Ezekiel 11 3

Ezekiel 11:3 kjv

Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.

Ezekiel 11:3 nkjv

who say, 'The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the meat.'

Ezekiel 11:3 niv

They say, 'Haven't our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot, and we are the meat in it.'

Ezekiel 11:3 esv

who say, 'The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.'

Ezekiel 11:3 nlt

They say to the people, 'Is it not a good time to build houses? This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside it like meat in a pot. '

Ezekiel 11 verses

Ezekiel 11 3 Meaning

Ezekiel 11:3 records the defiant and self-deceptive words of Jerusalem's leaders who remained after the first Babylonian exile. They dismissed the notion that it was time to rebuild, confidently asserting that the city itself was a protective "pot," and they, its inhabitants, were the secure "meat" within it. Their statement revealed a false sense of security, believing that Jerusalem was inviolable, like a pot preserving its contents from external danger, or that the present siege would merely refine them rather than consume them. This proverb also suggests they found comfort in remaining in the city, viewing their status as preferable to those already exiled.

Ezekiel 11 3 Context

Ezekiel 11:3 is part of a prophetic vision experienced by Ezekiel while he was among the exiles in Babylon (around 592-591 BC). Chapters 8-11 describe Jerusalem's deep-seated idolatry and moral corruption, particularly among its leaders. In Chapter 11, Ezekiel is shown a vision of 25 prominent men at the entrance of the temple, among whom are two named princes, Jaazaniah and Pelatiah. God reveals their wicked counsel and the impending judgment against them.

Verse 3 records a specific cynical saying or popular proverb being circulated by these leaders in Jerusalem. They were reacting to either direct prophetic warnings (likely from Jeremiah, who was in Jerusalem) or the grim reality of a looming or ongoing siege by the Babylonians. Instead of heeding calls for repentance or surrender, they asserted their confidence, rejecting the idea of rebuilding their shattered society (implying the judgment was not final) and seeing the city walls as an impenetrable fortress protecting them from external harm and purifying them, like meat being cooked within a pot. This false sense of security allowed them to justify their corrupt behavior and ignore the imminent, devastating judgment that God was bringing upon them.

Ezekiel 11 3 Word analysis

Word by Word analysis

• saying (אֹמְרִים, ’omerim): Participle, plural. It means "saying" or "those who are saying." It implies an ongoing or repeated utterance. This indicates a widespread or collective sentiment among the leaders. Ezekiel, in his vision, is hearing their words directly.
• It is not (לֹא, lo’): Negation. A strong denial of the statement that follows. It underscores their certainty in their own perspective.
• the time (עֵת, ‘et): Refers to a specific appointed time, season, or occasion. Here, it denotes the appropriate moment or a propitious period.
• to build (לִבְנוֹת, livnot): Infinitive construct of banah (בָּנָה). To construct, to establish, to restore. It carries the nuance of settling down, investing for the future, or feeling secure enough to begin a new enterprise.
• houses (בָּתִּים, battim): Plural of bayit (בַּיִת), house. Represents stability, family, continuity, and societal normalcy. In context, it would mean rebuilding their shattered lives or society after the previous wave of exiles and disruptions. Their statement is a direct counter to any prophet or idea suggesting they should prepare for long-term survival in Jerusalem or make future plans there.
• this city (הָעִיר, ha’ir): Refers unequivocally to Jerusalem. The demonstrative "this" emphasizes their immediate, physical context and their conviction regarding its present state.
• is the pot (הִיא הַסִּיר, hi hassir): "She (is) the pot." Hasir is a "cooking pot" or "stewpot." This metaphor is crucial. It can imply a protective vessel, safeguarding its contents, but also a place where something is heated, cooked, and ultimately consumed. This dual meaning highlights the dramatic irony: they saw protection, but God intended judgment (as clarified in Eze 24).
• and we (וַאֲנַחְנוּ, va’anakhnu): Conjunctive "and" plus the pronoun "we." Clearly identifying themselves with the contents of the city, stressing their secure position within it.
• are the meat (הַבָּשָׂר, habbasar): "The flesh" or "the meat." The contents within the pot. This further reinforces their sense of security or preservation inside the city walls. They believed themselves safe and possibly undergoing a process of purification or preservation from external threats, rather than being prepared for judgment and destruction.

Words-group by Words-group analysis

• "saying, ‘It is not the time to build houses’": This phrase captures the immediate context of defiance. The leaders are mocking any notion that the current situation (likely under Babylonian siege pressure or prophetic warnings of further judgment) would allow for settled life or future planning in Jerusalem. They are not saying there's no hope for the city; rather, they dismiss the idea of building now, perhaps suggesting the danger is not dire enough to merit immediate investment, or ironically, that they don't need to build because the city itself is already a stable stronghold. Alternatively, it could be an ironic dismissal: "Why build houses when the city is our security?" They are likely rejecting prophetic counsel to repent and avoid destruction, believing the city will stand.
• "this city is the pot, and we are the meat": This is the core metaphorical statement expressing their false sense of security and their perceived immunity. They believed Jerusalem (the "pot") would protect them (the "meat") from the encroaching Babylonians. They likely invoked the Temple's presence in Jerusalem as a guarantee of divine protection, thus making the city impenetrable. In their minds, being "meat in the pot" meant safety, purification, or preservation through the coming turmoil, not condemnation. However, as God clarifies later in Ezekiel (especially Eze 24), the pot symbolizes the city's role in the fiery judgment that would consume its inhabitants, turning them into food for destruction rather than preserving them. This statement reveals a profound misunderstanding of God's intentions and the nature of their predicament, substituting God's true protection for the false security of physical walls and an unrepentant heart.

Ezekiel 11 3 Bonus section

The metaphor of the "pot" (sîr) can also carry the connotation of being enclosed or confined. While the leaders might have intended "protection," it equally implied their limited view and eventual captivity or consumption within those very confines. The act of "building houses" symbolized an investment in the future. Their rejection of it indicates either a cynical hopelessness ("why build when all is lost anyway?") or a proud dismissal of any need for preparation because they believed themselves eternally safe. This verse acts as a bridge, conveying the defiant attitude of the remnant in Jerusalem back to the exiles, contrasting sharply with God's actual, immediate plan for judgment upon the unrepentant city. This specific saying was recorded by Ezekiel through divine revelation, not his own observation in Jerusalem, emphasizing the spiritual insight God granted him into the hearts and minds of the ungodly leaders far away.

Ezekiel 11 3 Commentary

Ezekiel 11:3 succinctly portrays the hubris and spiritual blindness of Jerusalem's remaining leaders. Their saying, "It is not the time to build houses; this city is the pot, and we are the meat," reveals a dangerous misinterpretation of their reality. They arrogantly dismiss calls for rebuilding or change, believing their urban stronghold to be an unbreachable vessel that not only protects but even purifies them during the siege. They likely interpreted the metaphor of the pot in a self-serving way, as a place of preservation, refinement, or safety. They felt secure, invulnerable within the city walls, and distinct from those who had already been taken into exile, whom they might have regarded as mere "scraps." This verse serves as a chilling testament to the human capacity for denial and self-deception in the face of impending divine judgment. The ultimate irony, fully revealed in later chapters (Eze 24), is that God uses the same "pot" metaphor, but to declare His intent to consume them in fiery judgment, with the city serving as a cauldron for their destruction, not their salvation.