Ezekiel 2:4 kjv
For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 2:4 nkjv
For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.'
Ezekiel 2:4 niv
The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.'
Ezekiel 2:4 esv
The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.'
Ezekiel 2:4 nlt
They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But I am sending you to say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says!'
Ezekiel 2 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 2:4 | "They are stubborn and obstinate Israelites; I am sending you to them." | Eze 3:4, Eze 3:7 |
| Eze 2:4 | "Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’" | Exo 5:1, 1 Sam 15:1 |
| Eze 2:4 | "I am sending you to them." | Isa 6:8, Jer 1:7, Acts 26:17 |
| Eze 2:4 | "And whether they listen or fail to listen, they will know that a prophet has been among them." | 1 Kings 17:24, 2 Kings 4:9, Jer 5:31 |
| Eze 2:4 | "They are stubborn and obstinate." | Exo 33:5, Deu 9:6, Neh 9:16, Psa 78:8 |
| Eze 2:4 | "Rebellious people." | Isa 1:2, Psa 106:6, Jer 3:20 |
| Eze 2:4 | "This is what the Sovereign Lord says." | Eze 6:3, Eze 14:4, Joe 2:27 |
| Eze 2:4 | "So they will know that a prophet has been among them." | Jer 1:10, 1 Cor 14:24-25 |
| Eze 3:5 | "For you are being sent to people of obscure speech and difficult language, to the Israelites." | Isa 28:11, 1 Cor 14:21 |
| Eze 3:6 | "Nor to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand." | Jer 5:21, Psa 119:128 |
| Eze 18:20 | "The one who sins is the one who will die." | Rom 6:23, Gal 3:10 |
| Eze 18:30 | "Therefore, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord." | Rev 20:12 |
| Jer 7:26 | "but they did not listen to me or pay attention, they only grew more stubborn and resisted me." | Heb 3:8 |
| Luke 10:10-12 | "But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you.'" | Acts 13:51, Acts 18:6 |
| John 9:41 | "Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”" | Rom 1:20, Heb 1:3 |
| Rom 11:7-8 | "What then? Israel did not obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened;" | 1 Pet 2:8 |
| Acts 7:51 | "“You stiff-necked people! You are determined not to listen to the Holy Spirit. You are just like your ancestors were!" | Acts 2:23, Acts 7:39 |
| 2 Cor 3:14-16 | "But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this day, when the old covenant is read, the same veil remains, for it is removed in Christ." | 2 Cor 4:3, 1 Cor 1:18 |
| Phil 2:15 | "so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." | Deu 32:5, 1 John 1:10 |
Ezekiel 2 verses
Ezekiel 2 4 Meaning
The prophet Ezekiel is told he will be sent to stubborn Israelites who have rebelled against God. He is sent not with a promise of immediate success but to confront them with God's message, and the consequences of their disobedience will fall upon them.
Ezekiel 2 4 Context
Ezekiel chapter 2 describes the divine commissioning of the prophet Ezekiel. This chapter follows his vision of God's glory in chapter 1, where he was called to be a prophet to the exiles in Babylon. Chapter 2 establishes the nature of his mission, emphasizing the difficult audience he is sent to: the rebellious and stubborn house of Israel. This context is crucial for understanding the specific directives given to Ezekiel in verse 4. The historical setting is the Babylonian exile, a period of judgment and spiritual testing for the people of Israel.
Ezekiel 2 4 Word Analysis
- And (וְ - vaw): A conjunctive particle, linking this verse to the previous pronouncement, continuing the flow of God's command and assessment.
- He (הוא - hu): Refers to God the Sovereign Lord.
- said (אמר - amar): "to speak," "to say."
- unto (אל - el): Indicates direction, to them.
- me (אתי - oti): The personal pronoun, referring to Ezekiel.
- the spirit (הרוח - haRuach): "the wind," "the spirit." This refers to the active power of God, His impulse and enabling presence.
- entered (בא - bo): "to enter," "to come in."
- me (בי - beE): Into Ezekiel.
- and (וְ - vaw): Conjunction.
- set (העמידני - haAmideni): "to make stand," "to set upright."
- me (אני - ani): Myself.
- upon (על - al): On top of, upon.
- my (רגלי - raglay): My feet.
- feet (רגלים - raglayim): Plural of "foot."
- and (ושמעתי - vashamati): "and I heard."
- I (ואני - va'ani): And I.
- heard (שמע - shama): "to hear," "to listen," "to obey."
- him (אותו - oti): Him.
- that (אמר - amar): "saying."
- spake (דבר - dabar): "to speak," "to say."
- unto (אלי - eli): Unto me.
Word-by-Word Group Analysis:
- "and the spirit entered me and set me upon my feet": This phrase signifies a supernatural empowerment by the Holy Spirit. It is not a passive reception but an active enabling for ministry, positioning Ezekiel to receive and deliver God's message. This echoes similar experiences of divine enablement in scripture for prophetic or priestly duties.
- "and I heard him that spoke unto me": This emphasizes the reception of God's word through audible communication. Ezekiel's senses are engaged by the divine. The act of hearing is foundational to faith and obedience.
Ezekiel 2 4 Bonus Section
The phrase "stubborn and obstinate" highlights a deep-seated resistance to God's will and truth. This characteristic of Israel is frequently mentioned throughout the Old Testament, indicating a historical pattern of defiance. The empowerment by the "spirit" (Hebrew: Ruach Elohim or Ruach Yahweh) signifies the essential enablement for prophetic ministry. Without this divine endowment, Ezekiel would be as helpless against the recalcitrant people as they are spiritually against God's commands. The mission underscores that God's justice requires the message of His judgment and truth to be delivered, even to those who will not listen.
Ezekiel 2 4 Commentary
Ezekiel's mission is to a spiritually unresponsive people, characterized by their stubbornness and rebellion. The text explicitly labels them as "stubborn and obstinate Israelites," a people whose hearts have turned away from God. This isn't a mission of guaranteed success but one of faithful proclamation. God empowers Ezekiel with His Spirit to stand firm and to speak His words, regardless of the people's reaction. The key takeaway is that God's message must be delivered, and through that delivery, whether it leads to repentance or further judgment, the people will ultimately know that a prophet has been sent by God. Their response, or lack thereof, will not negate the divine initiative.