Semantic Analysis: Ezekiel (Full Book)

Methodological Note

Ezekiel, unlike Romans, was composed in Biblical Hebrew, not Koine Greek. To honor the pipeline’s “original-language analysis” mandate while remaining philologically honest, this document treats Biblical Hebrew as the original-language authority for every term and cites the Septuagint (LXX) Koine Greek rendering where it materially informs the term’s reception history (since the LXX is itself a Second-Temple interpretive witness, and several LXX choices shaped later Christian doctrinal vocabulary, including the vocabulary already fixed in the Romans baseline).

Reconciliation with the baseline Romans package:

• Every term already present in translation_memory.json (e.g., gloire, saint, sanctification, alliance, péché, justice, Israël, David, Dieu, Seigneur, paix, prophète, prophétie, résurrection, Esprit Saint) is reused exactly as recorded. Where Ezekiel’s usage carries book-specific doctrinal freight not present in Romans, that nuance is noted separately without altering the fixed French rendering.

• YHWH convention: Ezekiel is saturated with the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) and the compound formula אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (“Adonai YHWH”), occurring far more densely than anywhere in Romans, which never needs to render it directly. Following the baseline’s own register instruction (“TOB / Bible de Jérusalem register”) and standard ecumenical French Bible practice (TOB, NBS), this analysis adopts:

  • YHWH → “le SEIGNEUR” (small capitals, marking the divine name specifically)
  • Adonai (אֲדֹנָי, “my Lord/Master”) → “Seigneur” (standard case)
  • Adonai YHWH (אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, ~217 occurrences in Ezekiel) → “Seigneur DIEU” (TOB/NBS convention)

  This does not contradict the baseline’s lord = “Seigneur” entry (which governs the NT confession “Jésus est Seigneur”); it extends the same term family to Old Testament usage with a typographic convention that keeps the divine name visually distinct, exactly as the ecumenical French tradition the baseline anchors to already does.

• Risk tiers use the same Critical/High/Medium/Low framework and definitions established in doctrine_risk_registry.json. A term’s tier may be reassessed for this curriculum where Ezekiel’s doctrinal emphasis differs from Romans’ (e.g., gloire rises from Medium in Romans to High here, since the Glory of God is this book’s spine); the French rendering itself never changes.

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PART A — Core Passage: Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Verse-by-Verse)

Verse 1

“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
יַד־יְהוָה	yad-YHWH	”hand of YHWH”	Anthropomorphic idiom for divine power/agency seizing a person	”hand of the LORD,” “LORD’s power”	Marks the onset of prophetic-ecstatic experience (cf. 1:3, 3:14, 8:1, 40:1); God’s sovereign, irresistible initiative over the prophet	”la main du SEIGNEUR” — Low risk; standard anthropomorphic idiom, low ambiguity
רוּחַ יְהוָה	ruach YHWH	”wind/breath/spirit of YHWH”	Triple polysemy: wind, breath, spirit — deliberately exploited across this passage (cf. v.9, v.14)	“Spirit of the LORD”	The same divine agency that will shortly re-animate the bones; establishes Spirit as the motive force of both prophetic transport and resurrection-restoration	”l’Esprit du SEIGNEUR” (capitalized) — High risk: French must split the Hebrew’s single polysemous ruach into distinct words (Esprit / souffle / vent) across the passage, unavoidably losing the wordplay the Hebrew sustains from v.1 to v.14. Flag for teaching note.
בִּקְעָה	biq’ah	”valley, broad plain”	Open lowland/plain, often a battlefield or burial ground	”valley,” “plain”	The setting for a vision of covenant-national death and resurrection	”vallée” — Low risk
עֲצָמוֹת	atzamot	”bones”	Skeletal remains; figuratively, the core/substance of a body or nation	”bones”	The visible remnant of a defeated, exiled people — Israel reduced to its bare, lifeless structure	”os” — Low risk

Verse 2

“And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
יָבֵשׁ (יְבֵשׁוֹת)	yavesh	”dry, withered”	Drought, desiccation; figuratively hopeless/lifeless	”very dry,” “withered”	Total, long-standing death — not fresh casualties but an ancient, hopeless devastation; matches Israel’s exilic despair (cf. v.11)	“très sèches” — Low risk

Verse 3

“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, you know.’”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
בֶּן־אָדָם	ben-adam	”son of man/Adam”	Ordinary human being, mortal creature; God’s habitual address to Ezekiel (~93x in the book)	“son of man,” “mortal,” “human”	Emphasizes the prophet’s frailty and creaturehood before the sovereign, glorious God; NOT a messianic title	”fils d’homme” — High risk: identical French phrase collides with the NT Christological title “le Fils de l’homme” (Daniel 7:13 fulfilled in Christ, used 80+ times in the Gospels). Teaching material must explicitly clarify that in Ezekiel this is God’s address to a mortal prophet, never a divine self-designation.
חָיָה	chayah	”to live, come to life, revive”	Physical life, restoration to vigor, national revival	”live,” “come to life”	The central verb of the whole vision — asks whether covenant-death is reversible by God alone	”vivre” — see extended note below (Part A, doctrinal summary)
אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה	Adonai YHWH	”my Lord, YHWH”	Combined divine title/name, Ezekiel’s characteristic address to God (~217x)	“Lord GOD,” “Sovereign LORD”	Emphasizes both God’s personal lordship (Adonai) and his covenant self-revealed name (YHWH) in a single acknowledgment of total dependence	”Seigneur DIEU” — Medium risk; ensure consistent typographic distinction from ordinary “Seigneur” (NT kyrios) and “Dieu”

Verse 4

“Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
נָבָא	naba	”to prophesy”	Speaking as God’s authorized mouthpiece; can denote ecstatic or reasoned oracular speech	”prophesy”	The prophetic word itself is the instrument of resurrection — creation-by-word pattern (cf. Genesis 1)	“prophétiser” (reuse baseline prophétie/prophète family) — Low risk
דְּבַר־יְהוָה	devar-YHWH	”word of YHWH”	God’s spoken, effective utterance; can mean a specific oracle or Scripture generally	”word of the LORD”	The bones must “hear” — the word of God addressed even to the dead is efficacious	”la parole du SEIGNEUR” — Low-Medium risk; ensure capitalized divine-name convention is applied consistently

Verse 5

“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
רוּחַ (הִנֵּה אֲנִי מֵבִיא בָכֶם רוּחַ)	ruach	”breath” (here)	Same word as v.1/v.9/v.14 “Spirit” — here rendered “breath” entering the bones	”breath,” “wind,” “spirit”	The same divine ruach that hovered over creation (Genesis 1:2) and empowers prophecy now re-animates dead Israel	”souffle” — High risk: this is the third distinct French word (after “Esprit,” “vent”) needed to cover one Hebrew root across 14 verses; flag for translator note explaining the deliberate wordplay is unavoidably fragmented in French

Verse 6

“And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
גִּיד	gid	”sinew, tendon”	Connective bodily tissue	”sinews,” “tendons”	Physical, bodily reconstruction — deliberately embodied, not merely spiritual/metaphorical restoration	”tendons” — Low risk
בָּשָׂר	basar	”flesh”	Living tissue; also “humanity,” “mortal creatures,” “kinship"	"flesh”	Full physical restoration of the national body	”chair” — Low risk
עוֹר	or	”skin”	Outer bodily covering	”skin”	Completes the physical reconstitution before the breath of life enters — order matters: form before animation (cf. Genesis 2:7)	“peau” — Low risk
וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה	vi-yda’tem ki-ani YHWH	”and you will know that I am YHWH”	The book’s signature “recognition formula,” occurring ~60+ times in Ezekiel	”you shall know that I am the LORD”	Every act of judgment or restoration in Ezekiel serves the ultimate purpose of God’s self-revelation to Israel and the nations; the resurrection of the bones is itself an act of self-disclosure, not merely of mercy	”vous saurez / vous connaîtrez que je suis le SEIGNEUR” — Medium risk: must not be flattened into a generic “you will see” or “you will understand”; this is covenantal self-revelation language and should be rendered identically at every occurrence across the book for pedagogical consistency

Verse 7

“So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
קוֹל	qol	”sound, voice, noise”	Any audible sound; also “voice” of God or a person	”sound,” “noise”	Marks the vision’s dramatic turning point — the word begins to visibly take effect	”un bruit” — Low risk
רַעַשׁ	ra’ash	”rattling, shaking, earthquake”	Tremor, commotion; used elsewhere for theophanic earthquakes (1 Kings 19:11)	“rattling,” “commotion,” “earthquake”	Echoes theophany-tremor language, subtly signaling God’s active presence in the reassembly	”un tremblement” — Low-Medium risk; avoid over-translating as literal “tremblement de terre” (earthquake), which narrows the sense unnecessarily

Verse 8

“And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.”

No new terms beyond vv.6 (gid, basar, or) and the ruach/breath term of v.5, repeated here in negation (“no breath/ruach in them”) — see extended doctrinal note below. The absence of ruach at this stage is the passage’s key structural pivot: physical form without Spirit is still death.

Verse 9

“Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
אַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת	arba ruchot	”four winds/spirits”	Compass directions personified as winds; here ruach means “wind” in its most literal sense	”four winds”	Universal gathering — the life-giving ruach is summoned from every direction, anticipating the ingathering of exiles from every nation (cf. vv.12, 21)	“des quatre vents” — Medium risk; the same word rendered “Esprit” moments earlier (vv.1, 5) must here be rendered “vent(s),” which a French reader cannot recover as the same word without a footnote
חֲלָלִים	chalalim	”slain, pierced”	Those killed by violence, especially in battle	”slain”	Confirms these are not merely deceased of natural causes but the war-dead of a conquered, exiled nation	”ces morts / ces victimes” — Low-Medium risk

Verse 10

“So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
חַיִל	chayil	”army, host, strength”	Military force; also “wealth,” “valor,” “capability"	"army,” “host”	The restored nation stands not merely alive but organized, purposeful, and strong — full covenant-national restoration, not bare survival	”une armée” — Low-Medium risk; avoid triumphalist militaristic over-reading in teaching material — the image conveys vitality and order, not a call to literal warfare

Verse 11

“Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.”’”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל	kol-beit Yisrael	”the whole house of Israel”	The entire covenant nation, corporately	”the whole house of Israel,” “all Israel”	The vision’s explicit interpretive key: this is a corporate, national image (exile as death), not primarily an individual-afterlife teaching	”toute la maison d’Israël” — Medium risk; must be clearly taught as the passage’s own stated referent, to prevent premature collapse into an individual-resurrection doctrine (see extended note below)
תִּקְוָתֵנוּ	tiqvatenu	”our hope”	Expectation, confident anticipation of future good	”our hope”	Names precisely what exile had destroyed — the loss addressed by God’s answering promise	”notre espérance / notre espoir” — Low risk
נִגְזַרְנוּ	nigzarnu	”we are cut off, severed”	To be cut off, excluded, severed from a group or from the land	”we are cut off,” “we are lost”	Covenant-curse language of exclusion from the land and community (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28)	“nous sommes retranchés” — Low-Medium risk

Verse 12

“Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
קֶבֶר	qever	”grave, tomb”	Burial place; figuratively, exile itself as a kind of grave	”grave,” “tomb”	Extends the metaphor: exile in Babylon is figuratively “the grave” from which God will raise his people	”tombeau” — Medium risk: a careless teaching gloss could read this as a literal individual-resurrection prooftext detached from its exile-restoration referent; keep the corporate-exile sense primary while noting its later canonical resonance (see note below)
עַמִּי	ammi	”my people”	Covenant-relational designation; echoes the marriage/covenant formula “you shall be my people"	"my people”	Reaffirms the covenant bond despite judgment — God has not abandoned the relationship	”mon peuple” — Medium risk; must retain covenantal weight, not read as a bare ethnic/national label
אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל	eretz Yisrael	”the land of Israel”	The covenant-promised territory	”the land of Israel”	The promise culminates in literal geographic restoration — connects to the tribal-allotment vision of chs. 47-48	”le pays d’Israël” / “la terre d’Israël” — Medium risk given contemporary political sensitivity around this phrase; keep the referent historical-theological (the covenant promise to exiled Israel), consistent with the baseline’s existing note on “Israël”

Verse 13

“And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.”

Reuses the recognition formula (v.6) and qever/ammi (v.12) — no new terms. Notable structurally: the recognition formula brackets the entire promise (vv.6, 13, 14), underscoring that restoration serves God’s self-revelation, echoing the “Glory and Sovereignty of God” doctrine that spans the whole book.

Verse 14

“And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have declared it, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”

Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	French Rendering & Risk
וְנָתַתִּי רוּחִי בָכֶם	ve-natati ruchi vachem	”and I will put my Spirit within/among you”	Fourth and climactic use of ruach in the passage, now explicitly possessive (“my Spirit”)	“I will put my Spirit within you”	Directly echoes the New Heart/New Spirit promise of 11:19 and 36:26-27; this is not merely animating breath but the abiding indwelling divine Spirit — a bridge toward New Covenant Spirit-theology (cf. Romans 8)	“je mettrai mon Esprit en vous” (capitalized “Esprit,” per baseline’s “Esprit Saint” theological register) — Critical risk: this is the passage’s doctrinal peak; must not be softened to “un esprit” (lowercase, generic vitality) nor conflated with the merely animating “breath” (souffle) of vv.5,9-10, since v.14 explicitly identifies it as God’s own Spirit (ruchi, “my Spirit”), not generic life-force
נְאֻם־יְהוָה	ne’um-YHWH	”declaration/utterance of YHWH”	Formal prophetic oracle-closing formula	”declares the LORD,” “says the LORD”	Certifies the promise as an authoritative, binding divine speech-act	”— déclaration du SEIGNEUR” or “dit le SEIGNEUR” — Low risk

Extended Doctrinal Note on the Core Passage (for translators and teachers)

1. National restoration vs. individual bodily resurrection. Verse 11 explicitly states the referent: “these bones are the whole house of Israel.” The vision’s primary sense is Israel’s corporate restoration from exile, pictured as a return from death. It is not, in its plain historical sense, a direct teaching about individual bodily resurrection at the end of the age — that doctrine, and the baseline’s resurrection = résurrection (Critical risk, “bodily, historical, once-for-all event,” per Romans usage), rests on other texts (Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15; Romans 6, 8). Do not render chayah in this passage as “résurrection” — use “vivre” / “revivre” to preserve Ezekiel’s own metaphorical register. However, note for teaching purposes that Second Temple Judaism and the early church (the Dura-Europos synagogue frescoes, patristic commentary) increasingly read Ezekiel 37 as also anticipating individual bodily resurrection — a legitimate typological/canonical extension, but one that must be taught as an extension, not conflated with the term-choice itself.
2. The fractured ruach wordplay. The single Hebrew word ruach appears in this passage as “Spirit” (v.1), “breath” (vv.5,9-10), “wind” (v.9), and “my Spirit” (v.14) — a deliberate theological wordplay (creation-breath = restoration-breath = indwelling Spirit) that French cannot preserve with one lexeme (Esprit / souffle / vent). This is the single highest-risk translation feature of the core passage and should be flagged with a translator’s note in every rendering.
3. “Fils d’homme.” Every occurrence of the address to Ezekiel must be accompanied, in teaching materials (not the running biblical text itself), by a clarifying note that this is not the NT title “the Son of Man.”

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PART B — Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book

Chapter 1 — Inaugural Vision of God’s Glory

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
gloire	כָּבוֹד	kavod	”weight, heaviness” → “glorious presence”	The visible, weighty manifestation of God’s presence and majesty; LXX δόξα (doxa)	“glory,” “glory of the LORD”	Establishes the book’s controlling doctrine: God’s manifest, sovereign presence appearing to a prophet in exile, far from the Jerusalem temple	”gloire” (reuse baseline) — High for this curriculum (elevated from Romans’ Medium): the departure/return of this kavod (chs. 8-11, 43) is the book’s doctrinal spine
chérubins / “êtres vivants”	חַיּוֹת / (identified as כְּרוּבִים in ch.10)	chayot / keruvim	”living beings” / “cherubim”	Composite, four-faced throne-attendant creatures; not to be confused with cute infant “cherub” imagery	”living creatures,” “cherubim”	Guardians/bearers of the divine throne-chariot	”êtres vivants” (ch.1) / “chérubins” (from ch.10) — Medium: French “chérubin” colloquially denotes an adorable child/baby (“un petit chérubin”), risking trivialization of Ezekiel’s fearsome throne-guardians
roues	אוֹפַנִּים	ophanim	”wheels”	Wheel-like structures beneath the throne-chariot, full of eyes	”wheels”	Symbolize the omnidirectional mobility and all-seeing sovereignty of God’s presence — not bound to one place (relevant to exile theology)	“roues” — Low
firmament	רָקִיעַ	raqia	”expanse, firmament”	The visible sky-vault; here, a crystal platform beneath God’s throne	”expanse,” “firmament”	Separates and elevates the divine throne above creation	”étendue” / “voûte” — Low
main du SEIGNEUR	יַד־יְהוָה	yad-YHWH	”hand of YHWH”	See core passage v.1	”hand of the LORD”	Formulaic marker of prophetic-visionary experience, recurring at major structural seams of the book (1:3; 3:14,22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1)	“la main du SEIGNEUR” — Low

Chapter 2 — Commissioning of the Prophet

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
fils d’homme	בֶּן־אָדָם	ben-adam	”son of man”	See core passage v.3	”son of man,” “mortal”	God’s habitual address to Ezekiel throughout the book, first occurring here	”fils d’homme” — High (see core passage note)
maison rebelle	בֵּית מֶרִי	beit meri	”house of rebellion”	Israel described as chronically rebellious	”rebellious house”	Names Ezekiel’s primary audience and the book’s diagnostic starting point	”maison rebelle” — Low-Medium
rouleau	מְגִלָּה	megillah	”scroll”	Written document, here inscribed with “lamentation, mourning, and woe"	"scroll”	Symbol of the burdensome, judgment-heavy word Ezekiel must internalize (continues into ch.3)	“rouleau” — Low

Chapter 3 — Eating the Scroll; the Watchman Introduced

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
sentinelle	צֹפֶה	tsofeh	”watchman, lookout”	One posted to see danger and sound the alarm	”watchman”	First introduction (3:17-21) of the responsibility-to-warn motif, developed fully in ch.33; grounds pastoral/prophetic accountability	”sentinelle” — Low-Medium; must clarify this is an active warning role, not passive observation
sang sur sa tête	דָּמוֹ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ	damo be-rosho	”his blood on his own head”	Idiom of personal bloodguilt-responsibility	”his blood shall be upon his own head”	Introduces individual-accountability language later systematized in ch.18	”son sang sera sur sa tête” / “il sera responsable de sa propre mort” — Medium: early seed of the Individual Responsibility doctrine

Chapter 4 — Siege Sign-Act

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
iniquité	עָוֹן	avon	”iniquity, guilt”	Moral guilt, often with a sense of “bent” or “twisted” wrongdoing; distinct nuance from chet (ch.18) and pesha (see note)	“iniquity,” “guilt”	Ezekiel symbolically “bears” Israel’s and Judah’s iniquity for a fixed number of days — vicarious enactment, not vicarious atonement	”iniquité” — Medium; note for teachers that Hebrew has (at least) three overlapping sin-terms — chattah (missing the mark), avon (iniquity/guilt), pesha (rebellion/transgression) — all typically collapsed into French “péché”/“iniquité”, losing nuance the baseline’s sin entry (Medium risk) already flags generally
pain souillé	לֶחֶם טָמֵא	lechem tame	”unclean/defiled bread”	Ritually impure food	”unclean bread”	Sign of the degradation and defilement of exile/siege conditions	”pain souillé” — Low

Chapter 5 — Judgment Triad

No major new theological vocabulary beyond covenant-curse language reused from Leviticus 26/Deuteronomy 28 traditions.

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
épée, famine, peste	חֶרֶב, רָעָב, דֶּבֶר	cherev, ra’av, dever	”sword, famine, plague”	The classic covenant-curse triad	”sword, famine, pestilence”	Divine judgment tools against covenant-breaking, echoing Torah’s own curse formulas	”l’épée, la famine, la peste” — Low-Medium
reste	שְׁאֵרִית	she’erit	”remnant”	Survivors preserved through judgment	”remnant”	Anticipates the restoration doctrine — judgment is not total annihilation	”un reste” — Medium; must retain covenant-hope nuance, not read as mere statistical survival

Chapter 6 — Idolatry and the Recognition Formula

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
idoles	גִּלּוּלִים	gillulim	lit. “dung-pellets, log-things” (deliberately contemptuous coinage)	A polemical, degrading slur-term for idols, distinct from neutral “images” (pesel)	“idols”	Expresses YHWH’s contempt for rival gods, not neutral description	”idoles” — Medium: standard French rendering loses the scatological/derogatory force of the Hebrew coinage entirely; footnote recommended for teaching contexts
hauts lieux	בָּמוֹת	bamot	”high places”	Elevated open-air cultic sites for illicit worship	”high places”	Sites of syncretistic worship condemned throughout the book	”hauts lieux” — Low
abomination	תּוֹעֵבָה	to’evah	”detestable thing”	Covenant-violating practice: idolatry, certain sexual sins, unjust dealing	”abomination,” “detestable practice”	Frequent throughout Ezekiel (chs. 5,6,7,8,9,11,12,14,16,18,20,22,23,33,36,44) for covenant-breaking practices in general	”abomination(s)” — Medium: risk of narrow moralistic reading (limited to sexual sin) rather than the term’s full covenant-violation range
vous saurez que je suis le SEIGNEUR	וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה	vi-yda’tem ki-ani YHWH	see core passage v.6	Recognition formula, first full-pattern occurrence in the book here	”you shall know that I am the LORD”	See core passage note; render identically throughout the book	”vous saurez que je suis le SEIGNEUR” — Medium

Chapter 7 — “The End Has Come”

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
la fin	קֵץ	qets	”end, limit”	Terminal point; used elsewhere in eschatological contexts (Daniel)	“the end”	Announces the imminent, decisive close of the pre-exilic era for Judah	”la fin” — Low-Medium
fureur / colère	חֵמָה, עֶבְרָה	chemah, ebrah	”wrath, fury”	Intense divine anger, not capricious rage but covenant-justice response	”wrath,” “fury”	God’s settled, righteous response to persistent covenant-breaking	”fureur” / “colère” — Medium; avoid rendering as impersonal, capricious anger

Chapter 8 — Idolatry in the Temple

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
jalousie	קִנְאָה	qin’ah	”jealousy, zeal”	Intense covenant-jealousy; used of both God’s righteous jealousy and human sinful jealousy	”jealousy,” “the image of jealousy”	God’s exclusive covenant-claim provoked to jealousy by rival worship inside his own temple	”jalousie” — Medium; frame as covenant-exclusivity (marriage-fidelity language), not petty human jealousy
sanctuaire	מִקְדָּשׁ	miqdash	”sanctuary, holy place”	The Jerusalem temple precinct	”sanctuary,” “temple”	Site of the abominations that will trigger the glory’s departure (chs. 9-11)	“sanctuaire” — Medium (reused throughout; see ch.40-48)

Chapter 9 — The Mark and the Executioners

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
marque	תָּו	tav	”mark” (the Hebrew letter tav, used here as a literal mark)	Protective sign placed on foreheads of those who grieve over sin	”mark”	Distinguishes a faithful remnant from the judged; canonical background to Revelation 7:3, 9:4 (forehead seal)	“une marque” — Medium; note typological echo in Revelation for teaching cross-reference

Chapter 10 — The Glory Departs the Temple

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
gloire du SEIGNEUR	כְּבוֹד־יְהוָה	kevod-YHWH	”glory of YHWH”	See ch.1	”glory of the LORD”	The central hinge of the doctrine “God’s Presence Departing and Returning”: the glory rises from the cherub, stands at the threshold, and prepares to leave — reversed only in ch.43	”la gloire du SEIGNEUR” — Critical for this doctrine: must be rendered identically at every occurrence (chs.1,3,8,9,10,11,43,44) so students can track the departure/return arc across the book
charbons ardents	גַּחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ	gachalei-esh	”coals of fire”	Burning coals scattered from among the cherubim	”coals of fire”	Judgment-fire dispensed from the very presence that is departing — judgment and withdrawal are simultaneous	”des charbons ardents” — Low

Chapter 11 — The Glory Departs the City; First New-Heart Promise

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
un seul cœur … un esprit nouveau	לֵב אֶחָד … רוּחַ חֲדָשָ�ה	lev echad … ruach chadashah	”one heart … a new spirit”	First occurrence of the New Heart/New Spirit promise, fully developed in chs.18, 36	”one heart,” “a new spirit”	God’s own initiative to transform Israel’s inward disposition, not merely external behavior — anticipates the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31) and Pauline Spirit-theology (Romans 8)	“un seul cœur … un esprit nouveau” — High: doctrinally central; ensure identical rendering across chs.11, 18, 36
cœur de pierre / cœur de chair	לֵב הָאֶבֶן / לֵב בָּשָׂר	lev ha-even / lev basar	”heart of stone / heart of flesh”	Contrast of hardened unresponsiveness vs. living responsiveness to God	”heart of stone,” “heart of flesh”	First occurrence of this vivid metaphor, repeated verbatim in ch.36	”cœur de pierre” / “cœur de chair” — High: must match ch.36 exactly, word for word
ils seront mon peuple, et je serai leur Dieu	וְהָיוּ־לִי לְעָם וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים	ve-hayu li le-am va-ani ehyeh lahem le-Elohim	”and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them for God”	Classic covenant-formula, echoed in ch.36, ch.37	”they shall be my people, and I will be their God”	The Sinai covenant formula (cf. Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12) reaffirmed after judgment — covenant continuity despite exile	”ils seront mon peuple, et je serai leur Dieu” — Medium-High; render identically at every occurrence (11:20; 36:28; 37:23,27)

Chapter 12 — Exile Enacted

No new theological vocabulary; reuses the sign-act pattern (chs.4-5), “maison rebelle,” and covenant-judgment terms already established.

Chapter 13 — False Prophets

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
faux / mensonge	שֶׁקֶר, מִלִּבָּם	sheqer, mi-libbam	”falsehood” / “out of their own heart”	Prophesying from personal invention rather than divine commission	”lying visions,” “prophesying out of their own hearts”	Distinguishes true prophecy (God-given, per ch.1-3) from self-generated religious speech	”mensonge” / “de leur propre cœur” — Medium
crépi	טָפֵל	tafel	”whitewash, untempered mortar”	Cosmetic plastering that conceals structural weakness	”whitewash”	Metaphor for false reassurance that papers over coming judgment (“peace when there is no peace”)	“crépi / enduit” — Low-Medium

Chapter 14 — Individual Righteousness Cannot Save Others

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
Noé, Daniel, Job (comme exemples)	נֹח, דָּנִיֵּאל (דָּנִאֵל), אִיּוֹב	Noach, Daniye’l, Iyov	Proper names cited as paradigmatic righteous individuals	Exemplars of personal righteousness insufficient to save others by proxy	”Noah, Daniel, Job”	Crucial theological seed for ch.18: righteousness is not transferable — each individual’s righteousness “saves” only himself	”Noé, Daniel, Job” (standard French Bible forms) — High: direct precursor to the Individual Responsibility doctrine; flag for cross-reference with ch.18
idoles dans le cœur	גִּלּוּלִים עַל־לִבָּם	gillulim al-libbam	”idols upon/in their heart”	Internalized idolatry, not merely external cultic practice	”idols in their hearts”	Anticipates the heart-focused diagnosis fully developed in chs.11,18,36	”des idoles dans leur cœur” — Medium

Chapter 15 — The Useless Vine

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
vigne	גֶּפֶן	gephen	”vine”	Israel/Jerusalem as an unproductive, worthless vine fit only for burning	”vine”	Covenant-unfaithfulness metaphor; cross-references the “true vine” imagery later in John 15	”vigne” — Low-Medium; note NT cross-reference for teaching, but do not force a false doctrinal equivalence

Chapter 16 — The Covenant-Marriage Allegory

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
prostitution	זְנוּת / זָנָה	zenut / zanah	”harlotry, prostitution”	Sexual-covenant-unfaithfulness metaphor for idolatry and foreign alliances	”harlotry,” “prostitution,” “whoredom”	Vivid metaphor for covenant infidelity — not primarily a lecture on literal sexual sin	”prostitution” — High: sensitive explicit imagery; risk of literalist misreading obscuring the covenant metaphor, and pastoral sensitivity needed for mixed Catholic/Protestant/secular francophone audiences
alliance	בְּרִית	berit	”covenant”	Reuse of baseline term	”covenant”	God’s marriage-like covenant bond with Israel, broken by unfaithfulness yet ultimately renewed	”alliance” (reuse baseline) — Medium
alliance éternelle	בְּרִית עוֹלָם	berit olam	”everlasting covenant”	Permanent, unbreakable covenant	”everlasting covenant”	Chapter’s closing promise (16:60) of restoration despite unfaithfulness — anticipates chs.34, 36-37	”alliance éternelle” — Medium-High

Chapter 17 — The Eagles and the Vine (Riddle)

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
énigme / parabole	חִידָה, מָשָׁל	chidah, mashal	”riddle” / “proverb, parable”	Wisdom-genre terms for indirect teaching speech, reused in ch.18’s “proverb"	"riddle,” “parable”	Political allegory: Zedekiah’s broken oath to Babylon as covenant-breaking against God himself	”énigme” / “parabole” — Low-Medium
serment	שְׁבוּעָה	shevu’ah	”oath”	Solemn, binding promise	”oath”	Treaty-oath breaking treated as a theological, not merely political, offense	”serment” — Medium

Chapter 18 — CORE DOCTRINE: Individual Responsibility for Sin

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
âme (la personne)	נֶפֶשׁ	nephesh	”soul, life, person, self, throat”	Holistic living being — NOT a detachable, immortal “soul” distinct from the body, as in Greek dualism	”soul,” “person,” “life,” “the one who…"	"The nephesh who sins shall die” — the individual person, body-and-life together, bears responsibility; not a doctrine of an immortal soul separable from the body	”âme” (avec note: « la personne, l’être tout entier ») — High risk: French “âme” carries centuries of Cartesian/Platonic and Catholic-doctrinal dualism (immortality of the soul as distinct substance) that Hebrew nephesh does not intend; recommend “la personne qui pèche” as a clarifying gloss in teaching contexts
juste / justice	צַדִּיק / צְדָקָה	tzaddik / tzedakah	”righteous (one) / righteousness”	Right conduct measured against the Mosaic covenant’s ethical demands; an individual’s accumulated righteous deeds, credited to his own account	”righteous,” “righteousness"	"The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself” (18:20) — this is retributive, works-based accounting under the Mosaic covenant, describing a person’s own life-record	”justice” (reuse baseline term) — CRITICAL risk, curriculum-specific: because the baseline fixes “justice/justification” as the Reformation-era forensic, imputed, faith-apart-from-works category (Romans 3-4), there is a severe risk that students moving between Ezekiel and Romans curricula will either (a) read Ezekiel 18’s works-based individual accounting back into Romans’ imputed righteousness, or (b) read Romans’ imputed righteousness forward into Ezekiel 18, erasing Ezekiel’s own covenant-retribution framework. This distinction must be explicitly taught, not silently harmonized.
méchant / méchanceté	רָשָׁע / רִשְׁעָה	rasha / rish’ah	”wicked (one) / wickedness”	Covenant-violating conduct and character	”wicked,” “wickedness”	Paired antonym to tzaddik/tzedakah in the chapter’s accounting logic	”méchant” / “méchanceté” — Medium
se détourner	שׁוּב	shuv	”to turn, return”	Reversal of moral direction; can mean literal “return” (from exile) or figurative “turn back” (from sin)	“turn,” “repent,” “turn away from”	The chapter’s hinge: a wicked person who shuvs from wickedness “shall surely live” — genuine moral reversal, available to any individual at any time	”se détourner (de son mal)” — Medium: preferred over “se repentir” to avoid drawing the term too close to the French Catholic sacramental vocabulary of “la pénitence”/“le repentir” (sacrament of confession); “se détourner” better conveys simple moral reversal without importing sacramental mediation
vivre	חָיָה	chayah	”to live”	See core passage; here used in an individual, ethical-covenantal sense (contrast the national, corporate sense of ch.37)	“live,” “shall surely live”	Note the deliberate semantic range: ch.18’s “live” = individual covenant blessing/continued life under the Law; ch.37’s “live” = national restoration from exile. Same verb, two distinct referents — do not collapse them	”vivre” — Medium; teaching note should distinguish the two major uses of chayah in the book
Je ne prends pas plaisir à la mort du méchant	לֹא אֶחְפֹּץ בְּמוֹת הַמֵּת	lo echpots be-mot ha-met	”I do not delight in the death of the dying/dead one”	God’s stated preference/desire	”I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked”	Reveals God’s character: judgment is not vindictive but reluctant, always paired with an offer to turn and live	”je ne prends pas plaisir à la mort du méchant” — High: important corrective against any harsh, arbitrary caricature of divine judgment

Chapter 19 — Lament over Israel’s Princes

No new theological vocabulary; reuses lament genre (developed further chs.27,32), the vine metaphor (ch.15), and royal-decline imagery. New genre term: complainte/lamentation (קִינָה, qinah) = “dirge, funeral lament” — Low risk, straightforward literary-genre term.

Chapter 20 — Historical Review; “For My Name’s Sake”

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
pour l’amour de mon nom	לְמַעַן שְׁמִי	lema’an shemi	”for the sake of my name”	God’s self-referential motive-formula for acting graciously despite Israel’s unworthiness	”for my name’s sake,” “for the sake of my name”	God acts to preserve his own reputation/holiness among the nations, not because Israel merits it — a strong Old Testament parallel to the baseline’s grace-apart-from-merit theology (cf. Romans, “grâce”)	“pour l’amour de mon nom” / “pour la gloire de mon nom” — High: theologically load-bearing formula, fully developed in ch.36 (“not for your sake… but for my holy name’s sake”); connects Ezekiel’s grace-theology directly to the baseline’s grace entry without using the Greek/French word grâce itself
sabbats	שַׁבָּתוֹת	shabbatot	”sabbaths”	The weekly and calendrical Sabbath observance as covenant sign	”Sabbaths,” “my Sabbaths”	Profaning the Sabbath is treated as a paradigmatic covenant violation	”sabbats” — Low-Medium

Chapter 21 — The Sword of Judgment

No new theological vocabulary; dramatized reuse of the “sword” (chereb) judgment sign-act from ch.5.

Chapter 22 — Catalog of Sins; Refining Imagery

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
sang(s)	דָּמִים	damim	”bloods” (intensive plural)	Bloodguilt, especially from murder/violence	”bloodshed,” “blood”	Catalogs Jerusalem’s social sins as covenant-breaking on par with idolatry	”le sang / les meurtres” — Medium
affiner / scories	צָרַף / סִיג	tzaraph / sig	”to refine, smelt” / “dross”	Metallurgical purification imagery: burning away impurity to leave pure metal	”refine,” “dross”	Introduces refining-fire imagery for purification, echoed later in Malachi 3, 1 Peter 1	”affiner” / “scories” — Medium; useful cross-reference for purification/sanctification teaching

Chapter 23 — Oholah and Oholibah

No new theological vocabulary; extended allegorical reuse of ch.16’s covenant-marriage/harlotry vocabulary (zanah, to’evah) applied to Samaria (“Oholah”) and Jerusalem (“Oholibah”) as two unfaithful sisters. Proper names transliterated as “Ohola” et “Oholiba.”

Chapter 24 — The Boiling Pot; Death of Ezekiel’s Wife

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
signe	אוֹת	ot	”sign”	A prophetic sign-act or symbol, cross-cutting term used throughout chs.4,12,24,37	”sign”	Names the genre that structures much of Ezekiel’s ministry — enacted prophecy, not only spoken oracle	”signe” — Low-Medium; useful to introduce formally here as a recurring structural category

Chapter 25 — Oracles against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
vengeance	נָקָם	naqam	”vengeance, retribution”	Judicial retribution, not personal vendetta	”vengeance”	God’s judgment on the nations for exploiting Israel’s downfall — the “Judgment on… the Nations” doctrine begins in earnest here	”vengeance” — Medium; frame as covenant-justice, not capricious retaliation
nations	(implicit; formula reused: “and they shall know that I am the LORD”)	—	—	The recognition formula, here extended to Gentile nations, not just Israel	”they shall know that I am the LORD”	Universalizes God’s self-revelation beyond Israel — anticipates ch.36-39’s international scope	”elles sauront que je suis le SEIGNEUR” — Medium

Chapters 26-27 — Tyre: Judgment and Lament

No major new theological vocabulary beyond continued reuse of the recognition formula and the lament genre (qinah, ch.19) now applied to a foreign trading city; extensive commercial catalog is descriptive, not doctrinal.

Chapter 28 — The King of Tyre: Pride, Eden, and the Anointed Cherub

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
orgueil / cœur élevé	גֵּאוּת / רוּם לֵב	ge’ut / rum lev	”pride” / “lifting up of heart”	Self-exaltation, claiming divine status	”pride,” “your heart is lifted up”	The king of Tyre’s self-deification (“I am a god”) triggers judgment — pride as the paradigmatic sin	”orgueil” — Medium
chérubin protecteur / oint	הַכְּרוּב הַסֹּכֵךְ	ha-keruv ha-sokhekh	”the covering/guardian cherub”	Difficult, disputed Hebrew text; describes a glorious, Eden-dwelling figure who falls through iniquity	”the anointed cherub who covers,” “guardian cherub”	Historically read by many Christian traditions (alongside Isaiah 14) as typologically evoking Satan’s primordial fall, though the oracle’s grammatical subject is the king of Tyre	”le chérubin protecteur” — High risk: real danger of importing extrabiblical Miltonic/popular “Satan’s fall” mythology directly into the text rather than treating it as a later typological reading; teaching material should distinguish the oracle’s plain sense (judgment on Tyre’s king) from its traditional typological extension
Éden, jardin de Dieu	עֵדֶן, גַּן־אֱלֹהִים	Eden, gan-Elohim	”Eden, garden of God”	The primordial paradise	”Eden, the garden of God”	Applies Edenic imagery to a pagan king’s former glory — reused with different force in ch.31 (Assyria) and ch.36 (restored land) and ch.47 (river of life)	“Éden, le jardin de Dieu” — Medium

Chapter 29 — Egypt Oracle Begins: Pharaoh the Dragon

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
grand monstre / dragon	הַתַּנִּים הַגָּדוֹל	ha-tannim ha-gadol	”the great dragon/sea monster”	Chaos-monster imagery drawn from the broader Ancient Near Eastern sea-monster motif (cf. Leviathan)	“the great dragon,” “the great monster”	Pharaoh depicted as a primordial chaos-beast that God alone can subdue — cosmic-scale judgment imagery	”le grand dragon / le grand monstre” — Medium; note ANE background for teaching, avoid over-identifying with Revelation’s dragon (a distinct though thematically related later image)

Chapter 30 — Egypt: The Day of Judgment

Largely reuse of the “day” (yom) judgment-formula (cf. ch.7) applied to Egypt, and Egypt’s allied nations catalog; no major new doctrinal term.

Chapter 31 — Egypt/Assyria as the Fallen Cedar of Eden

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
séjour des morts (le shéol)	שְׁאוֹל	she’ol	”Sheol, the underworld”	The realm/abode of the dead in Hebrew cosmology — not annihilation, but a shadowy, diminished existence, distinct from later NT hell/Hades imagery	”the grave,” “Sheol,” “the pit”	Assyria’s proud cedar (echoing Eden imagery from ch.28) is felled and descends to Sheol among the uncircumcised dead — a picture of total humiliation of worldly pride	”le séjour des morts” / “le shéol” — Medium-High: risk of anachronistically reading later, more developed NT hell-imagery back into this OT underworld concept

Chapter 32 — Lament over Pharaoh; Descent to the Pit

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
incirconcis	עֲרֵלִים	arelim	”the uncircumcised”	Those lacking the covenant sign of circumcision; here, a designation of dishonor among the dead nations	”the uncircumcised”	Marks pagan nations’ shameful death-status, contrasted with (though not automatically guaranteeing) Israel’s covenant status; reused literally and figuratively in ch.44	”les incirconcis” — Medium; must be handled with sensitivity given contemporary discomfort with the term, while preserving its precise covenant-sign meaning
la Fosse	הַבּוֹר	ha-bor	”the Pit”	Synonym/parallel term for Sheol’s depths	”the Pit”	Reinforces the underworld-descent motif alongside she’ol (ch.31)	“la Fosse” — Medium

Chapter 33 — The Watchman Recommissioned; Structural Hinge of the Book

Reuses “sentinelle” (ch.3) and the full individual-responsibility vocabulary of ch.18 (juste/méchant, se détourner, vivre) — no new terms, but structurally critical: news of Jerusalem’s fall (33:21) marks the hinge between the book’s judgment section (chs.1-32) and its restoration section (chs.34-48). Flag for teaching: this chapter should be read as confirming ch.18’s doctrine applies corporately in the moment of national catastrophe, not only in the abstract.

Chapter 34 — The Shepherds of Israel and the Davidic Shepherd-King

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
bergers	רֹעִים	ro’im	”shepherds”	Metaphor for Israel’s kings/leaders, here indicted for neglect and exploitation	”shepherds”	God contrasts corrupt human shepherds with his own promised, faithful shepherding	”bergers” — Low-Medium
mon serviteur David	עַבְדִּי דָוִיד	avdi David	”my servant David”	Not the historical David himself, but a promised future Davidic figure who will shepherd Israel forever	”my servant David,” “David my servant”	Messianic-shepherd promise; reuses baseline “David” = David (Low risk in baseline) but elevates significance here as a Christologically-loaded typological figure	”mon serviteur David” — High in this curriculum (elevated from baseline’s Low): connects directly to NT fulfillment claims (Christ as the Good Shepherd, John 10; Davidic Messiah)
alliance de paix	בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם	berit shalom	”covenant of peace”	A specific covenant naming security and flourishing under the future shepherd-king	”covenant of peace”	Reused in ch.37:26; anticipates full restoration under the Davidic shepherd	”alliance de paix” — Medium-High

Chapter 35 — Judgment on Mount Seir (Edom)

No new theological vocabulary; reuses the nations-judgment vocabulary and recognition formula established in ch.25.

Chapter 36 — CORE DOCTRINE: The New Heart and New Spirit

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
pas pour vous… mais pour mon saint nom	לֹא לְמַעַנְכֶם… כִּי לְמַעַן שֵׁם־קָדְשִׁי	lo lema’anchem… ki lema’an shem-qodshi	”not for your sake… but for the sake of my holy name”	Fully develops the ch.20 “for my name’s sake” formula into an explicit denial of Israel’s merit	”not for your sake… but for my holy name’s sake”	The single clearest Old Testament statement of grace apart from any human merit — direct conceptual parallel to the baseline’s grace doctrine (Romans 4:4-5, 11:5-6), even though the Hebrew text never uses a word equivalent to Greek charis	”pas pour vous… mais pour mon saint nom” — Critical: this passage should be taught alongside Romans’ grace texts as the OT’s strongest unmerited-favor statement; do not let translation obscure the explicit merit-denial
je vous donnerai un cœur nouveau et je mettrai un esprit nouveau en vous	וְנָתַתִּי לָכֶם לֵב חָדָשׁ וְרוּחַ חֲדָשָׁה אֶתֵּן בְּקִרְבְּכֶם	ve-natati lachem lev chadash ve-ruach chadashah eten be-qirbechem	”and I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you”	The full, doctrine-naming statement (echoing 11:19, reused in the 37:14 core passage’s “my Spirit”)	“I will give you a new heart and a new spirit”	The book’s clearest single articulation of interior spiritual transformation, foundational to New Covenant theology (Jeremiah 31:31-34) and Pauline Spirit-empowered obedience (Romans 8)	“je vous donnerai un cœur nouveau et je mettrai un esprit nouveau en vous” — Critical: must be rendered identically to ch.11’s version, word for word, as this is the doctrine’s canonical statement
cœur de pierre / cœur de chair	לֵב הָאֶבֶן / לֵב בָּשָׂר	lev ha-even / lev basar	see ch.11	Reused verbatim	”heart of stone,” “heart of flesh”	Reaffirms ch.11’s promise in fuller form	”cœur de pierre” / “cœur de chair” — High
mon Esprit … vous marcherez selon mes préceptes	רוּחִי … בְּחֻקַּי תֵּלֵכוּ	ruchi … be-chuqqai telechu	”my Spirit … you shall walk in my statutes”	The indwelling divine Spirit as the enabling cause of obedience, not merely its motivator	”I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes”	Distinguishes Spirit-empowered obedience from mere external Law-keeping — a direct conceptual bridge to Romans 8’s Spirit-versus-flesh theology	”mon Esprit… vous marcherez selon mes préceptes” — Critical; capitalized “Esprit” throughout, consistent with baseline’s holy_spirit = Esprit Saint register even though Ezekiel’s Hebrew here says simply “my spirit” (ruchi), not “holy spirit”
je sanctifierai mon grand nom	וְקִדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת־שְׁמִי הַגָּדוֹל	ve-qiddashti et-shemi ha-gadol	”and I will sanctify my great name”	God himself acting to vindicate his own holiness before the nations	”I will sanctify my great name”	Reuses baseline’s holy/sanctification = saint/sanctification but applied here to God’s own self-vindication, not primarily to believers’ moral transformation (though the two are linked in this chapter)	“je sanctifierai mon grand nom” — High

Chapter 37 — CORE PASSAGE (vv.1-14, treated fully in Part A) and the Reunited Nation (vv.15-28)

Ezekiel 37:15-28 (beyond the core passage) develops the vision’s political-covenantal implications:

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
deux bâtons	שְׁנֵי עֲצִים / מַקְּלוֹת	shnei etzim / maqlot	”two sticks/staffs”	Sign-act: two sticks (Judah, Israel) joined into one	”two sticks”	Reunification of the divided kingdoms under one king — the national-restoration counterpart to the individual bones-vision	”deux bâtons” — Medium
mon serviteur David sera roi sur eux	עַבְדִּי דָוִד מֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם	avdi David melek aleihem	”my servant David [will be] king over them”	Reuses and intensifies ch.34’s “shepherd” promise, now explicitly “king” (melek)	“my servant David shall be king over them”	Full messianic-Davidic kingship promise, paired with “one shepherd"	"mon serviteur David sera leur roi” — High (reuse baseline “David”; elevate per ch.34 note)
alliance éternelle / mon sanctuaire au milieu d’eux pour toujours	בְּרִית עוֹלָם / מִקְדָּשִׁי בְּתוֹכָם לְעוֹלָם	berit olam / miqdashi betocham le-olam	”everlasting covenant” / “my sanctuary in their midst forever”	Combines covenant permanence with permanent divine presence	”an everlasting covenant,” “my sanctuary in their midst forevermore”	Anticipates the temple-vision doctrine (chs.40-48) and the book’s climactic closing statement (48:35)	“alliance éternelle” / “mon sanctuaire au milieu d’eux pour toujours” — High

Chapter 38-39 — Gog of Magog: Eschatological Judgment

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
Gog et Magog	גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג	Gog u-Magog	Proper names of an arch-enemy figure/nation and its land	A symbolic-eschatological adversary-coalition against restored Israel	”Gog, of the land of Magog”	Directly reused in Revelation 20:8 for the final eschatological rebellion — one of the most contested apocalyptic figures in Scripture	”Gog et Magog” (transliterated, stable across French traditions) — High: heavy popular-culture and dispensationalist-scheme baggage (frequent identification with specific modern nations in popular Christian media); render the name faithfully without adjudicating contested end-times schemes in the translation itself
dans les derniers jours	בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים	be-acharit ha-yamim	”in the latter/last days”	Standard prophetic-eschatological time-formula (cf. Isaiah, Daniel)	“in the latter days,” “in the last days”	Marks this oracle as addressing a future, climactic era of God’s dealings with the nations	”dans les derniers jours” — Medium
j’ai versé mon Esprit sur la maison d’Israël	וְשָׁפַכְתִּי אֶת־רוּחִי עַל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל	ve-shafachti et-ruchi al-beit Yisrael	”and I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel”	Spirit-outpouring formula (39:29), reused in Joel 2:28-29 and fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2)	“I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel”	Direct canonical bridge from Ezekiel’s New Spirit promise (chs.11,36,37) to the NT Pentecost fulfillment	”j’ai versé mon Esprit sur la maison d’Israël” — High; capitalize “Esprit” consistently

Chapter 40 — New Temple Vision Begins: Measuring

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
roseau à mesurer	קְנֵה הַמִּדָּה	qaneh ha-middah	”measuring reed”	The surveying instrument used by the angelic guide throughout chs.40-42	”measuring reed”	Symbol of precise, divinely-ordered restoration — nothing left to chance or human improvisation	”le roseau à mesurer” — Low
portes, cours	שְׁעָרִים, חֲצֵרוֹת	she’arim, chatzerot	”gates, courts”	Architectural vocabulary structuring the vision	”gates,” “courts”	Establishes the ordered sacred geography of the vision, restoring what was defiled and departed in chs.8-11	”portes” / “cours” — Low

Chapter 41 — Temple Interior Measurements

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
lieu très saint	קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים	qodesh ha-qodashim	”holy of holies”	The innermost, most sacred chamber (reuse baseline “holy” = saint)	“the Most Holy Place,” “the Holy of Holies”	The chamber toward which the returning glory (ch.43) will proceed	”le lieu très saint” — Medium (reuse baseline holy)

Otherwise largely architectural continuation; no additional new doctrinal vocabulary.

Chapter 42 — Priests’ Chambers and Outer Court

No new theological vocabulary; continues the architectural/measurement vocabulary of chs.40-41.

Chapter 43 — CORE DOCTRINE: The Glory Returns

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
la gloire du SEIGNEUR entra dans le temple	וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה בָּא אֶל־הַבָּיִת	u-kevod YHWH ba el-ha-bayit	”and the glory of YHWH came into the house”	Direct narrative reversal of the departure in chs.10-11, entering by the same east gate	”the glory of the LORD came into the temple”	The doctrinal climax of “God’s Presence Departing and Returning” — must be rendered so a student can recognize the exact reversal of ch.10-11’s language	”la gloire du SEIGNEUR entra dans le temple/la maison” — Critical; identical core vocabulary (gloire, SEIGNEUR) to chs.1,8-11 is essential for the doctrine to be perceptible in French
habiter	שָׁכַן	shakan	”to dwell, tabernacle”	Root underlying the post-biblical Hebrew noun “Shekhinah” (a term not itself in the Hebrew Bible but derived from this verb)	“I will dwell,” “the place of my throne”	God’s stated intent to dwell permanently among his people “forever” — climaxes in the book’s final verse (48:35)	“habiter / demeurer” — High; useful cross-reference note on “Shekhinah” background for teaching, without implying the noun itself appears in Ezekiel’s text

Chapter 44 — The Prince, the Levites, and the Excluded Foreigner

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
prince	נָשִׂיא	nasi	”prince, leader”	Deliberately NOT melek (“king”); a demoted or distinct royal-administrative title used throughout the temple vision (chs.34,37,44-46) for the future ruling figure	”the prince”	The temple-vision “prince” offers sacrifices for himself (45:22) and is barred from the east gate reserved for the LORD’s glory (44:1-3) — a figure with real but limited, non-divine status, distinct from the fully messianic “servant David” of chs.34,37	”le prince” — High: significant exegetical subtlety (nasi vs. melek; a sacrificing, non-divine prince vs. the eternal Davidic shepherd-king) that teaching material must not flatten into a single, univocal “the Messiah” figure
incirconcis de cœur et de chair	עַרְלֵי־לֵב וְעַרְלֵי בָשָׂר	arlei-lev ve-arlei basar	”uncircumcised of heart and uncircumcised of flesh”	Double-sense exclusion formula — both literal (ritual) and figurative (moral/spiritual) uncircumcision	”uncircumcised in heart and flesh”	Bars unfaithful foreigners from the sanctuary — combines ch.32’s literal usage with a heart-focused, spiritualized extension consistent with chs.11,36’s heart-theology	”incirconcis de cœur et de chair” — High

Chapter 45 — The Prince’s Portion; Just Measures; Feasts

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
justes mesures	מִשְׁפַּט־צֶדֶק / מֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק	mishpat-tzedeq / moznei-tzedeq	”just measures/scales”	Commercial-ethical application of righteousness vocabulary (tzedeq, cognate of ch.18’s tzedakah)	“just measures,” “honest scales”	Extends righteousness-language into economic justice — a distinct, ethical-conduct use of the tzedeq root, reinforcing the ch.18 caution about conflating this with NT forensic righteousness	”des mesures justes” — Medium

Chapter 46 — Sabbath and New Moon Offerings

No new theological vocabulary; continues sacrificial/festival regulation vocabulary already established (Sabbath, offerings, the prince).

Chapter 47 — The River of Life

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
fleuve sortant du temple	נַחַל יוֹצֵא מִתַּחַת הַבַּיִת	nachal yotze mi-tachat ha-bayit	”a river/stream flowing out from under the house”	Life-giving water emanating from God’s dwelling place, growing progressively deeper	”a river flowing from the temple”	Strong Edenic echo (Genesis 2’s garden rivers) and direct forerunner of Revelation 22:1-2’s river and tree of life — the temple as the source of cosmic renewal and healing	”un fleuve sortant du temple” — Medium-High; strong typological/eschatological weight, cross-reference Genesis 2 and Revelation 22 in teaching
tout vivra là où va le fleuve	וְחָיָה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יָבוֹא שָׁמָּה הַנָּחַל	ve-chayah kol asher-yavo shammah ha-nachal	”and everything shall live wherever the river comes”	Reuses chayah (“live”) from the core passage, now applied to ecological/cosmic renewal rather than national restoration from exile or individual moral life (chs.18,37)	“everything will live where the river goes”	A third distinct application of chayah in the book: creation-wide healing and vitality flowing from God’s restored presence	”tout vivra là où le fleuve arrivera” — Medium; note the term’s third distinct semantic application in this book for teaching coherence
feuilles pour la guérison	עֳלֵהוּ לִתְרוּפָה	oalehu li-terufah	”its leaves for healing”	Medicinal/restorative use of the river’s trees	”leaves for healing”	Direct source for Revelation 22:2’s “leaves… for the healing of the nations"	"des feuilles pour la guérison” — Medium

Chapter 48 — Tribal Allotments; “The LORD Is There”

Term (French)	Original	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Rendering Risk
le SEIGNEUR est ici (YHWH-Shammah)	וַיהוָה שָׁמָּה	va-YHWH shammah	”and YHWH is there”	The city’s new, climactic name	”The LORD Is There,” “YHWH Shammah”	The book’s final word: the entire arc from the Glory’s departure (chs.8-11) to its return (ch.43) culminates in a permanent, named guarantee of God’s abiding presence	”Le-SEIGNEUR-est-ici” (rendered as a compound name, analogous to how French Bibles render “Emmanuel” as “Dieu avec nous”) — Critical: this closing name is the theological capstone of the entire book’s doctrine of divine presence and must be rendered with maximal clarity, ideally with a translator’s note tying it back to chs.1, 10-11, and 43

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Summary Cross-References for Teaching

• Glory departs → returns → dwells forever: chs.1 / 8-11 / 43 / 48:35 — track “gloire du SEIGNEUR” and “le SEIGNEUR” consistently.
• New Heart/New Spirit: chs.11:19-20 / 18:31 / 36:26-27 / 37:14 — render identically at every occurrence.
• Individual Responsibility: chs.3:16-21 (seed) / 14:12-20 (seed) / 18 (full doctrine) / 33 (reaffirmed at the hinge).
• Davidic Shepherd-King: chs.34 / 37:24-25 — distinguish from the more limited, sacrificing “prince” (nasi) of chs.40-48.
• Judgment on the Nations: chs.25-32, 35, 38-39.
• New Temple / River of Life: chs.40-48, climaxing in 47’s river and 48:35’s closing name.