Lexical Summary hem: they, them Original Word: הֵם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance abundance, WealthFrom hamah; abundance, i.e. Wealth -- any of theirs. see HEBREW hamah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition perhaps a moaning, wailing, wealth NASB Translation wealth (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [הם?, המה?] only in מֵהֱמֵהֶם Ezekiel 7:11 Ew nothing of their moaning, wailing; Thes RV wealth, compare הָמוֺן 5, but precarious; form very suspicious; probably dittograph for preceding מֵהֶם; strike out B Co. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Function הֵם (“they / them / those ones”) is a third-person plural independent pronoun that draws attention to a collective entity outside the speaker and hearer. While Hebrew normally relies on verbal conjugations to convey person and number, the independent pronoun is inserted for clarity or emphasis, spotlighting the group in view. Context in Ezekiel 7:11 Ezekiel 7 forms part of the prophet’s final oracle against Jerusalem before its fall. Verse 11 culminates a sequence of accelerating judgments: “Violence has grown into a rod to punish the wicked. None of them will remain—none of their multitude, none of their wealth, and nothing of value.” (Ezekiel 7:11) Here הֵם intensifies the verdict. It isolates the condemned populace (“none of them”) and underscores the totality of the coming desolation. The pronoun’s placement after “none” (אַף) marks every member of the apostate community as included in the sentence. Literary and Theological Significance 1. Emphatic Exclusion: הֵם signals distance between the holy God and the sinful nation. By using “they,” the text portrays Judah not merely as unfortunate but as a morally distinct class set apart for retribution (compare Isaiah 59:2). Corporate Accountability in Judgment and Restoration While Ezekiel 7 emphasizes annihilation, later chapters promise renewal for a remnant (Ezekiel 11:17; 36:24-28). The same collective pronoun that marks sinners for destruction can, in God’s mercy, designate a restored people. This tension illustrates the consistency of divine justice and grace: the group that is judged is the group that may also be redeemed, contingent upon repentance. Implications for Ministry and Preaching • Warning Against Presumption: הֵם reminds congregations that belonging to a covenant community offers no shelter if hearts remain hardened (Hebrews 10:26-31). Summary The lone appearance of הֵם under Strong’s 1991 is small in form yet weighty in function. In Ezekiel 7:11 it crystallizes God’s total judgment on covenant breakers, highlights the gravity of collective sin, and, by contrast, magnifies the scope of divine mercy offered through repentance and ultimately through Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations מֶהֱמֵהֶ֖ם מהמהם me·hĕ·mê·hem mehemeHem mehĕmêhemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 7:11 HEB: מֵהֲמוֹנָ֛ם וְלֹ֥א מֶהֱמֵהֶ֖ם וְלֹא־ נֹ֥הַּ NAS: none of their wealth, nor KJV: none of them [shall remain], nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither [shall there be] wailing INT: of their people none of their wealth nor eminent 1 Occurrence |
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