Ezekiel 13 1

Ezekiel 13:1 kjv

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Ezekiel 13:1 nkjv

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 13:1 niv

The word of the LORD came to me:

Ezekiel 13:1 esv

The word of the LORD came to me:

Ezekiel 13:1 nlt

Then this message came to me from the LORD:

Ezekiel 13 verses

Ezekiel 13 1 Meaning

Ezekiel 13:1 introduces a new divine message, declaring that "the word of the LORD came" directly to the prophet Ezekiel. This phrase serves as a foundational statement, establishing the immediate divine origin and absolute authority of the oracle that follows. It signifies a direct and specific communication from God to His chosen messenger, thereby authenticating the prophet's subsequent words as not his own, but the very utterance of the Sovereign Lord Himself. This is crucial for understanding the condemnations that follow in the chapter against those who speak from their own minds.

Ezekiel 13 1 Context

Ezekiel 13:1 stands as the initial declaration of a significant new oracle within the broader book of Ezekiel. Following passages detailing God's judgment on Judah and Jerusalem, this verse pivots to expose and condemn those who offer false hope and deception.

Chapter 13 Context: This chapter immediately launches into a severe denunciation of false prophets and prophetesses among the exiles. They are accused of speaking "from their own spirit" rather than from the Lord (Eze 13:2-3), comforting the people with lies ("peace, when there is no peace," Eze 13:10). This opening verse starkly contrasts the true source of Ezekiel's message with the false sources of the deluded prophets, thus grounding the authority for the ensuing condemnation.

Book of Ezekiel Context: The book is set during the Babylonian exile (circa 597-571 BC), a period of national catastrophe for Judah. Ezekiel, a priest turned prophet, receives visions and divine messages while among the exiles. His mission is twofold: to justify God's judgment against rebellious Judah and to offer a message of future hope and restoration. Amidst the despair and confusion of exile, people were highly susceptible to messages, both true and false. False prophets would have offered comfortable lies, downplaying the severity of God's wrath and promising an imminent return. Ezekiel 13:1 establishes that his message, though potentially harsh, is from the only reliable source, Yahweh, God's covenant name.

Historical Context: During the Babylonian captivity, many of the exiled Judeans clung to false hope that their time of suffering would be short and Jerusalem would not fall. Various prophets emerged, offering messages tailored to this popular sentiment. These messages often contradicted the words of true prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel. This verse emphasizes that only a divine word can address the genuine spiritual crisis, challenging any human-originated predictions or comforts that diverged from God's reality.

Ezekiel 13 1 Word analysis

• Then (וַיְהִי, wa-y'hi):

  • This is a common Hebrew conjunction, often translated as "And it came to pass" or "Now it happened." It signals a temporal sequence, a new event, or a shift in the narrative or oracle. Here, it effectively marks the commencement of a fresh prophetic communication from the divine to Ezekiel.
  • It places this oracle in direct continuity yet distinct from previous messages.
  • Significance: Introduces a new phase of revelation, linking it historically to previous divine interactions.

• the word (דְּבַר, d'var from דָּבָר, davar):

  • Meaning: An authoritative message, spoken utterance, decree, or command. More than just a sound, davar often implies an active, powerful force that performs what it expresses (e.g., God's creative word in Gen 1, Ps 33:6).
  • Biblical Usage: Central to the concept of revelation, where God communicates His will and nature. It signifies the reliable, trustworthy, and effectual communication from God.
  • Significance: Immediately signals the divine origin and authoritative nature of the message to follow, contrasting it sharply with human words or mere ideas.

• of the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH, Yahweh):

  • Meaning: This is the Tetragrammaton, the personal, covenantal name of God, revealed to Moses (Exod 3:13-15). It speaks of God's self-existence ("I Am Who I Am") and His faithful, active presence with His people in covenant.
  • Biblical Usage: Used extensively when God interacts with His people in a covenantal context, expressing His unchanging nature and His commitment to His promises and judgments.
  • Significance: Specifying Yahweh as the source emphasizes that the message comes from the one true, covenant-keeping God of Israel, not from pagan deities, human wisdom, or other spiritual entities. It underscores the unique, ultimate, and authoritative source of Ezekiel's prophecy, setting it apart from any competing claims.

• came (הָיָה, hayah):

  • Meaning: To be, to happen, to come into being, to come. Here, in the Qal perfect form, it indicates an accomplished, definite event. It's an active verb suggesting transmission and reception.
  • Biblical Usage: Often used in this prophetic formula to denote the objective reality of the divine communication. It's not a mere thought or subjective feeling for the prophet but an actual, external event of God speaking.
  • Significance: Implies that the communication was an undeniable and external event, actively initiated by God and distinct from Ezekiel's own thoughts or desires.

• to me (אֵלַי, eilai):

  • Meaning: "to" + suffix "me" (referring to Ezekiel).
  • Biblical Usage: Identifies Ezekiel as the specific and direct recipient of the divine message.
  • Significance: Confirms Ezekiel's designated role as a true prophet, uniquely chosen to receive and transmit God's word. It highlights his direct access to divine revelation, reinforcing his prophetic authority in the eyes of his audience.

• saying (לֵאמֹר, leʼmor):

  • Meaning: "to say" or "as follows." This is a common Hebrew infinitival construct used to introduce direct speech or the specific content of a message.
  • Biblical Usage: It signals that the exact words that follow are what God said. It implies direct quotation, even if paraphrased for translation.
  • Significance: It obliges the prophet to faithfully relay the content of the divine message. It emphasizes that Ezekiel is not just receiving a general idea, but specific words and instructions, which he is then bound to declare accurately.

Words-group analysis:

• "Then the word of the LORD came to me": This complete phrase is a foundational "prophetic formula" (also known as the verbum Domini formula or messenger formula) frequently found throughout the prophetic books (e.g., Jer 1:2, Hos 1:1, Jon 1:1).

  • Significance:
    • Establishes Authority: It definitively authenticates the message as divine, not human. In a time when false prophets were rampant, this opening served as a crucial distinguishing mark of true prophecy.
    • Asserts Sovereignty: It emphasizes God's initiative in revelation. He chose to speak, and He chose Ezekiel as His vessel.
    • Commands Attention: It demands the full attention and obedience of the audience, as what follows is not merely Ezekiel's opinion, but the absolute truth and will of Yahweh.
    • Sets Up Contrast: Particularly in chapter 13, this formula directly contrasts with the "speaking from their own spirit" by false prophets (Eze 13:2-3), asserting Ezekiel's message as the legitimate counter-narrative to their deceptions.

• "saying": This crucial adverbial participle confirms that the specific content that follows is the direct, spoken message from the Lord. It signifies an imperative to quote, relay, or communicate what has been revealed with precision.

Ezekiel 13 1 Bonus section

The recurrent phrase "the word of the LORD came" serves as more than a literary device; it is a theological linchpin in the Old Testament prophetic tradition. This formulaic structure reinforces several key concepts:

• God's Transcendence and Immanence: It demonstrates God's separation from human understanding (transcendence) yet His active involvement and communication within human history (immanence).
• Prophetic Responsibility: The prophet is merely a vessel, charged with hearing accurately and speaking faithfully, not with inventing messages. Their credibility rests solely on the divine origin of their words.
• A Call to Discernment: In an era inundated with competing voices and spiritual claims, this divine authentication served as an indispensable guide for the faithful to discern between genuine revelation and human invention or demonic deception. Any message lacking this clear divine initiative and origin should be suspect.
• The Power of God's Word: The phrase emphasizes the dynamism of davar. It is not passive; it "comes," it is active, and it will accomplish its intended purpose, whether for judgment or salvation (cf. Isa 55:10-11).

Ezekiel 13 1 Commentary

Ezekiel 13:1, a concise yet profoundly significant verse, is not merely a prefatory statement but a powerful theological declaration. "Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying," stands as a bedrock statement of prophetic authority. It is the signature mark of divine revelation, unequivocally proclaiming that the message about to be delivered originates directly from Yahweh, the covenant God, and is faithfully received by His designated prophet, Ezekiel.

In a setting rife with spiritual confusion, national crisis, and especially the prevalence of false prophets, this formula served a critical function. It explicitly delineates the source of Ezekiel’s message, contrasting it with the deceitful, self-originated utterances of those who claimed to speak for God but were merely speaking from "their own spirit" (Eze 13:2-3). The phrase emphasizes that what follows is neither Ezekiel's personal opinion nor his interpretation of current events, but the sovereign, authoritative, and active davar (word) of the One True God. This Word is presented as an objective reality, not a subjective feeling.

This verse effectively prepares the reader for the indictment that immediately follows against the false prophets, ensuring that Ezekiel’s subsequent severe judgments are understood as originating from the unimpeachable source of divine truth. It underlines the responsibility of a true prophet to deliver God's precise message and simultaneously warns the audience against heeding any message not bearing this stamp of divine authenticity. Ultimately, this foundational statement undergirds all subsequent prophecies from Ezekiel, cementing their truthfulness and divine mandate.