כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֔ה זֹ֚את יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בְּתֹ֥וךְ הַגֹּויִ֖ם שַׂמְתִּ֑יהָ וּסְבִיבֹותֶ֖יהָ אֲרָצֹֽות׃
Ezekiel 5:5 opens with a demonstrative pointer that doubles as the subject: זֹאת יְרוּשָׁלִַם—“This is Jerusalem.” But unlike simple identification, the Hebrew demonstrative here carries rhetorical and prophetic force. It draws the audience’s attention like a finger pointing in space. In Biblical Hebrew, demonstratives like זֹאת are more than grammatical tools—they’re deictic beacons that frame significance.
This verse also includes a verbal form with a pronominal suffix (שַׂמְתִּיהָ), placing Jerusalem at the center of divine intention: “I have set her among the nations.” But it all begins with זֹאת, which acts not as a modifier but as the grammatical subject in an appositional clause.
Word-by-Word Morphological Analysis
- כֹּ֤ה (kōh) –
Root: –;
Form: adverb;
Translation: “Thus”;
Notes: Commonly introduces prophetic or declarative speech. - אָמַר֙ (ʾāmar) –
Root: א־מ־ר;
Form: Qal perfect 3ms;
Translation: “said”;
Notes: Followed by a divine name or prophetic introduction. - אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֔ה (ʾĂdōnāy YHWH) –
Root: titles only;
Form: compound divine title;
Translation: “Lord GOD” or “the Lord YHWH”;
Notes: Used especially in Ezekiel to stress divine authority. - זֹ֚את (zōʾt) –
Root: ז־ה;
Form: demonstrative feminine singular;
Translation: “This”;
Notes: Functions as the subject—“This [is] Jerusalem.” - יְרוּשָׁלִַם (Yərūshālaim) –
Root: –;
Form: proper noun, feminine singular;
Translation: “Jerusalem”;
Notes: Appositional with זֹאת. - בְּתֹ֥וךְ (bətōk) –
Root: ת־ו־ך;
Form: preposition + noun (construct);
Translation: “in the midst of” - הַגֹּויִ֖ם (haggôyim) –
Root: ג־ו־י;
Form: masculine plural noun with article;
Translation: “the nations” - שַׂמְתִּיהָ (samtīhā) –
Root: ש־י־ם;
Form: Qal perfect 1cs + 3fs suffix;
Translation: “I have placed her”;
Notes: Emphasizes divine agency in setting Jerusalem’s position. - וּסְבִיבֹותֶ֖יהָ (ūsəvīvōtêhā) –
Root: ס־ב־ב;
Form: plural noun with conjunction and 3fs suffix;
Translation: “and around her” - אֲרָצֹֽות (ʾărāṣōt) –
Root: א־ר־ץ;
Form: feminine plural noun;
Translation: “lands”;
Notes: Likely refers to the surrounding territories or kingdoms.
Demonstratives as Subjects: זֹאת יְרוּשָׁלִַם
The clause זֹאת יְרוּשָׁלִַם is a verbless nominal clause where זֹאת acts as the subject, and יְרוּשָׁלִַם is the predicate. In Biblical Hebrew, demonstratives often precede a noun in this configuration to express identity or emphasis:
- זֹאת חַנָּה – “This is Ḥannah” (1 Samuel 1:26)
- זֶה אֱלֹהֵינוּ – “This is our God” (Isaiah 25:9)
By opening with זֹאת יְרוּשָׁלִַם, the prophet highlights Jerusalem as the focal object—exalted, then judged. It is a grammatical unveiling. The demonstrative sets the stage for divine pronouncement.
Placed Among the Nations: Syntax of Divine Geography
The phrase שַׂמְתִּיהָ בְּתוֹךְ הַגּוֹיִם portrays Jerusalem’s location as both geographic and symbolic. She was not merely placed randomly—she was divinely positioned “in the midst of the nations.” This concept recurs throughout Ezekiel:
- בְּתוֹךְ אֲרָצוֹת רַבּוֹת – “in the midst of many lands” (Ezekiel 27:7)
- לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ הַגּוֹיִם – “so the nations may know” (multiple verses)
This geography of divine mission—and later, judgment—is structured in prepositional phrases that mark proximity, identity, and divine intent.
The Finger That Points: Deixis and Prophetic Grammar
It’s easy to overlook demonstratives like זֹאת. But in prophetic literature, they serve as the divine finger—pointing, naming, exposing. Here in Ezekiel 5:5, זֹאת begins a charge: “This—this is Jerusalem!” The demonstrative carries emotional weight, echoing disappointment and confrontation.
Hebrew uses deixis not just to locate—but to accuse, to honor, to lament. In this verse, it does all three. The grammar itself points before the prophet speaks. And what it points to is not only a city, but a covenant history trembling on the edge of judgment.
