Ezekiel 12:2 kjv
Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 12:2 nkjv
"Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 12:2 niv
"Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.
Ezekiel 12:2 esv
"Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 12:2 nlt
"Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.
Ezekiel 12 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 6:9-10 | And he said, "Go, and say to this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand...lest they see with their eyes and hear..." | God's call to Isaiah to preach to an uncomprehending people. |
| Jer 5:21 | Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not; who have ears, but hear not. | Jeremiah's similar accusation of spiritual dullness against Israel. |
| Matt 13:13 | This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. | Jesus explains His parables to reveal truth to some, hide from others. |
| Mark 4:12 | ...so that 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.' | Mark emphasizes the consequence of persistent spiritual resistance. |
| John 9:39 | Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." | Jesus speaks on spiritual sight and the judgment of self-perceived insight. |
| Rom 11:8 | as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." | Paul links Israel's partial hardening to their rejection of Christ. |
| Psa 115:5-6 | They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear... | Describes lifeless idols, contrasting their inability with human willful blindness. |
| Psa 135:16-17 | They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. | Reiterates the impotence of idols, a critique of the blindness of idolatry. |
| Deut 29:4 | But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. | Moses warns of covenant consequences, foreshadowing spiritual dullness. |
| Prov 28:27 | Whoever gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. | Proverbial wisdom, equating "hiding eyes" with deliberate neglect. |
| Zech 7:11-12 | But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts... | Zechariah depicts Israel's historical stubbornness leading to judicial hardness. |
| Isa 29:10 | For the Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets, and covered your heads, the seers. | God's judgment leading to a "spirit of deep sleep" and prophetic blindness. |
| 2 Cor 3:14-16 | But their minds were hardened... until this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart... but when one turns to the Lord... | Spiritual blindness due to a hardened mind and a veil over the heart. |
| Eph 4:17-19 | ...walk no longer as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds... darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God... | Describes spiritual ignorance and hardness of heart characteristic of fallen humanity. |
| Heb 5:11 | About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. | Warning to early Christians becoming spiritually sluggish and resistant to truth. |
| Isa 42:18-20 | Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger...? | God's poignant questioning of His own servant, Israel's, spiritual condition. |
| Acts 28:26-27 | Saying, ‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand... For this people’s heart has grown dull...”' | Paul quotes Isa 6, applying it to the persistent Jewish rejection of the Gospel. |
| John 12:40 | "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand..." | John cites Isaiah to explain the unbelief among many of the Jews. |
| Rev 3:17-18 | For you say, 'I am rich... ' and do not know that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked...buy from me salve to anoint your eyes. | Message to Laodicea, spiritually self-deceived and blind to their true state. |
| 1 John 2:11 | But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. | Links moral deficiency (hatred) directly to spiritual blindness. |
Ezekiel 12 verses
Ezekiel 12 2 Meaning
Ezekiel 12:2 delivers a divine lament and indictment against the exiles in Babylon. God labels them as a "rebellious house" profoundly marked by spiritual insensitivity. Despite possessing the physical capabilities of sight and hearing, they willfully refuse to grasp the reality of their situation, God's message through Ezekiel, or the certain judgment impending upon Jerusalem. This verse underscores their deliberate choice to ignore divine warnings and persist in their disobedience to God's covenant.
Ezekiel 12 2 Context
Ezekiel 12:2 marks the commencement of a divine discourse where Ezekiel is commissioned to perform a series of symbolic actions portraying the imminent Babylonian siege and the final exile of Jerusalem’s inhabitants. Ezekiel is serving among the exiled community in Babylon, many of whom maintained an unwarranted optimism, refusing to believe the full destruction of Jerusalem was at hand. They clung to false hopes and dismissed Ezekiel’s vivid prophetic acts as mere dramatic performances rather than serious warnings. This verse squarely identifies the core issue: the deep-seated spiritual apathy and willful resistance that prevent them from understanding or accepting God's plain words and impending judgment.
Ezekiel 12 2 Word analysis
- Son of man (בן אדם - Ben Adam): A specific, consistent divine address to Ezekiel, appearing over 90 times in the book. It highlights his humanity and mortality, distinguishing the frailty of the messenger from the majesty of the divine message he carries. It serves to emphasize that a human voice is delivering God's sovereign word.
- you live (יושב - yoshev): Denotes the prophet's actual presence and residence among the exiles. This proximity highlights that Ezekiel's message and prophetic acts were not remote or abstract but directly accessible to those he addressed, making their refusal to hear all the more culpable.
- in the midst of: This phrase stresses Ezekiel's immediate surroundings and close association with the very people he is to confront. He is not observing them from a distance but sharing their daily life, thus experiencing their spiritual indifference firsthand.
- a rebellious house (בית מרי - bayit m'riy):
- Bayit (בית - house): Represents the collective entity of Israel or Judah, encompassing their lineage, nation, and covenant identity.
- M'riy (מרי - rebellion/rebellious): This key term describes deep-seated obstinacy, stubbornness, and persistent defiance against God's commands and covenant relationship. It points to a pervasive spiritual attitude, not just isolated acts of disobedience. This designation repeatedly surfaces in Ezekiel (Ezek 2:5, 3:9, 12:3).
- who have eyes to see but do not see: This phrase, a common biblical idiom for spiritual discernment, asserts that the people possess physical sight to witness Ezekiel's symbolic actions and observe world events. Yet, they lack the spiritual perception or the willingness to grasp the divine meaning behind them, willfully remaining ignorant of the truth. Their lack of understanding is a chosen state, not an inability.
- and ears to hear but do not hear: Parallel to the "eyes" phrase, this means they physically hear Ezekiel's spoken prophecies and the unfolding pronouncements of God. However, their hearts are closed; they refuse to internalize, comprehend, or respond obediently to God's warnings. It signifies a deliberate act of closing themselves off to divine communication.
- for they are a rebellious house: This concluding clause is an emphatic reiteration. It explains why they possess spiritual blindness and deafness—it's a direct consequence and manifestation of their core identity as a nation characterized by stubborn rebellion against God. This repetition underscores the profundity and persistence of their unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel 12 2 Bonus section
The recurring designation "rebellious house" (bayit m'riy) is central to Ezekiel's prophetic burden, emphasizing the depth of Israel's ingrained disobedience. This characterization, given by God, informs Ezekiel of the formidable challenge he faces, setting the expectation for an unreceptive audience. God explicitly tells Ezekiel (Ezek 2:5, 3:26-27) that the people "will listen or not listen" and that their mouth will be shut until God opens it for the purpose of further pronouncements. This highlights a critical theological point: God often permits the hardening of hearts as a consequence of prior, sustained rebellion, leading to a state of judicial blindness and deafness, where the capacity for spiritual perception is hindered due to consistent rejection of truth. Ezekiel's ministry is thus about God declaring His word for accountability, irrespective of the audience's response, so that they may "know that a prophet has been among them."
Ezekiel 12 2 Commentary
Ezekiel 12:2 is a profound divine lament over the spiritual state of God's people. It lays bare the heartbreaking reality of deliberate human resistance to God's clear communication. The exiled community, though experiencing judgment, remains defiant, clinging to false hope, and actively closing their minds and hearts to the truth presented through Ezekiel. Their "blindness" and "deafness" are not a cognitive deficiency but a willful act of rejecting divine insight and accountability. This verse underscores that spiritual truth requires more than mere intellectual assent; it demands a humble, receptive heart. Without such receptivity, even the most vivid prophetic signs or clear words will fail to penetrate a stubbornly rebellious spirit. This enduring principle applies universally, illustrating that individuals or communities can witness undeniable evidence and hear clear warnings, yet choose to remain impervious to understanding or change due to underlying defiance.Example: A nation experiencing severe consequences from its corrupt governance, yet its citizens remain in denial and refuse to hold leaders accountable, can mirror this spiritual insensitivity and persistent rebellion against truth.