Ezekiel / Chapter 3

Ezekiel 3

27 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex 1 tradition available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Ezekiel 3 completes the prophet's commissioning that began in chapter 2. God commands Ezekiel to eat the scroll inscribed with lamentation and woe — and it tastes as sweet as honey in his mouth, a jarring contrast between the bitterness of its message and the sweetness of receiving God's word. God then sends Ezekiel not to foreign peoples with incomprehensible languages but to his own people Israel, who will refuse to listen because they refuse to listen to God himself. The chapter then introduces the watchman (tsofeh) commission: Ezekiel is personally accountable for whether he delivers God's warnings. If he warns the wicked and they ignore him, they bear their own guilt; if he fails to warn them, their blood is on his hands. The chapter closes with the Spirit lifting Ezekiel and transporting him to the exiles at Tel-abib by the Chebar canal, where he sits overwhelmed among them for seven days.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The scroll-eating scene is one of the most striking prophetic sign-acts in the Hebrew Bible. The word for 'honey' (devash) carries associations with the promised land ('a land flowing with milk and honey'), creating a layered irony — the word of judgment over a people expelled from the land of honey itself tastes like honey. The watchman metaphor (tsofeh) establishes a theology of prophetic accountability that has no parallel in Isaiah or Jeremiah: the prophet is not merely a messenger but a sentry whose silence constitutes a capital offense. The phrase 'their blood I will require from your hand' uses legal language from the domain of homicide law (cf. Genesis 9:5, 2 Samuel 4:11). The transport by the Spirit (ruach) physically relocates Ezekiel and introduces the motif of divine compulsion — Ezekiel goes 'in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit,' suggesting reluctance even as the hand of the LORD propels him forward. We rendered the watchman passage with legal precision because the Hebrew is structured as case law: condition, consequence, condition, consequence.

Translation Friction

The verb he'ekhaltikha (v. 3, 'I fed you' or 'I caused you to eat') is a causative form — God does not merely offer the scroll but actively causes Ezekiel to consume it. We rendered this as 'feed your stomach' to preserve the physical, bodily nature of the act. The phrase ruach nasa'atni (v. 12, 'the Spirit lifted me') uses the same verb (nasa) that describes carrying a burden — the Spirit does not gently guide but physically hoists. In verse 14, Ezekiel describes going bemar behamat ruchi ('in bitterness, in the rage of my spirit'), which creates interpretive tension: is the bitterness Ezekiel's own reluctance, or is it the fury of the divine Spirit working through him? We preserved the ambiguity. The watchman case-law in verses 18-21 required careful handling of the conditional structures (im/ve-im) to maintain the legal precision of the Hebrew.

Connections

The scroll-eating scene connects forward to Revelation 10:9-10, where John eats a scroll that is sweet in the mouth and bitter in the stomach. The watchman commission is restated and expanded in Ezekiel 33:1-9, forming a structural bracket around the judgment oracles. The phrase 'house of rebellion' (bet meri) continues from 2:5-8. The transport by the Spirit anticipates the visionary transports of chapters 8 and 40. The hand of the LORD upon Ezekiel (v. 22) echoes the same language used of Elijah (1 Kings 18:46) and connects to the opening vision (1:3). **Tradition comparisons:** Targum Jonathan provides interpretive renderings: 'His place' becomes 'the place of the house of his Shekinah.' The doxology locates God's glory in the Shekinah's dwelling place, connecting the heavenly vision to the earthly Temple. See [Targum Jonathan on Ezekiel](/targum/ezekiel).

Ezekiel 3:1

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־תִּמְצָ֖א אֱכ֑וֹל אֱכוֹל֙ אֶת־הַמְּגִלָּ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלֵ֥ךְ דַּבֵּ֖ר אֶל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is set before you — eat this scroll, and then go speak to the house of Israel."

KJV Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The command is double: 'eat' (ekhol) appears twice, emphasizing that this is not metaphorical — Ezekiel must physically consume the scroll before he can speak its contents. The phrase 'what you find' (et asher-timtsa) is rendered 'what is set before you' to capture the sense that the scroll has been prepared and presented for him.
Ezekiel 3:2

וָאֶפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־פִּ֑י וַיַּ֣אֲכִלֵ֔נִי אֵ֖ת הַמְּגִלָּ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll.

KJV So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The causative verb vayya'akileni ('he caused me to eat, he fed me') is significant — God actively feeds Ezekiel the scroll rather than simply offering it. The prophet is a passive recipient of God's word, which is placed into him physically. This causative form underscores divine initiative in prophetic revelation.
Ezekiel 3:3

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י בֶּן־אָדָם֙ בִּטְנְךָ֤ תַאֲכֵל֙ וּמֵעֶ֣יךָ תְמַלֵּ֔א אֵ֚ת הַמְּגִלָּ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן אֵלֶ֑יךָ וָאֹ֣כְלָ֔ה וַתְּהִ֥י בְּפִ֖י כִּדְבַ֥שׁ לְמָתֽוֹק׃

He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your insides with this scroll that I am giving you." So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

KJV And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

דְּבַשׁ devash
"honey" — honey, sweetness, date syrup

The quintessential taste of the promised land. Its appearance here creates irony: the scroll of judgment tastes like the land from which the people have been exiled.

Translator Notes

  1. The body language is emphatically physical: bitnekha ('your stomach'), me'ekha ('your insides, your bowels'). This is not figurative consumption — Ezekiel is commanded to take the scroll deep into his body. The comparison kidvash lematok ('as honey for sweetness') connects to Psalm 19:10 and 119:103, where God's words and judgments are sweeter than honey. The paradox — a scroll of lamentation tasting sweet — suggests that the sweetness belongs to the act of receiving God's word, not to its content.
Ezekiel 3:4

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם לֶךְ־בֹּא֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְדִבַּרְתָּ֥ בִדְבָרַ֖י אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

Then he said to me, "Son of man, go — present yourself to the house of Israel and speak my words to them."

KJV And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The command lekh-bo ('go, come/enter') is a double imperative that conveys urgency. The phrase bidvarai ('with my words') emphasizes that Ezekiel is to deliver God's words, not his own — the scroll he has eaten becomes the content of his speech.
Ezekiel 3:5

כִּ֣י לֹ֠א אֶל־עַ֨ם עִמְקֵ֥י שָׂפָ֛ה וְכִבְדֵ֥י לָשׁ֖וֹן אַתָּ֣ה שָׁל֑וּחַ אֶל־בֵּ֖ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel —

KJV For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase imqei safah ('deep of lip') and kivdei lashon ('heavy of tongue') describe languages that are incomprehensible — literally 'deep-lipped' and 'heavy-tongued.' The irony builds: foreign nations would be easier to reach than Israel, because Israel's refusal is not a matter of comprehension but of will.
Ezekiel 3:6

לֹ֣א ׀ אֶל־עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים עִמְקֵ֤י שָׂפָה֙ וְכִבְדֵ֣י לָשׁ֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תִשְׁמַ֖ע דִּבְרֵיהֶ֑ם אִם־לֹ֤א אֲלֵיהֶם֙ שְׁלַחְתִּ֔יךָ הֵ֖מָּה יִשְׁמְע֥וּ אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. If I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you!

KJV Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The conditional statement is devastating: pagan nations who have never heard of the LORD would respond to Ezekiel's message, but Israel — God's own covenant people — will not. This anticipates Jesus's similar observation about Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 11:21-22). The exclamation captures the emphatic Hebrew particle im-lo ('if not,' meaning 'surely').
Ezekiel 3:7

וּבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹ֤א יֹאבוּ֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלֶ֔יךָ כִּי־אֵינָ֥ם אֹבִ֖ים לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלָ֑י כִּ֚י כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חִזְקֵי־מֵ֥צַח וּקְשֵׁי־לֵ֖ב הֵֽמָּה׃

But the house of Israel will refuse to listen to you, because they refuse to listen to me. For the entire house of Israel is hard of forehead and stubborn of heart.

KJV But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The logic is clear: Israel's rejection of the prophet is really rejection of God. The phrase chizqei-metsach ('hard of forehead') describes a face set in defiance — a forehead that will not bow. Qeshei-lev ('hard of heart') describes a will that has calcified against God's instruction. Both are physical metaphors for spiritual obstinacy. The double use of 'refuse' (lo yo'vu... einam ovim) emphasizes that this is willful, not accidental.
Ezekiel 3:8

הִנֵּ֨ה נָתַ֧תִּי אֶת־פָּנֶ֛יךָ חֲזָקִ֖ים לְעֻמַּ֣ת פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֶֽת־מִצְחֲךָ֥ חָזָ֖ק לְעֻמַּ֥ת מִצְחָֽם׃

See — I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.

KJV Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God matches Ezekiel's resolve to the people's stubbornness. The word chazaqim ('strong, hard') is the same root used to describe Israel's hardness in verse 7. The image is of two immovable forces set against each other — but one has divine reinforcement.
Ezekiel 3:9

כְּשָׁמִ֛יר חָזָ֥ק מִצֹּ֖ר נָתַ֣תִּי מִצְחֶ֑ךָ לֹא־תִירָ֣א אוֹתָ֗ם וְלֹא־תֵחַת֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י בֵית־מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃

I have made your forehead like diamond, harder than flint. Do not fear them and do not be dismayed before them, for they are a house of rebellion.

KJV As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

שָׁמִיר shamir
"diamond" — diamond, adamant, emery, the hardest stone

An extremely hard mineral used for cutting. The exact identification is debated — Jeremiah 17:1 uses the same word for the stylus that engraves on stone. The point is superlative hardness.

בֵּית מְרִי bet meri
"house of rebellion" — house of rebellion, rebellious house, defiant household

Ezekiel's characteristic name for Israel — they are defined not by their covenant but by their rebellion against it.

Translator Notes

  1. The word shamir is a stone harder than flint — possibly diamond, emery, or corundum. The precise identification is uncertain, but the point is clear: Ezekiel's resolve will be harder than the hardest known substance. The phrase bet meri ('house of rebellion') continues the characterization from chapter 2 — Israel's defining quality has become their defiance.
Ezekiel 3:10

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם אֶת־כָּל־דְּבָרַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲדַבֵּר֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ קַ֥ח בִּֽלְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְאָזְנֶ֥יךָ שְׁמָֽע׃

Then he said to me, "Son of man, take into your heart all the words that I speak to you, and hear them with your ears."

KJV Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The command to receive words 'in your heart' (bilvavekha) and 'with your ears' (be'oznekha) demands both internal absorption and careful listening. The heart (levav) in Hebrew thought is the seat of will and understanding, not merely emotion. Ezekiel must first internalize the message before delivering it.
Ezekiel 3:11

וְלֵ֣ךְ בֹּ֗א אֶל־הַגּוֹלָה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵיהֶם֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה אִֽם־יִשְׁמְע֖וּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּֽלוּ׃

Go — present yourself to the exiles, to the children of your people. Speak to them and say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says' — whether they listen or refuse.

KJV And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The destination is now specified: the golah ('exile community'), Ezekiel's own people in Babylon. The formula ko amar Adonai YHWH ('This is what the Lord GOD says') is Ezekiel's signature prophetic introduction. The final phrase 'whether they listen or refuse' (im-yishme'u ve'im-yechdalu) echoes 2:5, establishing that the prophet's obligation is delivery, not results.
Ezekiel 3:12

וַתִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי ר֔וּחַ וָאֶשְׁמַ֣ע אַחֲרַ֔י ק֖וֹל רַ֣עַשׁ גָּד֑וֹל בָּר֥וּךְ כְּבוֹד־יְהוָ֖ה מִמְּקוֹמֽוֹ׃

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound of a great rumbling: "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place!"

KJV Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

כְּבוֹד יְהוָה kevod YHWH
"the glory of the LORD" — glory, weight, honor, radiant presence, substantial reality of God

In Ezekiel, kavod is the visible, tangible manifestation of God's presence — it occupies space, moves between locations, and overwhelms those who witness it.

רוּחַ ruach
"Spirit" — spirit, wind, breath, divine force

Here ruach functions as the divine agent that physically transports the prophet — rendered as 'Spirit' (capitalized) to indicate the divine force rather than wind or breath.

Translator Notes

  1. The verb tissa'eni ('lifted me') uses the same root (nasa, 'to lift, carry') used for bearing a heavy burden — the Spirit physically hoists Ezekiel. The qol ra'ash gadol ('sound of a great rumbling') is the same word ra'ash used for earthquakes (cf. 1 Kings 19:11). The doxology barukh kevod-YHWH mimmeqomo is liturgical — it appears also in the Kedushah prayer of later Jewish worship. Whether the voice is Ezekiel's own or the voices of the living creatures from chapter 1 is ambiguous.

Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)shekinah

"Blessed be the glory of the LORD from the place of the house of his Shekinah."

'His place' becomes 'the place of the house of his Shekinah.' The doxology locates God's glory in the Shekinah's dwelling place, connecting the heavenly vision to the earthly Temple.

Ezekiel 3:13

וְק֣וֹל ׀ כַּנְפֵ֣י הַחַיּ֗וֹת מַשִּׁיקוֹת֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה אֶל־אֲחוֹתָ֔הּ וְק֥וֹל הָאוֹפַנִּ֖ים לְעֻמָּתָ֑ם וְק֖וֹל רַ֥עַשׁ גָּדֽוֹל׃

— the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great rumbling.

KJV I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

חַיּוֹת chayot
"living creatures" — living beings, living creatures, animate beings

The supernatural four-faced beings from the throne-chariot vision. Not 'animals' — these are the beings later identified as cherubim in chapter 10.

אוֹפַנִּים ofannim
"wheels" — wheels, rotating structures

The eye-covered wheels from the throne-chariot vision. They move with the living creatures because the spirit (ruach) of the creatures is in them (1:20).

Translator Notes

  1. The verse catalogues the components of the heavenly sound: wings touching (mashiqot, 'touching, kissing, brushing'), wheels turning, and the overall ra'ash ('rumbling, earthquake-sound'). The phrase ishah el-achotah ('each one to its sister') is an idiom meaning 'one to another' — the wings brush against their companion wings. The layered sounds recall the throne-chariot vision of chapter 1.
Ezekiel 3:14

וְר֣וּחַ נְשָׂאַ֗תְנִי וַתִּקָּחֵ֙נִי֙ וָאֵלֵ֥ךְ מַ֛ר בַּחֲמַ֥ת רוּחִ֖י וְיַד־יְהוָ֥ה עָלַ֛י חָזָֽקָה׃

The Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. I went in bitterness, in the fury of my spirit, but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

KJV So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

יַד יְהוָה yad YHWH
"the hand of the LORD" — hand of the LORD, divine power, divine compulsion

A recurring Ezekiel phrase (1:3, 3:14, 3:22, 8:1, 33:22, 37:1, 40:1) indicating moments when God's power seizes the prophet and directs his actions. It connotes irresistible force.

Translator Notes

  1. Ezekiel's emotional state is raw: mar ('bitter, bitterness') and bahamat ruchi ('in the heat/fury of my spirit') suggest deep reluctance or agitation. Whether this fury is Ezekiel's own resistance to his calling or the divine rage working through him is deliberately ambiguous — the Hebrew allows both readings. The phrase yad-YHWH ('the hand of the LORD') denotes divine compulsion that overrides the prophet's personal feelings. Ezekiel goes forward not because he wants to but because God's hand is too strong to resist.
Ezekiel 3:15

וָאָב֨וֹא אֶל־הַגּוֹלָ֜ה תֵּ֣ל אָ֠בִיב הַיֹּשְׁבִ֤ים אֶל־נְהַר־כְּבָר֙ וָאֵשֵׁ֗ב שָׁ֛ם הֵ֥מָּה יוֹשְׁבִ֖ים וָאֵשֵׁ֣ב שָׁ֑ם מַשְׁמִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃

I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who were settled by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they sat. I remained there among them, overwhelmed, for seven days.

KJV Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Tel-abib (tel aviv, 'mound of the flood' or 'mound of grain') was a settlement of Judean exiles in Babylonia — the modern city of Tel Aviv takes its name from this passage via Nahum Sokolow's 1902 Hebrew translation of Herzl's Altneuland. The word mashmim ('devastated, overwhelmed, appalled') suggests Ezekiel was so stunned by his experience that he could not function. The seven-day period may reflect a mourning practice or a period of ritual preparation before assuming the prophetic office.
Ezekiel 3:16

וַיְהִ֕י מִקְצֵ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

At the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me:

KJV And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The standard reception formula vayehi devar-YHWH elai ('the word of the LORD came to me') marks a new divine communication. The seven-day waiting period is now over and the watchman commission begins.
Ezekiel 3:17

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם צֹפֶ֥ה נְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֤ מִפִּי֙ דָּבָ֔ר וְהִזְהַרְתָּ֥ אוֹתָ֖ם מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

"Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf."

KJV Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

צֹפֶה tsofeh
"watchman" — watchman, lookout, sentry, one who keeps watch

A military term applied to the prophetic office. The watchman's accountability is absolute: failure to warn is as culpable as the sin itself.

Translator Notes

  1. The watchman (tsofeh) metaphor is central to Ezekiel's self-understanding and is restated in 33:1-9. The root ts-f-h means 'to look out, to keep watch, to be on the lookout' — a watchman's duty is to see what others cannot yet see and to warn them. The phrase mehizharta otam mimmeni ('you must warn them from me') establishes that the warning originates with God, not with the prophet's own judgment.
Ezekiel 3:18

בְּאָמְרִ֤י לָֽרָשָׁע֙ מ֣וֹת תָּמ֔וּת וְלֹ֣א הִזְהַרְתּ֗וֹ וְלֹ֤א דִבַּ֙רְתָּ֙ לְהַזְהִ֤יר רָשָׁע֙ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָרְשָׁעָ֔ה לְחַיֹּת֑וֹ ה֤וּא רָשָׁע֙ בַּעֲוֹנ֣וֹ יָמ֔וּת וְדָמ֖וֹ מִיָּדְךָ֥ אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃

When I say to the wicked person, 'You will certainly die,' and you do not warn him — you do not speak to warn the wicked person away from his wicked path in order to save his life — that wicked person will die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand.

KJV When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The structure is legal case-law: condition (God declares death), failure (the prophet does not warn), consequence for the wicked (death in iniquity), and consequence for the prophet (blood-guilt). The phrase mot tamut ('you will certainly die') is the emphatic death formula using the infinitive absolute — the same construction as God's warning to Adam in Genesis 2:17. The phrase damo miyyadekkha avaqesh ('his blood I will require from your hand') uses legal homicide language — the prophet who fails to warn becomes complicit in the death.
Ezekiel 3:19

וְאַתָּה֙ כִּ֤י הִזְהַ֙רְתָּ֙ רָשָׁ֔ע וְלֹא־שָׁב֙ מֵֽרִשְׁעָת֔וֹ וּמִדַּרְכּ֖וֹ הָרְשָׁעָ֑ה ה֚וּא בַּעֲוֹנ֣וֹ יָמ֔וּת וְאַתָּ֖ה אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ֥ הִצַּֽלְתָּ׃

But if you do warn the wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked path, he will die in his iniquity — but you will have saved your own life.

KJV Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The second case: the prophet warns, the wicked person ignores the warning. The wicked person still dies in his iniquity, but the prophet is absolved — 'you will have saved your own life' (nafshekha hitsalta, literally 'your nephesh you have rescued'). The word nephesh here means 'life' rather than 'soul' in the later theological sense — Ezekiel is speaking of survival, not abstract salvation.
Ezekiel 3:20

וּבְשׁ֨וּב צַדִּ֤יק מִצִּדְקוֹ֙ וְעָ֣שָׂה עָ֔וֶל וְנָתַתִּ֥י מִכְשׁ֛וֹל לְפָנָ֖יו ה֣וּא יָמ֑וּת כִּ֤י לֹא֙ הִזְהַרְתּ֔וֹ בְּחַטָּאת֣וֹ יָמ֗וּת וְלֹ֤א תִזָּכַ֙רְנָה֙ צִדְקֹתָ֣יו אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְדָמ֖וֹ מִיָּדְךָ֥ אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃

When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I place a stumbling block before him, he will die. Because you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous deeds he performed will not be remembered — but his blood I will require from your hand.

KJV Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This case extends the watchman's responsibility to the righteous who turn away. The phrase natatti mikhshol lefanav ('I place a stumbling block before him') is theologically challenging — God himself places the obstacle. This is not entrapment but judicial hardening (cf. the hardening of Pharaoh's heart). The principle that previous righteousness does not protect against present sin is developed extensively in chapter 18. The phrase 'his righteous deeds will not be remembered' uses the legal sense of zakar — they will not be entered into the record in his favor.
Ezekiel 3:21

וְאַתָּ֞ה כִּ֧י הִזְהַרְתּ֣וֹ צַדִּ֗יק לְבִלְתִּ֥י חֲטֹ֛א צַדִּ֖יק וְה֣וּא לֹא־חָטָ֑א חָי֤וֹ יִֽחְיֶה֙ כִּ֣י נִזְהָ֔ר וְאַתָּ֖ה אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ֥ הִצַּֽלְתָּ׃

But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and the righteous person does not sin, he will certainly live because he heeded the warning — and you will have saved your own life.

KJV Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The fourth and final case completes the matrix: prophet warns, righteous person listens, both live. The emphatic chayo yichyeh ('he will certainly live') mirrors the death formula mot tamut from verse 18. The watchman's faithfulness produces life for both the warned and the warner. The verb nizhar ('he was warned, he took warning') is from the same root as hizharta ('you warned'), linking the prophet's action to the people's response.
Ezekiel 3:22

וַתְּהִ֥י עָלַ֛י שָׁ֖ם יַד־יְהוָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י ק֥וּם צֵ֛א אֶל־הַבִּקְעָ֖ה וְשָׁ֥ם אֲדַבֵּ֖ר אוֹתָֽךְ׃

The hand of the LORD came upon me there, and he said to me, "Get up, go out to the valley, and there I will speak with you."

KJV And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The biq'ah ('valley, plain, broad valley') is an open area suitable for a theophany — large enough to contain the glory of the LORD (v. 23). The phrase yad-YHWH ('the hand of the LORD') signals another moment of divine compulsion. The command qum tse ('get up, go out') is urgent: Ezekiel must physically relocate for the next revelation.
Ezekiel 3:23

וָאָקוּם֮ וָאֵצֵ֣א אֶל־הַבִּקְעָה֒ וְהִנֵּה־שָׁ֤ם כְּבוֹד־יְהוָה֙ עֹמֵ֔ד כַּכָּב֕וֹד אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֑ר וָאֶפֹּ֖ל עַל־פָּנָֽי׃

So I got up and went out to the valley, and there the glory of the LORD was standing — like the glory I had seen by the Chebar canal. I fell facedown.

KJV Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase kakavod asher ra'iti ('like the glory I had seen') explicitly connects this theophany to the inaugural vision of chapter 1. The glory stands (omed) — a physical posture indicating stable, enduring presence. Ezekiel's response (falling facedown) is the instinctive human reaction to the overwhelming divine presence (cf. 1:28, 44:4). This valley theophany demonstrates that the kavod is mobile — it is not bound to the Temple.
Ezekiel 3:24

וַתָּבֹ֣א בִי֮ ר֒וּחַ֒ וַתַּעֲמִדֵ֣נִי עַל־רַגְלָ֗י וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר אֹתִי֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֹּ֥א הִסָּגֵ֖ר בְּת֥וֹךְ בֵּיתֶֽךָ׃

Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet. He spoke to me and said, "Go, shut yourself inside your house."

KJV Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Spirit (ruach) again functions as a physical force — entering Ezekiel and standing him upright (cf. 2:2). The command to shut himself in his house begins a period of confinement that represents Ezekiel's restricted movement. The verb hissager ('shut yourself in, confine yourself') is reflexive — the prophet is to impose isolation upon himself.
Ezekiel 3:25

וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם הִנֵּ֨ה נָתְנ֤וּ עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ עֲבוֹתִ֔ים וַאֲסָר֖וּךָ בָּהֶ֑ם וְלֹ֥א תֵצֵ֖א בְּתוֹכָֽם׃

As for you, son of man — they will place ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them.

KJV But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The binding with ropes (avotim, 'cords, ropes') has been interpreted both literally (the exiles physically restrain Ezekiel) and symbolically (divine restriction on his movements). Whether the community binds him or God commands him to be bound is ambiguous. The result is prophetic isolation — Ezekiel cannot move freely among the people.
Ezekiel 3:26

וּלְשׁוֹנְךָ֙ אַדְבִּ֣יק אֶל־חִכֶּ֔ךָ וְנֶאֱלַ֕מְתָּ וְלֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם לְאִ֣ישׁ מוֹכִ֑יחַ כִּ֥י בֵית־מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃

I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and unable to rebuke them — for they are a house of rebellion.

KJV And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God imposes muteness on Ezekiel — his tongue is physically fastened to his palate (adbiiq, 'I will cause to cling'). This is not natural silence but divinely imposed speechlessness. The prophet can only speak when God opens his mouth (v. 27). The word mokhiach ('one who rebukes, a reprover') indicates that Ezekiel's normal prophetic function of correction is suspended. The phrase bet meri ('house of rebellion') again explains why: their defiance makes normal prophetic discourse pointless.
Ezekiel 3:27

וּבְדַבְּרִ֤י אוֹתְךָ֙ אֶפְתַּ֣ח אֶת־פִּ֔יךָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה הַשֹּׁמֵ֤עַ ׀ יִשְׁמָע֙ וְהֶחָדֵ֣ל ׀ יֶחְדָּ֔ל כִּ֥י בֵית־מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃

But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says.' Whoever listens, let him listen; whoever refuses, let him refuse — for they are a house of rebellion.

KJV But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The chapter ends with the principle that governs all of Ezekiel's ministry: the prophet speaks only when God opens his mouth, and the people's response is their own responsibility. The formula hashomea yishma ('whoever listens, let him listen') and hahechodel yechdal ('whoever refuses, let him refuse') frames prophetic preaching as a sifting process — the word separates those who will respond from those who will not, but the prophet delivers it regardless. The closing bet meri ('house of rebellion') appears for the third time in this chapter, functioning as a refrain.
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