Ezekiel 3:4-11
New American Standard Bible
4 Then He said to me, “Son of man, [a]go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For (A)you are not being sent to a people of [b](B)unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, 6 nor to many peoples of [c]unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. [d]But I have sent you to [e]the people who understand you; 7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are (C)not willing to listen to Me. The entire house of Israel certainly is [f]stubborn and obstinate. 8 Behold, I have made your face just as hard as their faces, and your forehead just as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, since they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, take into your heart all My (D)words which I will speak to you and listen [g]closely. 11 [h]Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or [i]not, ‘This is what the Lord [j]God says.’”
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- Ezekiel 3:4 Lit go, come
- Ezekiel 3:5 Lit deep lip and heavy tongue
- Ezekiel 3:6 Lit deep lip and heavy tongue
- Ezekiel 3:6 Or I certainly have sent
- Ezekiel 3:6 Lit them, they understand
- Ezekiel 3:7 Lit of a hard forehead and hard of heart
- Ezekiel 3:10 Lit with your ears
- Ezekiel 3:11 Lit Go, come
- Ezekiel 3:11 Lit refrain
- Ezekiel 3:11 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
Ezekiel 3:4-11
New English Translation
4 He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech[a] and difficult language,[b] but[c] to the house of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand.[d] Surely if[e] I had sent you to them, they would listen to you! 7 But the house of Israel is unwilling to listen to you,[f] because they are not willing to listen to me,[g] for the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted.[h]
8 “I have made your face adamant[i] to match their faces, and your forehead hard to match their foreheads. 9 I have made your forehead harder than flint—like diamond![j] Do not fear them or be terrified of the looks they give you,[k] for they are a rebellious house.”
10 And he said to me, “Son of man, take all my words that I speak to you to heart and listen carefully. 11 Go to the exiles, to your fellow countrymen,[l] and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they pay attention or not.”
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- Ezekiel 3:5 tn Heb “deep of lip” (in the sense of incomprehensible).
- Ezekiel 3:5 tn Heb “heavy of tongue.” Similar language occurs in Exod 4:10 and Isa 33:19.
- Ezekiel 3:5 tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Hebrew text but is implied from the context.
- Ezekiel 3:6 tn Heb “hear.”
- Ezekiel 3:6 tc The MT reads: “if not,” but most ancient versions translate only “if.” The expression occurs with this sense in Isa 5:9 and 14:24. See also Ezek 34:8; 36:5; 38:19.
- Ezekiel 3:7 sn Moses (Exod 3:19) and Isaiah (Isa 6:9-10) were also told that their messages would not be received.
- Ezekiel 3:7 sn A similar description of Israel’s disobedience is given in 1 Sam 8:7.
- Ezekiel 3:7 tn Heb “hard of forehead and stiff of heart.”
- Ezekiel 3:8 tn Heb “strong, resolute.”
- Ezekiel 3:9 tn The Hebrew term translated “diamond” is parallel to “iron” in Jer 17:1. The Hebrew uses two terms which are both translated at times as “flint,” but here one is clearly harder than the other. The translation “diamond” attempts to reflect this distinction in English.
- Ezekiel 3:9 tn Heb “of their faces.”
- Ezekiel 3:11 tn Heb “to the sons of your people.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.