Ezekiel 2:10 kjv
And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Ezekiel 2:10 nkjv
Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
Ezekiel 2:10 niv
which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.
Ezekiel 2:10 esv
And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.
Ezekiel 2:10 nlt
which he unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom.
Ezekiel 2 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 3:1-3 | "Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this scroll... And I ate it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness." | Eating of the scroll |
| Rev 5:1 | "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside..." | Scroll written within and without |
| Jer 36:2-3 | "Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words... It may be that the house of Judah will hear..." | Writing God's word in a scroll |
| Jer 1:9-10 | "See, I have this day set thee over the nations... to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down..." | Prophetic commission for judgment |
| Isa 6:9-10 | "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not." | Prophet's message met with spiritual deafness |
| Ezek 2:3-7 | "I send thee to the children of Israel, to nations of rebels that have rebelled against me..." | The rebellious audience context |
| Deut 31:27 | "For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD..." | Israel's long history of rebellion |
| Amos 8:9-10 | "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon... and I will turn your feasts into mourning..." | Turning joy into mourning due to judgment |
| Lam 2:10 | "The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth..." | Visuals of deep lamentation |
| Jer 13:17 | "But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore..." | Prophetic sorrow over Judah's pride |
| Isa 24:1-6 | "Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste... because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance..." | Judgment bringing desolation and lamentation |
| Zep 1:14-16 | "The great day of the LORD is near... a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of gloominess and darkness..." | The terrible Day of the Lord |
| Matt 23:37-38 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets... how often would I have gathered thy children... and ye would not!" | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's rejection |
| Luke 19:41-44 | "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known... the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." | Jesus weeps over Jerusalem's impending destruction |
| Rom 2:4-5 | "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering... but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath..." | Accumulation of wrath due to impenitence |
| Gal 6:7-8 | "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap... he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption..." | Reaping consequences of actions |
| Heb 10:26-27 | "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation..." | Severity of deliberate sin and judgment |
| Rev 10:9-10 | "Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey." | Scroll sweet-bitter, relating to revelation |
| Jer 4:27-28 | "For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate... For this shall the earth mourn..." | Land mourning due to judgment |
| Joel 1:5-10 | "Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine... The field is wasted, the land mourneth..." | Call to lamentation over desolation |
| Ezek 7:27 | "The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled..." | Universal fear and trembling during judgment |
Ezekiel 2 verses
Ezekiel 2 10 Meaning
Ezekiel 2:10 describes a prophetic scroll presented by God to Ezekiel. This scroll was uniquely written on both its inner and outer surfaces, signifying an extensive and all-encompassing message. The content inscribed therein consisted solely of "lamentations, and mourning, and woe," conveying a clear, unavoidable message of sorrow, grief, and judgment awaiting the rebellious house of Israel due to their sin.
Ezekiel 2 10 Context
Ezekiel 2:10 is the conclusion of Ezekiel's divine call and commission (Ezekiel 1-3). Following the breathtaking vision of God's glory and a profound encounter with the Divine Voice, Ezekiel is given a crucial and difficult task: to deliver God's message to a rebellious, stiff-necked house of Israel who are deeply entrenched in their idolatry and sin (Ezek 2:3-8). This verse serves as a stark revelation of the content of that message. The scroll symbolizes the entirety of the divine pronouncements Ezekiel is to make. It directly prepares Ezekiel, and implicitly the reader, for the severity and nature of the judgments that will fill much of his subsequent prophecies. This prepares the prophet mentally and spiritually for the demanding ministry ahead, characterized by pronouncements of God's severe but just consequences for their sustained disobedience.
Ezekiel 2 10 Word analysis
- And he spread it before me: This indicates a deliberate, direct, and personal revelation from the divine figure to Ezekiel. The scroll is not merely present but explicitly unveiled, emphasizing God's clear intent for Ezekiel to behold and internalize its contents.
- and it was written: This highlights the divine origin and permanence of the message. It is not an improvised or temporary message but a fixed, unchangeable declaration, signifying authority and established truth.
- within and without (mibbêt ūmittūṣ): This phrase is highly significant. Ancient scrolls were typically written only on one side (the inside). Writing on both sides was rare and used for documents containing extensive or highly important material, leaving no room for addition or alteration. In this context, it symbolizes:
- Completeness: The message is utterly exhaustive; there is nothing left out, no space for anything other than judgment.
- Severity/Intensity: The amount of dire content is so great that it spills over to fill both surfaces, leaving no part of the scroll blank or dedicated to lighter themes. It speaks to the depth and magnitude of the impending calamity.
- Urgency: No space is wasted; the message must be delivered fully and without delay.
- and there were written therein: This phrase re-emphasizes that the very fabric and essence of the scroll's message were devoted to these grim realities. The content is explicitly identified as having a single, distressing theme.
- lamentations (qinîm): This refers to dirges, mournful songs, or funeral laments typically sung for the dead or in times of profound national catastrophe. It signifies deep, expressed sorrow and mourning over irreversible loss and death.
- and mourning (hegeh): This term denotes a moaning, groaning, or sighing sound; often a quieter, internal expression of profound grief and distress. It can also imply a solemn and intense meditation on sorrow.
- and woe (nāhî): This signifies a wail, a public and sorrowful outcry, often an exclamation of doom, sorrow, or profound calamity. It often points to the physical suffering and widespread disaster accompanying divine judgment.
Words-group analysis
- "lamentations, and mourning, and woe": The cumulative force of these three terms is powerful. They represent a triple-emphasis on overwhelming sorrow, desolation, and severe judgment. The language chosen paints a vivid picture of extreme national distress and the utter misery resulting from sin and rebellion. It leaves no doubt that Ezekiel's primary role would be to pronounce these dire consequences, not to offer immediate comfort or promises of swift restoration, thus foreshadowing the devastating events leading to the Babylonian exile.
Ezekiel 2 10 Bonus section
- The scroll serves as an ancient analogy for God's revealed written word, highlighting its fixed and authoritative nature. What Ezekiel receives is not a fleeting vision or oral message alone, but a sealed and fully prepared divine decree.
- The act of the hand "spreading" the scroll implies a controlled, intentional revelation. This wasn't something Ezekiel found by chance; it was divinely orchestrated for his precise reception.
- While initially conveying bitterness, the "eating" of the scroll in Ezekiel 3:3, where it tastes sweet as honey, suggests that God's word, though its content may be harsh or bitter in pronouncement, is inherently sweet or necessary for the prophet who truly accepts it as divine truth, leading to a deeper internal spiritual experience and divine communion, even amidst the painful message.
Ezekiel 2 10 Commentary
Ezekiel 2:10 is a profoundly symbolic verse that visually communicates the daunting nature of Ezekiel's prophetic commission. The scroll, spread before him by a divine hand, is a tangible representation of God's unyielding word to His disobedient people. The detail of it being "written within and without" is crucial; it dramatically underscores the comprehensive and inescapable reality of divine judgment. Unlike typical scrolls, which often had space for new additions or responses, this one was entirely saturated with pronouncements of judgment, leaving no room for alternative outcomes or lighter aspects of the message. It signaled that the measure of Israel's iniquity was full, and the consequences would be thorough. The specific words "lamentations, and mourning, and woe" are not merely descriptive terms; they encapsulate the entire tone and content of Ezekiel's prophecy for the immediate future—a forecast of national tragedy, destruction, and profound sorrow leading to the Babylonian exile. This verse thus functions as a powerful summary of God's just, albeit painful, response to persistent rebellion, revealing the severe price of turning away from divine instruction.