יר | when made pass through | Preposition, verb hiphil infinitive construct common |
| אוֹתָ֖ם | the object marker them | Particle, suffix |
| לָהֶֽם׃ | to them | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols. |
| KJV | That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? |
| ASV | that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire unto them? |
| YLT | That thou dost slaughter My sons, And dost give them up in causing them to pass over to them? |
| WEB | that you have slain my children and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them? |
| BBE | That you put my children to death and gave them up to go through the fire to them? |
Where they part company is in the rendering of שָׁחַט — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main verb followed by an object and additional phrases that elaborate on the actions taken.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁחַט
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 16:21
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Condemnation of Idolatrygenerated
Ezekiel 16:21 is part of a larger passage where God rebukes Israel for their unfaithfulness and idolatry. The imagery of slaughtering children highlights the severity of their actions and the depth of their betrayal. This chapter details God's grievances against Israel, emphasizing their abandonment of Him in favor of false gods, which is a recurring theme in the prophetic literature.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 106:37 | They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. |
| 2 | Leviticus 18:21 | You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. |
| 3 | Leviticus 20:1–5 | Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 18:10 | Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, |
| 5 | 2 Kings 17:17 | They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שָׁחַט, shachatgenerated
The verb שָׁחַט (shachat) means to slaughter, often in a sacrificial context. It is used here to describe the act of killing children, which signifies a severe moral and spiritual violation. The parsing indicates a sequential imperfect tense, meaning this action was ongoing or habitual.
This word is often associated with ritual sacrifice, and its use here underscores the horror of offering one's own children to idols. The choice of this verb conveys not just the act of killing, but the gravity of the sin against God.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is שָׁחַט, you slaughtered, which governs the object בָּנָי, My children, and is followed by another verb תִּתְּנִ֔ים, you gave them, leading into a prepositional phrase בְּהַעֲבִ֥יר, when made pass through.
The structure emphasizes the actions taken against the children, with the verbs highlighting the severity of the acts of sacrifice.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שָׁחַט as ἔσφαχας, indicating a direct and literal rendering of the Hebrew term for slaughter. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the gravity of the act being described.
The LXX captures the essence of the original Hebrew, emphasizing the horror of the sacrifice while also adapting to the Greek audience's understanding.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 16:21 tells us that God accuses Israel of slaughtering their own children and offering them as sacrifices to idols. This act is seen as a profound betrayal and highlights their unfaithfulness to God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Sacrificing children to idols refers to the act of offering one's own offspring as a burnt offering to false gods, which was a practice condemned by God in the Bible.
God views this act as a severe violation of the covenant relationship He has with His people, demonstrating a complete abandonment of faith and trust in Him.
This verse illustrates the depth of Israel's unfaithfulness and serves as a warning of the consequences of idolatry, which is a central theme throughout the book of Ezekiel.
This verse serves as a reminder of the seriousness of idolatry and the importance of remaining faithful to God, avoiding practices that lead us away from Him.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some modern-day practices that could be seen as sacrificing our values or beliefs?
- How can we ensure that we remain faithful to God in our own lives?
- In what ways can we support those who may feel pressured to conform to societal idols?
- What lessons can we draw from Israel's history to apply to our own faith journey?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 16:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThat thou hast slain my children,.... By creation, as all born into the world are; and by national adoption, as all the Jewish children were; and particularly the firstborn were eminently his, and
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 16 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMoreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 16 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThy blind superstition called this religion, and accounted it sacrifice, but truth is it was unnatural murder; it is as if thou hadst cut their throat, nay, worse, because it put them to greater torture. The word is used . My children; sons here are first-born, which peculiarly were devoted to God, he reserved a special right in these, and yet this cruel mother, this perfidious wife, this sacrilegious adulteress, sacrificeth these to her idols. Delivered them; either gave them to the idol’ s priests, or rather with her own hands gave them, i.e. led them through the fire, if lustrated, or put them into the idol’ s arms of brass or iron, which grasped them fast whilst they were consumed with…
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 16 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 16:21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through [the fire] for them?Ver. 21. That thou hast slain my children.] Note that he yet calleth them his children, though so born, and so murdered. See on Ezekiel 16:20.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 16 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 21. To cause them to pass through the fire] Bp. Newcome quotes a very apposite passage from Dionysius Halicarnass. Ant. Rom. lib. i., s. 88, p. 72, and marg. p. 75, Edit. Hudson: Μεταδετουτο, πυρκαΐαςπροτωνσκηνωνγενεσθαικελευσας, εξαγειτονλεωνταςφλογαςὑπερθρωσκοντα,τηςὁσιωσεωςτωνμιασματωνἑνεκα. "And after this, having ordered that fires should be made before the tents, he brings out the people to leap over the flames, for the purifying of their pollutions." This example shows that we are not always to take passing through the fire for being entirely consumed by it. Among the Israelites this appears to have been used as a rite of consecration.
Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 16 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges21. hast … delivered them] Or, didst deliver them up, in causing them, as R.V. The child passed into the possession of the deity when consumed in the fire.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 16 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible21. Thou hast slain my children — The divine husband yearns over his innocent ones slain by the heartless mother.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 16 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.
that you have slain my children and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them?
You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.
you slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.
Tyndale line
That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?
that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire unto them?
that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire unto them?
That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?
That thou hast slaine my children, and deliuered them to cause them to passe through fire for them?
Strictly literal
that thou didst slay my children and give them up in passing them over to them?
That thou dost slaughter My sons, And dost give them up in causing them to pass over to them?
that you slaughter My sons, || And give them up in causing them to pass over to them?
That thou didst slay my children, and give them up to cause them to pass through the fire for them?
You slaughtered my children to the idols and made them pass through the fire.
From the Latin
Thou hast sacrificed and given my children to them, consecrating them by fire.
Simplified
You slaughtered my children, sacrificing them to idols.
That you put my children to death and gave them up to go through the fire to them?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads: וַֽתִּשְׁחֲטִ֖י אֶת־ בָּנָ֑י וַֽתִּתְּנִ֔ים בְּהַעֲבִ֥יר אוֹתָ֖ם לָהֶֽם׃. The Septuagint matches five of the seven words, maintaining the core message while differing in word order and structure.
וַֽתִּשְׁחֲטִ֖י אֶת־ בָּנָ֑י וַֽתִּתְּנִ֔ים בְּהַעֲבִ֥יר אוֹתָ֖ם לָהֶֽם׃
5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 16:21
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שָׁחַט (shachat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to slaughter or kill, often in the context of sacrifice. It can refer to the slaughtering of animals for food or ritual purposes, as well as the killing of people in a sacrificial context. The noun form שַׁחֲטָה (shachat) is noted as a doubtful term, with a reference in Hosea 5:2.
שָׁחַט 84 vb. slaughter, beat
Qal slaughter
Niph. be slaughtered for food
base
שַׁחֲטָה n.f. doubtful word;—Ho 5:2 RV (cf. AV) the revolters are gone deep in slaughtering
ref
H7819a שָׁחַט slaughter, beat H7819b שַׁחֲטָה doubtful word
7819 shachat shaw-khat'
a primitive root; to slaughter (in sacrifice or
massacre):--kill, offer, shoot out, slay, slaughter.
שָׁחַט (sha.chat) — to slaughter.
v
1) to kill, slaughter, beat
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to slaughter
1a1a) beast for food
1a1b) sacrifice
1a1c) person in human sacrifice
1a1d) beaten, hammered (of shekels)
1b) (Niphal) to be slaughtered, be slain (of food or sacrifice)
Also means: sha.chat (שָׁחוּט "beaten" H7820)
שַׁחֲטָה (sha.cha.tah) — slaughtering.
1) (BDB) slaughtering
1a) word doubtful
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-2fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect second person feminine singularHc/Vqw2fs
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a 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 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-2fs | Suff — Verb qal sequential imperfect second person feminine singular · suffixHc/Vqw2fs/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word עָבַר (abar) is a versatile verb meaning to pass over, through, or by, and it encompasses a range of actions including crossing, traversing, and alienating. It can also imply causing something to pass or be transferred, as well as emotional states like anger in its Hithpael form. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, though they do not provide specific verse references.
עָבַר 648 vb. pass over, through, by, pass on
Qal
pass over
Pass beyond
Pass through, traverse
pass along by
pass by
sweep by, of scourge
be past, over, of time
pass along (from hand to hand)
Pass on, go on
Pass away
Niph. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded
Pi.
his bull impregnateth
cause one to cross river
cause something to pass over
make over to
devote children to (לְ) heathen god
pass along (from hand to hand)
cause to pass through
let pass through
cause to pass by
let pass by
cause arrow to pass beyond
cause to pass under rod, for counting
cause to pass away, take away
Hiph.
cause to pass over, bring over
he made to pass across with chains of gold
base
[עָבַר] vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself
base
H5674a עָבַר pass over, through, by, pass on .. pass over
. Pass beyond
. Pass through, traverse
. . pass along by
. pass by
. sweep by, of scourge
. be past, over, of time
. pass along (from hand to hand)
. Pass on, go on
. Pass away
. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded
. . his bull impregnateth . cause one to cross river
. cause something to pass over
. make over to
. devote children to (לְ) heathen god
. pass along (from hand to hand)
. . cause to pass through
. let pass through
. . cause to pass by
. let pass by
. cause arrow to pass beyond
. cause to pass under rod, for counting
. cause to pass away, take away
. . cause to pass over, bring over
. he made to pass across with chains of gold
H5674b עָבַר vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself
5674 `abar aw-bar'
a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any
transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive,
intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
copulation):--alienate, alter, X at all, beyond, bring (over,
through), carry over, (over-)come (on, over), conduct (over),
convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail,
gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way,
in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle,
overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over)
pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over,
through), (cause to, make) + proclaim(-amation), perish,
provoke to anger, put away, rage, + raiser of taxes, remove,
send over, set apart, + shave, cause to (make) sound, X
speedily, X sweet smelling, take (away), (make to)
transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-)faring man, be
wrath.
עָבַר (a.var) — to pass.
1) to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over
1a2) to pass beyond
1a3) to pass through, traverse
1a3a) passers-through (participle)
1a3b) to pass through (the parts of victim in covenant)
1a4) to pass along, pass by, overtake and pass, sweep by
1a4a) passer-by (participle)
1a4b) to be past, be over
1a5) to pass on, go on, pass on before, go in advance of, pass along, travel, advance
1a6) to pass away
1a6a) to emigrate, leave (one's territory)
1a6b) to vanish
1a6c) to perish, cease to exist
1a6d) to become invalid, become obsolete (of law, decree)
1a6e) to be alienated, pass into other hands
1b) (Niphal) to be crossed
1c) (Piel) to impregnate, cause to cross
1d) (Hiphil)
Prep | V-Hiphil-Inf-a — Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct commonHR/Vhcc
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo/Sp3mp — Particle · suffixHTo/Sp3mp
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HRd/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp3mp