Ezekiel 16 1

Ezekiel 16:1 kjv

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

Ezekiel 16:1 nkjv

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

Ezekiel 16:1 niv

The word of the LORD came to me:

Ezekiel 16:1 esv

Again the word of the LORD came to me:

Ezekiel 16:1 nlt

Then another message came to me from the LORD:

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 1 Meaning

Ezekiel 16:1 serves as a declarative introductory statement, indicating a fresh, direct, and authoritative message from God to the prophet Ezekiel. It signals the commencement of a new divine communication, emphasizing that the words that follow are not human speculation but the very pronouncement of the sovereign Lord to His chosen messenger, thereby asserting the divine origin and binding nature of the ensuing prophecy.

Ezekiel 16 1 Context

Ezekiel 16:1 serves as the prologue to one of the most extended and emotionally charged allegories in the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel, a priest by lineage, was exiled to Babylon with the first wave of Judahites in 597 BC, roughly ten years before Jerusalem's final destruction. His prophetic ministry (beginning in 593 BC) takes place among these exiles, emphasizing God's justice in judging Israel and Judah for their sins, alongside promises of future restoration.

Prior to chapter 16, Ezekiel has already delivered pronouncements of judgment against Jerusalem (ch. 4-5), symbolic acts depicting siege (ch. 6-7), and a vision of the departure of God's glory from the Temple (ch. 8-11). Chapter 15 concluded with a stark image of Jerusalem as useless vine wood fit only for burning, preparing the ground for the deeper revelation of her spiritual depravity. Ezekiel 16:1, therefore, initiates a new, comprehensive prophetic address (v. 2-63) detailing Jerusalem's entire history, from its ignoble birth as a neglected foundling to its ultimate harlotry, all to justify God's severe judgment. The formulaic introduction sets an authoritative tone for this significant and lengthy message.

Ezekiel 16 1 Word analysis

• Again (וַיְהִי֩, vayehi - and it happened, and it came to pass; or often contextually implies "again" through continuation):

  • Significance: The Hebrew "וַיְהִי" is a common introductory conjunction "and it happened" or "and it came to pass," marking a chronological or logical progression in the narrative. While not a distinct word meaning "again," its frequent use to introduce subsequent divine pronouncements in prophetic books conveys the sense of God repeatedly and continuously speaking. It underlines the ongoing nature of God's communication despite the people's recalcitrance, reinforcing His perseverance and faithfulness to engage with His covenant people. It is not Ezekiel initiating, but God.

• the word (דְבַר, devar):

  • Significance: Far more than human speech. Devar encompasses God's divine utterance, decree, command, promise, and judgment. It carries inherent power and authority; when God speaks, things happen (Gen 1:3, Ps 33:6). It signifies God's self-revelation and His direct intervention in human history. This isn't Ezekiel's own thoughts but a message imbued with divine substance and truth.

• of the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH):

  • Significance: This is the Tetragrammaton, the personal, covenant name of the God of Israel. It denotes His immutable, self-existent nature ("I AM WHO I AM" – Ex 3:14) and His unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises and threats. By attributing the "word" to YHWH, Ezekiel underscores the ultimate source of authority, distinguishing this message from human wisdom or false prophecy. It assures the audience that this is from their God, the God who brought them out of Egypt, emphasizing the weight of the coming pronouncement within the covenant relationship.

• came (הָיָה, hayah - happened, was):

  • Significance: Though often translated as "came," hayah fundamentally means "to be" or "to become." In this context, it signifies a divine occurrence or event; the word did not originate from Ezekiel but actively "came into being" or "occurred" to him as a direct impartation from God. It indicates divine initiative and active communication, highlighting that Ezekiel is a passive recipient of God's message, not its originator.

• to me (אֵלַי, elay - to/unto me):

  • Significance: Explicitly identifies Ezekiel as the recipient. This personal designation establishes the prophetic commission and underscores Ezekiel's unique role as the divinely chosen conduit for God's message to His exiled people. It authenticates him as a true prophet, directly addressed by YHWH.

• saying (לֵאמֹ֑ר, lemor - saying):

  • Significance: This common Hebrew idiom acts as a direct verbal cue, introducing the exact content of the preceding divine speech. It functions to transition immediately into God's own words or a faithful rendering thereof, assuring the audience that what follows is the precise message God intends to convey. It is a formulaic signal for direct revelation.

• Words-group: "Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying"

  • Significance: This is a pervasive prophetic formula found throughout prophetic literature (e.g., Jer 1:2, Hos 1:1, Zech 1:1). It serves several crucial functions:
    1. Divine Authority: It unequivocally asserts that the message originates from YHWH, the ultimate source of truth and power, thereby endowing the subsequent prophecy with absolute divine authority and obligation.
    2. Prophetic Authenticity: It establishes the prophet as a genuine messenger of God, distinguishing his words from human opinion, personal reflection, or the deceptive utterances of false prophets.
    3. Continuity of Revelation: The repeated use of this formula, particularly "again," signals a consistent pattern of God speaking to His people, demonstrating His enduring engagement, faithfulness, and persistence in communicating His will, judgment, and plan for redemption, even in exile.
    4. Immediacy of Revelation: It often signals a new, distinct prophetic unit or discourse within the larger prophetic book, setting the stage for significant revelations or complex allegories, such as the detailed historical review of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16.

Ezekiel 16 1 Bonus section

The repetitive nature of this introductory formula across prophetic literature (e.g., Ezekiel 3:16, 6:1, 7:1, 12:1, 13:1, etc.) solidifies its status as an established literary convention of divine communication. This reinforces the consistency of God's method of revelation through the prophets, ensuring the audience would immediately recognize the source and authority of the message. Furthermore, it often signals a shift in theme or a new, distinct message, even if part of a broader discourse, making it a valuable structural marker for understanding the flow of prophetic thought. The contrast to human speech or even human interpretation of spiritual realities is stark: God doesn't just influence; He actively, verbally, and definitively speaks His word.

Ezekiel 16 1 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:1, while brief, is a cornerstone. It acts as an immutable stamp of divine authority and origin upon the entire elaborate allegory of Jerusalem's spiritual harlotry that follows. In a time of profound doubt, despair, and the proliferation of false prophets among the exiles, this consistent prophetic formula provides critical theological anchoring. "Again" emphasizes God's relentless effort to communicate, revealing His patient pursuit of a people who have continuously turned away. "The word of the LORD" stresses that what follows is no human idea or political analysis, but a transcendent truth from the God who rules history. "Came to me" highlights Ezekiel's unique, Spirit-empowered role as the sole, true recipient of this specific, crucial revelation for his generation. The "saying" acts as the formal introduction to one of the most significant and detailed pronouncements in the book, providing the interpretative lens for understanding Jerusalem's profound betrayal as a cosmic marital infidelity against her covenant husband, YHWH. Without this opening, the intense condemnation and subsequent promises would lack their indispensable divine gravitas and ultimate binding truth. It primes the reader to hear a solemn divine courtroom drama about to unfold.