אֶל־הֶֽהָרִים֙ לֹ֣א אָכָ֔ל וְעֵינָיו֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔א אֶל־גִּלּוּלֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאֶת־אֵ֤שֶׁת רֵעֵ֨הוּ֙ לֹ֣א טִמֵּ֔א וְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֥ה נִדָּ֖ה לֹ֥א יִקְרָֽב׃ (Ezekiel 18:6)
Introduction: The Syntax of Not Doing
Ezekiel 18:6 is part of a larger legal-moral catalogue describing the behaviors of the righteous individual. Its power lies in what is not done. The verse structures a series of prohibitive actions using parallel negative clauses, each syntactically framed to communicate personal discipline, ritual purity, and covenantal loyalty. Here, syntax doesn’t describe action—it defines righteousness through grammatical restraint.
Clause Structure: A String of Negated Actions
This verse contains four coordinated clauses, each one describing a prohibited action, negated by לֹא:
1. אֶל־הֶֽהָרִים לֹ֣א אָכָ֔ל – “To the mountains he did not eat” (i.e., did not participate in idolatrous sacrifices)
2. וְעֵינָיו לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔א אֶל־גִּלּוּלֵ֖י בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל – “And his eyes he did not lift to the idols of the house of Yisraʾel”
3. וְאֶת־אֵ֤שֶׁת רֵעֵ֨הוּ֙ לֹ֣א טִמֵּ֔א – “And the wife of his neighbor he did not defile”
4. וְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֥ה נִדָּ֖ה לֹ֥א יִקְרָֽב – “And to a woman in her impurity he did not approach”
Each clause has a clear subject-verb-object or prepositional complement pattern, but with preposed negation, which gives rhetorical prominence to what is avoided.
Word Order: Fronting of Objects and Complements
The verse frequently uses fronting of the object or prepositional phrase:
– אֶל־הֶהָרִים before לֹ֣א אָכָ֔ל
– עֵינָיו before לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔א
– וְאֶת־אֵ֤שֶׁת רֵעֵ֨הוּ֙ before לֹ֣א טִמֵּ֔א
– וְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֥ה נִדָּ֖ה before לֹ֥א יִקְרָֽב
This ordering is marked syntax and functions to emphasize the prohibited object or direction of action. In this way, the danger is named first, and then negated.
Nominal Phrases: Relationship and Ritual Identity
– גִּלּוּלֵי בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל – “idols of the house of Yisraʾel” (construct chain); irony: the house of Yisraʾel, meant for worship, is associated with idolatry.
– אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ – “wife of his neighbor” (construct relationship indicating adultery)
– אִשָּׁה נִדָּה – “a woman in her impurity” (noun + participle; legally unclean)
These constructions identify spheres of religious, moral, and ritual danger.
Verbal Syntax: Patterns of Prohibition
Each verb reflects a different type of transgression:
– אָכָל – “he ate” (Qal perfect 3ms): associated with idolatrous rituals
– נָשָׂא – “he lifted” (Qal perfect 3ms): idiom for turning toward or revering
– טִמֵּא – “he defiled” (Piel perfect 3ms): used in sexual or cultic defilement
– יִקְרָב – “he approaches” (Qal imperfect 3ms): future or habitual avoidance
The shift to imperfect in the final clause יִקְרָב adds continuing or habitual nuance, aligning with Levitical law.
Agreement and Grammatical Precision
All verbs are 3rd person masculine singular, agreeing with the implied subject (the righteous man). Suffixes like רֵעֵהוּ (“his neighbor”) and עֵינָיו (“his eyes”) maintain consistent point of reference.
Parallelism: Structural and Moral
This verse builds a pattern of syntactic parallelism in both form and meaning. Each clause:
– Begins with an object or prepositional phrase
– Is followed by לֹא + verb
– References a moral boundary
The verse functions like a legal poem—every line enforcing a different line of separation.
Discourse Force: A Catalog of Restraint
This verse is part of a larger discourse listing the attributes of a just man. But its syntax is uniquely defensive—not describing what he does, but what he refrains from doing. The recurring negative particle לֹא creates a rhythm of moral abstention.
The Architecture of Self-Control
Ezekiel 18:6 teaches righteousness not through action but through avoidance. Its syntax—a series of negated, fronted clauses—acts like a wall of protection, building a profile of holiness one refusal at a time. In this verse, to say “no” is to live rightly, and the grammar of negation becomes the syntax of sanctity.
