Ezekiel 2 3

Ezekiel 2:3 kjv

And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

Ezekiel 2:3 nkjv

And He said to me: "Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.

Ezekiel 2:3 niv

He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.

Ezekiel 2:3 esv

And he said to me, "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.

Ezekiel 2:3 nlt

"Son of man," he said, "I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day.

Ezekiel 2 verses

Ezekiel 2 3 meaning

Ezekiel 2:3 presents God's divine commission to Ezekiel. It describes the people of Israel as a "rebellious nation" who have persistently disobeyed God. Their rebellion is deep-seated, spanning generations from their forefathers right up to Ezekiel's present day, indicating a continuous and ingrained pattern of transgressing God's covenant. This sets the stage for Ezekiel's challenging ministry to a people hardened against the Lord's voice.

Ezekiel 2 3 Context

Ezekiel 2:3 directly follows Ezekiel's magnificent call vision in chapter 1, where he witnessed God's glory and majesty. In chapter 2:1-2, God had addressed Ezekiel as "Son of man" and empowered him with the Spirit. Verse 3 immediately specifies the daunting nature of Ezekiel's prophetic task: he is being sent to the "children of Israel" who, despite being God's covenant people, are portrayed as profoundly rebellious. This verse sets the stage for the rest of Ezekiel's book, establishing the fundamental problem – Israel's persistent rebellion leading to divine judgment – which the prophet is called to address. Historically, Ezekiel ministered among the Jewish exiles in Babylon, following the first Babylonian deportation (597 BC), but before the final destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC). The people were in exile as a consequence of their sin, yet many held onto false hopes of an imminent return to Judah, refusing to acknowledge the depth of their national rebellion that necessitated the exile itself. This verse confronts that spiritual delusion head-on.

Ezekiel 2 3 Word analysis

• And he said: The direct pronouncement of God to Ezekiel, indicating the immediate beginning of the prophetic commission.
• to me: Establishes Ezekiel as the specific recipient of the divine word and the sole agent for its delivery.
• Son of man: Hebrew: ben-adam (בֶּן-אָדָם). Used frequently (93 times) by God to address Ezekiel. This title emphasizes Ezekiel's human weakness and mortality in contrast to God's immense power and glory. It highlights that the message is divine, delivered through a mere man. Unlike the Messianic "Son of Man" in Daniel, in Ezekiel, it consistently underscores the prophet's humility and reliance on God.
• I am sending you: Hebrew: ani shole'akh ot'kha (אֲנִי שֹׁלֵחַ אוֹתְךָ). A divine imperative and clear commission. It signifies that Ezekiel's ministry is not self-initiated but mandated and empowered by God himself.
• to the children of Israel: Hebrew: el-b'nei Yisra'el (אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). Refers to the covenant people, despite their rebellion. They remain God's chosen, but their status brings greater accountability for their sin.
• to a rebellious nation: Hebrew: el-goyim mor'dim (אֶל-גּוֹיִם מֹרְדִים). Significantly, "nation" here is goyim, typically used for foreign, Gentile nations, not "am" (עַם) which usually refers to "My people" (Israel). Using goyim here is a severe indictment, implying that Israel has sunk to the spiritual level of pagan nations, having failed utterly to distinguish themselves by obedience to God. "Rebellious" (mor'dim) points to active resistance and disobedience to divine authority.
• that has rebelled against Me: Hebrew: asher mar'du-vi (אֲשֶׁר מָרְדוּ-בִי). The verb marad (to rebel) is repeated, stressing the deep-seated and persistent nature of their defiance directly against God.
• they and their fathers: Hebrew: hemma va'avotam (הֵמָּה וַאֲבוֹתָם). Indicates an entrenched, generational pattern of rebellion. The present generation is not just falling short; they are perpetuating and participating in the accumulated sins of their ancestors. This emphasizes a long history of unfaithfulness, justifying the severe judgment they were experiencing.
• have transgressed against Me: Hebrew: pash'u-vi (פָּשְׁעוּ-בִי). Pasha signifies "to rebel," "to trespass," or "to revolt." It describes a deliberate and knowing breaking of relationship and covenant, often with treachery or defiance. It is stronger than merely "sin" and denotes active rebellion against established authority, in this case, God himself.
• to this very day: Hebrew: 'ad-etsem ha-yom ha-zeh (עַד-עֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה). This phrase underlines the continual and unrepentant nature of their rebellion right up to Ezekiel's prophetic moment. It conveys no sign of turning back, which sets the bleak stage for the judgment and the prophet's challenging message.

Words-Group analysis:

• "rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me": This repetition and choice of words ('goyim' instead of 'am') forcefully depicts Israel's apostasy. They are not merely disobedient but have embraced a defiant posture, setting themselves in opposition to the very God who delivered them. Their spiritual state is so debased that they resemble the pagan nations, having shed their covenant distinction.
• "they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day": This phrase highlights the profound intergenerational spiritual decline. The current generation's sin is not isolated but part of a long, unbroken lineage of disobedience. It implies a corporate guilt that has accumulated and persisted, leading directly to the present calamitous circumstances of exile. There is no historical turning point or national repentance mentioned; rather, an unbroken continuum of defiance against God.

Ezekiel 2 3 Bonus section

• The stark contrast between Ezekiel's initial awe-inspiring vision of God's glory in chapter 1 and the depressing reality of the people's rebellion described in 2:3 amplifies the weight of Ezekiel's calling. He comes from the glory of God's presence directly into the heart of human depravity.
• This verse provides the divine mandate for Ezekiel's often confrontational and symbolic actions later in the book. Since the people are profoundly rebellious and resistant to direct verbal warning, God will use vivid, prophetic actions and highly visual messages to break through their spiritual deafness.
• The emphasis on intergenerational sin "to this very day" suggests that while individual repentance is always possible, the corporate consequence of persistent national unfaithfulness had reached its inevitable point of culmination. This concept is vital for understanding why judgment had become unavoidable.
• This verse can be understood as God's profound grief and anger over the betrayal of His chosen people. He refers to their actions as rebellion against Me, personalizing the offense and highlighting the breach of relationship.

Ezekiel 2 3 Commentary

Ezekiel 2:3 provides the Lord's grim assessment of His own covenant people, Israel, at the outset of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry. Instead of calling them "My people," God uses the startling term "rebellious nation" (goyim mor'dim), signaling that their unfaithfulness had severed their distinctiveness, reducing them, morally and spiritually, to the level of foreign, idolatrous nations. Their rebellion (marad) and transgression (pasha) are not recent anomalies but are deeply rooted, continuing a pervasive pattern from their forefathers down to the present day "to this very day." This verse lays bare the justification for God's impending severe judgment: their corporate, continuous, and unrepentant defiance against Him. Ezekiel is not sent to a docile audience ready for revival but to a stiff-necked people hardened in their sin, making his mission particularly difficult and necessitating a strong, direct word from God. The repeated emphasis on their rebellion underscores God's perspective on their culpability and the righteous nature of the judgment embodied in the exile. This verse establishes the profound chasm between God's holiness and Israel's pervasive sinfulness, which Ezekiel is tasked with exposing.