Yehezkiel 19:2

19:2 and say:

“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!

She lay among young lions; ¹  she reared her cubs.

Yehezkiel 30:2

30:2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Wail, “Alas, the day is here!” ² 

Yehezkiel 38:3

38:3 and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, ³  I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

Yehezkiel 21:28

21:28 “As for you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says concerning the Ammonites and their coming humiliation; ⁴  say:

“‘A sword, a sword drawn for slaughter,

polished to consume, ⁵  to flash like lightning –

Yehezkiel 2:4

2:4 The people ⁶  to whom I am sending you are obstinate and hard-hearted, ⁷  and you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says.’ ⁸ 

Yehezkiel 13:2

13:2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to the prophets who prophesy from their imagination: ⁹  ‘Hear the word of the Lord!

Yehezkiel 16:3

16:3 and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

Yehezkiel 21:3

21:3 and say to them, ¹⁰  ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, ¹¹  I am against you. ¹²  I will draw my sword ¹³  from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. ¹⁴ 

Yehezkiel 21:9

21:9 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword is sharpened,

and also polished.

Yehezkiel 22:3

22:3 Then say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: O city, who spills blood within herself (which brings on her doom), ¹⁵  and who makes herself idols (which results in impurity),

Yehezkiel 24:3

24:3 Recite a proverb to this rebellious house ¹⁶  and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Set on the pot, ¹⁷  set it on,

pour water in it too;

Yehezkiel 35:3

35:3 Say to it, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against you, Mount Seir;

I will stretch out my hand against you

and turn you into a desolate ruin.

Yehezkiel 36:1

Blessings on the Mountains of Israel

36:1 “As for you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord!

Yehezkiel 37:4

37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

Yehezkiel 38:11

38:11 You will say, “I will invade ¹⁸  a land of unwalled towns; I will advance against ¹⁹  those living quietly in security – all of them living without walls and barred gates –

Yehezkiel 38:14

38:14 “Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day when my people Israel are living securely, you will take notice ²⁰ 

Yehezkiel 39:1

39:1 “As for you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal!

Yehezkiel 44:6

44:6 Say to the rebellious, ²¹  to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Enough of all your abominable practices, O house of Israel!

Yehezkiel 3:11

3:11 Go to the exiles, to your fellow countrymen, ²²  and speak to them – say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says,’ whether they pay attention or not.”

Yehezkiel 3:27

3:27 But when I speak with you, I will loosen your tongue ²³  and you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says.’ Those who listen will listen, but the indifferent will refuse, ²⁴  for they are a rebellious house.

Yehezkiel 6:3

6:3 Say, ‘Mountains of Israel, ²⁵  Hear the word of the sovereign Lord! ²⁶  This is what the sovereign Lord says to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I am bringing ²⁷  a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. ²⁸ 

Yehezkiel 12:19

12:19 Then say to the people of the land, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says about the inhabitants of Jerusalem and of the land of Israel: They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in fright, for their land will be stripped bare of all it contains because of the violence of all who live in it.

Yehezkiel 13:18

13:18 and say ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands ²⁹  on all their wrists ³⁰  and make headbands ³¹  for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives! ³²  Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives?

Yehezkiel 17:3

17:3 Say to them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: ³³ 

“‘A great eagle ³⁴  with broad wings, long feathers, ³⁵ 

with full plumage which was multi-hued, ³⁶ 

came to Lebanon ³⁷  and took the top of the cedar.

Yehezkiel 20:3

20:3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, ³⁸  declares the sovereign Lord.’

Yehezkiel 20:5

20:5 and say to them:

“‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore ³⁹  to the descendants ⁴⁰  of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore ⁴¹  to them, “I am the Lord your God.”

Yehezkiel 20:27

20:27 “Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In this way too your fathers blasphemed me when they were unfaithful to me.

Yehezkiel 25:3

25:3 Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the sovereign Lord: This is what the sovereign Lord says: You said “Aha!” about my sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile.

Yehezkiel 27:3

27:3 Say to Tyre, who sits at the entrance ⁴²  of the sea, ⁴³  merchant to the peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘O Tyre, you have said, “I am perfectly beautiful.”

Yehezkiel 28:12

28:12 “Son of man, sing ⁴⁴  a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘You were the sealer ⁴⁵  of perfection,

full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

Yehezkiel 28:22

28:22 Say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against you, ⁴⁶  Sidon,

and I will magnify myself in your midst.

Then they will know that I am the Lord

when I execute judgments on her

and reveal my sovereign power ⁴⁷  in her.

Yehezkiel 29:3

29:3 Tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against ⁴⁸  you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,

the great monster ⁴⁹  lying in the midst of its waterways,

who has said, “My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.” ⁵⁰ 

Yehezkiel 32:2

32:2 “Son of man, sing a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:

“‘You were like a lion ⁵¹  among the nations,

but you are a monster in the seas;

you thrash about in your streams,

stir up the water with your feet,

and muddy your ⁵²  streams.

Yehezkiel 33:2

33:2 “Son of man, speak to your people, ⁵³  and say to them, ‘Suppose I bring a sword against the land, and the people of the land take one man from their borders and make him their watchman.

Yehezkiel 34:2

34:2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds ⁵⁴  of Israel; prophesy, and say to them – to the shepherds: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock?

Yehezkiel 36:3

36:3 So prophesy and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Surely because they have made you desolate and crushed you from all directions, so that you have become the property of the rest of the nations, and have become the subject of gossip ⁵⁵  and slander among the people,

Yehezkiel 36:6

36:6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I have spoken in my zeal and in my anger, because you have endured the insults of the nations.

Yehezkiel 37:9

37:9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, ⁵⁶  – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’”

Yehezkiel 37:12

37:12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel.

Yehezkiel 14:4

14:4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: When any one from the house of Israel erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet, I the Lord am determined to answer him personally according to the enormity of his idolatry. ⁵⁷ 

Yehezkiel 20:47

20:47 and say to the scrub land of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look here, ⁵⁸  I am about to start a fire in you, ⁵⁹  and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The flaming fire will not be extinguished, and the whole surface of the ground from the Negev to the north will be scorched by it.

Yehezkiel 21:7

21:7 When they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you will reply, ‘Because of the report that has come. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand will be limp; everyone ⁶⁰  will faint and every knee will be wet with urine.’ ⁶¹  Pay attention – it is coming and it will happen, declares the sovereign Lord.”

[19:2]  ¹ sn Lions probably refer to Judahite royalty and/or nobility. The lioness appears to symbolize the Davidic dynasty, though some see the referent as Hamutal, the wife of Josiah and mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. Gen 49:9 seems to be the background for Judah being compared to lions.

[30:2]  ² tn Heb “Alas for the day.”

[38:3]  ³ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[21:28]  ⁴ tn Heb “their reproach.”

[21:28]  ⁵ tn Heb “to contain, endure.” Since the Hebrew text as it stands makes little, if any, sense, most emend the text to read either “to consume” or “for destruction.” For discussion of options see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:693.

[2:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “sons.” The word choice may reflect treaty idiom, where the relationship between an overlord and his subjects can be described as that of father and son.

[2:4]  ⁷ tc Heb “stern of face and hard of heart.” The phrases “stern of face” and “hard of heart” are lacking in the LXX.

[2:4]  ⁸ tn The phrase “thus says [the Lord]” occurs 129 times in Ezekiel; the announcement is identical to the way messengers often introduced their messages (Gen 32:5; 45:9; Exod 5:10; Num 20:14; Judg 11:15).

[13:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “from their mind.”

[13:2]  sn Who prophesy from their imagination. Note the testimony of Moses in Num 16:28, which contains a similar expression.

[21:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the land of Israel.”

[21:3]  ¹¹ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws attention to something and has been translated here as a verb.

[21:3]  ¹² tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[21:3]  ¹³ sn This is the sword of judgment, see Isa 31:8; 34:6; 66:16.

[21:3]  ¹⁴ sn Ezekiel elsewhere pictures the Lord’s judgment as discriminating between the righteous and the wicked (9:4-6; 18:1-20; see as well Pss 1 and 11) and speaks of the preservation of a remnant (3:21; 6:8; 12:16). Perhaps here he exaggerates for rhetorical effect in an effort to subdue any false optimism. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:25-26; D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:669-70; and W. Zimmerli, Ezekiel (Hermeneia), 1:424-25.

[22:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “her time”; this refers to the time of impending judgment (see the note on “doom” in v. 4).

[24:3]  ¹⁶ sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).

[24:3]  ¹⁷ sn See Ezek 11:3-12.

[38:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “go up against.”

[38:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “come (to).”

[38:14]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew text is framed as a rhetorical question: “will you not take notice?”

[44:6]  ²¹ tc The LXX reads “house of rebellion.”

[3:11]  ²² tn Heb “to the sons of your people.”

[3:27]  ²³ tn Heb “open your mouth.”

[3:27]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the listener will listen, the refuser will refuse.” Because the word for listening can also mean obeying, the nuance may be that the obedient will listen, or that the one who listens will obey. Also, although the verbs are not jussive as pointed in the MT, some translate them with a volitive sense: “the one who listens – let that one listen, the one who refuses – let that one refuse.”

[6:3]  ²⁵ tn The phrase “mountains of Israel” occurs only in the book of Ezekiel (6:2, 3; 19:9; 33:28; 34:13, 14; 35:12; 36:1, 4, 8; 37:22; 38:8; 39:2, 4, 17). The expression refers to the whole land of Israel.

[6:3]  sn The mountainous terrain of Israel would contrast with the exiles’ habitat in the river valley of Babylonia.

[6:3]  ²⁶ tn The introductory formula “Hear the word of the sovereign Lord” parallels a pronouncement delivered by the herald of a king (2 Kgs 18:28).

[6:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “Look I, I am bringing.” The repetition of the pronoun draws attention to the speaker. The construction also indicates that the action is soon to come; the Lord is “about to bring a sword against” them.

[6:3]  ²⁸ tn The Hebrew term refers to elevated platforms where pagan sacrifices were performed.

[13:18]  ²⁹ sn The wristbands mentioned here probably represented magic bands or charms. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:413.

[13:18]  ³⁰ tn Heb “joints of the hands.” This may include the elbow and shoulder joints.

[13:18]  ³¹ tn The Hebrew term occurs in the Bible only here and in v. 21. It has also been understood as a veil or type of head covering. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:414) suggests that given the context of magical devices, the expected parallel to the magical arm bands, and the meaning of this Hebrew root (סָפַח [safakh, “to attach” or “join”]), it may refer to headbands or necklaces on which magical amulets were worn.

[13:18]  ³² tn Heb “human lives” or “souls” (three times in v. 18 and twice in v. 19).

[17:3]  ³³ tn The parable assumes the defection of Zedekiah to Egypt and his rejection of Babylonian lordship.

[17:3]  ³⁴ sn The great eagle symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar (17:12).

[17:3]  ³⁵ tn Hebrew has two words for wings; it is unknown whether they are fully synonymous or whether one term distinguishes a particular part of the wing such as the wing coverts (nearest the shoulder), secondaries (mid-feathers of the wing) or primaries (last and longest section of the wing).

[17:3]  ³⁶ tn This term was used in 16:10, 13, and 18 of embroidered cloth.

[17:3]  ³⁷ sn In the parable Lebanon apparently refers to Jerusalem (17:12).

[20:3]  ³⁸ tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”

[20:5]  ³⁹ tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”

[20:5]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “seed.”

[20:5]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”

[27:3]  ⁴² tn Heb “entrances.” The plural noun may reflect the fact that Tyre had two main harbors.

[27:3]  ⁴³ sn Rome, another economic power, is described in a similar way in Rev 17:1.

[28:12]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “lift up.”

[28:12]  ⁴⁵ tn For a discussion of possible nuances of this phrase, see M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:580-81.

[28:22]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[28:22]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “reveal my holiness.” God’s “holiness” is fundamentally his transcendence as sovereign ruler of the world. The revelation of his authority and power through judgment is in view in this context.

[29:3]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[29:3]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “jackals,” but many medieval Hebrew mss read correctly “the serpent.” The Hebrew term appears to refer to a serpent in Exod 7:9-10, 12; Deut 32:33; and Ps 91:13. It also refers to large creatures that inhabit the sea (Gen 1:21; Ps 148:7). In several passages it is associated with the sea or with the multiheaded sea monster Leviathan (Job 7:12; Ps 74:13; Isa 27:1; 51:9). Because of the Egyptian setting of this prophecy and the reference to the creature’s scales (v. 4), many understand a crocodile to be the referent here (e.g., NCV “a great crocodile”; TEV “you monster crocodile”; CEV “a giant crocodile”).

[29:3]  ⁵⁰ sn In Egyptian theology Pharaoh owned and controlled the Nile. See J. D. Currid, Ancient Egypt and the Old Testament, 240-44.

[32:2]  ⁵¹ tn The lion was a figure of royalty (Ezek 19:1-9).

[32:2]  ⁵² tc The Hebrew reads “their streams”; the LXX reads “your streams.”

[33:2]  ⁵³ tn Heb “sons of your people.”

[34:2]  ⁵⁴ tn The term shepherd is applied to kings in the ancient Near East. In the OT the Lord is often addressed as shepherd of Israel (Gen 49:24; Ps 8:1). The imagery of shepherds as Israel’s leaders is also employed (Jer 23:1-2).

[36:3]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “lip of the tongue.”

[37:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “spirit,” and several times in this verse.

[14:4]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “in accordance with the multitude of his idols.”

[20:47]  ⁵⁸ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[20:47]  ⁵⁹ tn Fire also appears as a form of judgment in Ezek 15:4-7; 19:12, 14.

[21:7]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “every spirit will be dim.”

[21:7]  ⁶¹ sn This expression depicts in a very vivid way how they will be overcome with fear. See the note on the same phrase in 7:17.