Yehezkiel 13:18

13:18 and say ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands ¹  on all their wrists ²  and make headbands ³  for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives! ⁴  Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives?

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, ⁵  declares the sovereign Lord.’

Yehezkiel 34:2

34:2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds ⁶  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 46:7

46:7 He will provide a grain offering: an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wishes, ⁷  and a gallon ⁸  of olive oil with each ephah of grain. ⁹ 

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

[13:18]  ² tn Heb “joints of the hands.” This may include the elbow and shoulder joints.

[13:18]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “human lives” or “souls” (three times in v. 18 and twice in v. 19).

[20:3]  ⁵ tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”

[34:2]  ⁶ 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).

[46:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “with the lambs as his hand can reach.”

[46:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “a hin of oil.” A hin was about 1/16 of a bath. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:266, and O. R. Sellers, “Weights,” IDB 4:835 g.

[46:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “ephah.” The words “of grain” are supplied in the translation as a clarification.