Ezekiel 12 6

Ezekiel 12:6 kjv

In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 12:6 nkjv

In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel."

Ezekiel 12:6 niv

Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the Israelites."

Ezekiel 12:6 esv

In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel."

Ezekiel 12:6 nlt

As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel."

Ezekiel 12 verses

Ezekiel 12 6 Meaning

Ezekiel 12:6 instructs the prophet Ezekiel to perform a dramatic, symbolic action: to carry his meager belongings out of his house in the dark, with his face covered, preventing him from seeing the land. This performance was a divine sign, foreshadowing the impending, desperate flight and exile of Jerusalem's inhabitants, including King Zedekiah, who would attempt to escape the Babylonian siege under similar circumstances, blind to the land they were leaving behind and enduring profound shame and loss.

Ezekiel 12 6 Context

Ezekiel chapter 12 vividly illustrates the impending judgment and exile of Jerusalem's inhabitants. It is a critical juncture in Ezekiel's prophetic ministry, moving from abstract warnings to concrete, acted-out prophecies designed to confront the exiles in Babylon and those still in Jerusalem with the grim reality of their future. The first eleven verses describe Ezekiel performing a series of symbolic actions related to packing for exile, digging through a wall, and carrying out belongings in the dark, culminating in the explicit interpretation that these acts are a "sign for the house of Israel." This specific verse (Ez 12:6) details the manner of the prophet's "escape"—in the dark, with covered face, unable to see the land—which powerfully prefigures the actual flight of King Zedekiah and many Jerusalemites during the Babylonian siege. Historically, this prophecy takes place in Babylon among the exiles around 593 BCE, while Jerusalem itself would fall a few years later in 586 BCE. The audience included exiles who might still cling to the false hope that Jerusalem would not fall, and those in Jerusalem who rejected God's warnings through Jeremiah. Ezekiel’s physical enactment serves as a powerful, undeniable confirmation of God’s determined judgment.

Ezekiel 12 6 Word analysis

• In the dark (בַּחֲשֵׁכָה - baḥashkhah): Signifies secrecy, danger, urgency, and the covert nature of a hurried, desperate flight. This paints a picture of ignominy and distress, devoid of open honor or safety. It hints at an attempt to evade detection, characteristic of a fugitive's escape.
• carry it out (תּוֹצִא - totsi): Refers to the meager baggage prepared for exile in earlier verses (Ez 12:3-4). This action is one of removal, indicative of displacement and loss, as one removes what little they can salvage from a condemned place.
• and cover your face (וְכִסִּיתָ פָּנֶיךָ - vikhissita phaneikha): An act rich in symbolic meaning. It suggests concealment, shame, or deep mourning. It can imply a desire to avoid being seen by captors or observers, but here, paired with "so that you cannot see the land," it specifically emphasizes an emotional inability or divine command to not look upon the devastation, indicating immense sorrow, shame, and irreversible separation from the homeland.
• so that you cannot see the land (וְלֹא תִרְאֶה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ - velo tir'eh et-ha'aretz): Emphasizes the sorrow and despair of being utterly cut off from one's homeland, unable to look back, unable to process the destruction, or perhaps too shamed to witness it. It foreshadows Zedekiah's eventual blinding, rendering him literally unable to see the land he loved. The phrase underscores total rupture from the familiar and a profound sense of loss.
• for I have made you a sign (כִּי־אוֹת עֲשִׂיתִיךָ - ki-ot asitikhah): Establishes divine sovereignty. Ezekiel's actions are not self-willed or merely human drama, but divinely orchestrated parables, commanded by God to convey a profound message. The word 'ot (אוֹת) means "sign, token, wonder, signal," highlighting the prophetic action as a visible, unmistakable warning.
• for the house of Israel (לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל - leveit Yisrael): Identifies the direct audience and intended recipients of this prophetic sign. It implies that despite their unbelief and resistance, God continues to reach out to His covenant people, albeit through means of severe warning and judgment. This entire action serves as a vivid lesson for the entire nation.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "In the dark carry it out, and cover your face": This phrase combines the elements of secretive flight and self-imposed blindness or concealment. The sequence emphasizes a desperate, undignified escape, typical of fugitives or those facing utter ruin, devoid of the dignity and visibility usually afforded to a monarch or free citizens. It speaks to both the physical danger and the emotional despair.
• "cover your face so that you cannot see the land": The explicit purpose of covering the face is revealed here, to prevent vision of the land. This suggests that the land is either too painful to behold in its destruction, or it implies an irreversible break, preventing any nostalgic backward glance. It hints at Zedekiah’s actual fate of having his eyes put out, making him physically unable to see his homeland again after capture.
• "for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel": This declarative statement by God underlines the performative nature of Ezekiel's prophecy. His body becomes a living billboard for divine judgment, forcing the "house of Israel" to confront the impending reality. It's a reminder that even the prophet's personal hardship is integral to God's plan to convey His message to His recalcitrant people.

Ezekiel 12 6 Bonus section

The phrase "a sign for the house of Israel" underscores a recurring theme in the Old Testament where prophets and their families serve as living parables (e.g., Isa 8:18). In Ezekiel's case, these acts often involved personal hardship or indignity, turning his own experiences into powerful object lessons. The prophet's emotional state, mirroring that of the condemned people, would have amplified the message. The sheer specificity of the "in the dark" and "covered face" command demonstrates God's detailed knowledge of the coming events, providing incontrovertible proof that this was not merely political prognostication but divine foretelling. This unique mode of prophetic communication emphasized immediate, tangible realities for an audience often deaf to spoken warnings.

Ezekiel 12 6 Commentary

Ezekiel 12:6 presents a striking prophetic drama that epitomizes the desperate state awaiting Jerusalem. By commanding Ezekiel to carry his belongings in the dark, with a covered face to prevent seeing the land, God orchestrated a visual and experiential metaphor for the exilic flight of Judah's king and people. This act conveys shame, loss, fear, and a hurried, undignified departure from one's homeland. It vividly depicts a state of affairs where normal life ceases, replaced by frantic escape. The covering of the face highlights deep personal and national anguish, anticipating Zedekiah's literal blinding by the Babylonians. Ezekiel, the prophet in exile, embodied the grim reality of those still in Jerusalem, providing a direct, physical warning that judgment was inescapable and immediate. It demonstrated that God's word, though painful, would be fulfilled precisely, impacting even the most prominent figures of the nation. The very act of the prophet becoming a "sign" ensured that the message of judgment would be inescapable for "the house of Israel," leaving them without excuse.