Ezekiel 11 5

Ezekiel 11:5 kjv

And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

Ezekiel 11:5 nkjv

Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said to me, "Speak! 'Thus says the LORD: "Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.

Ezekiel 11:5 niv

Then the Spirit of the LORD came on me, and he told me to say: "This is what the LORD says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.

Ezekiel 11:5 esv

And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, "Say, Thus says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind.

Ezekiel 11:5 nlt

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me, and he told me to say, "This is what the LORD says to the people of Israel: I know what you are saying, for I know every thought that comes into your minds.

Ezekiel 11 verses

Ezekiel 11 5 Meaning

Ezekiel 11:5 reveals the immediate, forceful empowerment of the prophet Ezekiel by the Spirit of the Lord, enabling him to deliver a divine message. The verse highlights God's omniscience, declaring that He knows the hidden thoughts, intentions, and self-deceiving plans that reside within the minds of the house of Israel, specifically those leaders and inhabitants of Jerusalem who believed they were safe. It signifies that divine judgment is rooted in an intimate understanding of the people's deepest spiritual rebellion, not just their outward actions.

Ezekiel 11 5 Context

Chapter 11 of Ezekiel is a pivotal chapter marking a shift from individual acts of sin to the collective spiritual decay of Jerusalem's leadership and people, confirming their imminent destruction. Ezekiel, in prophetic vision, is transported from Babylon to Jerusalem's Temple gate, witnessing the corrupt leaders plotting wickedness and holding onto a false sense of security that Jerusalem is an impregnable "pot" protecting them like meat. Verse 5 is an interlude where God interrupts Ezekiel's internal reflections or the flow of the vision with an explicit divine communication and commissioning.

The historical and cultural context involves the final phase before Jerusalem's ultimate downfall. The Babylonians had already carried off a significant portion of the population in earlier exiles (e.g., 597 BCE, including Ezekiel), but a defiant remnant remained in Jerusalem. This remnant, particularly the prominent figures, believed themselves untouchable, placing their trust in the city's defenses, its holy status (as the Temple stood there), and even in their own wisdom or pagan alliances, despite pervasive idolatry, injustice, and violence. God's message through Ezekiel, triggered in verse 5, is a direct challenge to their spiritual complacency and unacknowledged rebellion, exposing their inner, unarticulated thoughts and designs as the very basis for His righteous judgment.

Ezekiel 11 5 Word analysis

• And the Spirit (וַתִּפֹּל עָלַי רוּחַ יְהוָה - vatipol alai Ruach Yehovah):
  • Spirit (Ruach): Refers to the Holy Spirit, God's active, divine presence. It is the empowering agent for prophets, granting extraordinary capabilities or revelation. Not merely a wind or breath but a powerful, personal aspect of God.
  • of the Lord (Yehovah): Specifies the source of the Spirit as the covenant God of Israel, the ultimate authority.
  • fell upon me (vatipol alai): Describes a sudden, forceful, and overwhelming experience of divine intervention. It signifies that the prophet did not initiate the message but was divinely compelled and possessed by the Spirit's power for a specific prophetic utterance. This demonstrates an irresistible, undeniable divine empowerment.
• and he said to me (vayyomer elai):
  • Indicates direct, personal divine communication following the Spirit's enabling. It affirms that the message is directly from God Himself, not Ezekiel's own thoughts or interpretations. This reinforces the authoritative nature of the prophecy.
• “Speak! (Daber!):
  • An imperative verb in Hebrew, a direct command. It demands immediate and unequivocal declaration of the divine message. It leaves no room for hesitation or personal agenda, emphasizing urgency and obedience.
• Thus says the Lord (Koh amar Yehovah):
  • The quintessential prophetic formula, introducing the message as an absolute divine utterance. It removes all doubt about the message's origin and authority; the prophet acts merely as God's mouthpiece. It carries the weight of ultimate truth and divine will.
• This is what you are saying, O house of Israel (Ken amartem Beit Yisrael):
  • This is what you are saying (Ken amartem): God penetrates the unspoken. This refers not necessarily to spoken words, but to the deep-seated, collective thought processes, intentions, and self-justifying rationalizations within the community. It's about what they're inwardly asserting or secretly believing about their situation. This is a divine rebuttal to their hidden counsel and schemes, demonstrating God's penetration of their inner lives.
  • O house of Israel (Beit Yisrael): Addresses the entire nation, but in this immediate context, it is directed at those leaders and inhabitants remaining in Jerusalem, whose mindset and plots Ezekiel is witnessing in his vision. It's a national indictment based on the behavior of those who claimed to represent it.
• for I know the things that come into your mind (va'ani yadati et-maalot ruchachem):
  • for I know (va'ani yadati): This clause underscores God's perfect omniscience. It is the divine justification for His direct refutation of their inner thoughts. God does not guess or assume; He "knows" with absolute certainty.
  • the things that come into your mind (et-maalot ruchachem): Literally "the ascensions of your spirit" or "what comes up in your spirit/mind." This precise phrase points to the deep, inner machinations, devises, counsel, and intentions that spring forth from their hearts. It speaks to their deepest internal plans, motives, and intellectual self-deceptions, even those not vocalized. This directly combats their presumption of hidden thoughts from God's view.

Ezekiel 11 5 Bonus section

The profound declaration "I know the things that come into your mind" in Ezekiel 11:5 challenges a fundamental human tendency: the belief that one's private thoughts are safe from scrutiny. In a society without modern surveillance, this declaration would have been even more striking. It functions as a direct polemic against any notion that secret counsel, hidden plots, or unspoken rebellion could evade divine awareness. It establishes a theological precedent for God's unparalleled insight, going beyond observable actions to the very wellspring of human intent. This served to undermine the confidence of the wicked who schemed in private, revealing that their security was an illusion. The intense encounter with the Spirit also contrasts sharply with the contemporary pagan practices, where "prophets" relied on rituals or trances, highlighting the unique, direct, and authoritative nature of the God of Israel's revelation.

Ezekiel 11 5 Commentary

Ezekiel 11:5 serves as a potent declaration of divine sovereignty and prophetic authenticity. The descent of the Spirit upon Ezekiel is not a gentle prompting but a powerful anointing, signifying that the prophet is now merely an instrument for God's unerring word. The core message is God's absolute omniscience: He knows precisely what "comes up in the mind" of His people, particularly their secret designs, self-deceptions, and rebellious intentions that undergird their outward wickedness. This cuts through any facade of religiosity or false sense of security in Jerusalem. God’s judgment is therefore utterly just, based on an intimate knowledge of their unvoiced plots and their deeply rooted departure from His will. The verse underscores that nothing is hidden from God; His justice is perfectly informed by His divine insight into the human heart. This specific insight allows God to refute their internal dialogue directly, not merely their public actions, establishing the profound depth of their sin and the righteousness of their impending doom.