The Flow of Binyanim in Ezekiel 47:1

וַיְשִׁבֵנִי֮ אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הַבַּיִת֒ וְהִנֵּה־מַ֣יִם יֹצְאִ֗ים מִתַּ֨חַת מִפְתַּ֤ן הַבַּ֨יִת֙ קָדִ֔ימָה כִּֽי־פְנֵ֥י הַבַּ֖יִת קָדִ֑ים וְהַמַּ֣יִם יֹרְדִ֗ים מִתַּ֜חַת מִכֶּ֤תֶף הַבַּ֨יִת֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית מִנֶּ֖גֶב לַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
(Ezekiel 47:1)

And he brought me back to the entrance of the house, and behold, waters were going out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the face of the house was toward the east, and the waters were going down from under the right side of the house, south of the altar

The Verbal Landscape

This verse is full of movement. The prophet is guided back, and water flows forth from the Temple. The verbs here shape the vision’s dynamism: וַיְשִׁבֵנִי anchors the prophet’s position, יֹצְאִים depicts the water’s emergence, and יֹרְדִים describes its descent. Each binyan conveys a different kind of motion—causative, simple action, and ongoing flow.

Verb Analysis

1) וַיְשִׁבֵנִי — “and he brought me back”

• Root: שוב (“to return”).
• Binyan: Hiphil (causative).
• Morphology: Wayyiqtol, 3ms + 1cs suffix. Prefixed וַ + causative form with hireq under the prefix and dagesh in the second radical.
• Function: The Hiphil here is causative: not “I returned” but “he caused me to return” (i.e., “he brought me back”).
• Literary Effect: Ezekiel is not moving on his own. He is guided, pulled, placed. The Hiphil stresses divine or angelic agency, emphasizing that the vision is orchestrated rather than discovered.

2) יֹצְאִים — “were going out”

• Root: יצא (“to go out”).
• Binyan: Qal (simple active).
• Morphology: Participle, masculine plural. Prefix יֹ + tsere under the second radical; plural ending implied.
• Function: The participle shows durative or ongoing action: the waters are in the process of flowing out.
• Semantic Nuance: Qal here is plain and unembellished—like water itself. The form emphasizes constancy: the waters keep emerging, an unceasing flow.

3) יֹרְדִים — “were going down”

• Root: ירד (“to go down, descend”).
• Binyan: Qal (simple active).
• Morphology: Participle, masculine plural. Same pattern as יֹצְאִים.
• Function: Again, a participle indicates continuous action: the waters are descending, a steady stream southward from the altar.
• Literary Effect: The repetition of participial forms (יֹצְאִים, יֹרְדִים) creates rhythm, a visual echo of flowing water. The grammar itself “moves” with the water.

Binyan Comparison

Echoes of the Stem

The verse contrasts guided motion and natural flow. Hiphil places Ezekiel under direction—he is moved, positioned, returned. In contrast, the waters are described with Qal participles, emphasizing effortless, continuous action. The effect is theological: the prophet is led to see what God wants him to see, but the vision itself—waters flowing from the Temple—is a reality that flows freely, unstoppably, without human or angelic intervention. The binyanim thus create a distinction between being guided and watching life flow.