Ezekiel 2:7 kjv
And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
Ezekiel 2:7 nkjv
You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.
Ezekiel 2:7 niv
You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.
Ezekiel 2:7 esv
And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 2:7 nlt
You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won't listen, for they are completely rebellious!
Ezekiel 2 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 3:27 | "But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’" | Direct parallel instruction |
| Jeremiah 1:7 | "But the Lord said to me, 'Do not say, 'I am only a young man'; but go to all to whom I send you, and speak whatever I command you.'" | Command to speak, despite youth |
| Isaiah 6:9 | "And he said, 'Go, and say to this people: “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.”" | Message of hardened hearts |
| Acts 4:19 | "But Peter and John said to them, 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,'" | Prioritizing God's command |
| Romans 10:14 | "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?" | Necessity of proclaiming the word |
| 2 Timothy 4:2 | "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching." | Endurance in preaching |
| Ezekiel 2:3-4 | "And he said to me, 'Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations rebellious, who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. And I send you to them for impudent and stubborn hardness of heart, and for hardheartedness of forehead; you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’'" | Initial commissioning, context of rebellion |
| Jeremiah 11:21 | "Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, 'Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, lest you die by our hand,'" | Prophets facing opposition |
| Acts 18:9-10 | "And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.'" | God's reassurance to a prophet |
| Matthew 10:19 | "When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour." | God providing words in difficult times |
| 1 Corinthians 1:18 | "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." | Receptivity to the message |
| Revelation 1:10 | "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice like a trumpet behind me," | Divine commissioning in vision |
| Ezekiel 3:10-11 | "And he said to me, 'Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you I will put in your heart, and you shall hear with your ears.'" | Words placed in the prophet's heart |
| Hosea 9:7 | "Israel has met his punishment; the man of perversity has met his punishment, though he is their prophet." | Perversity of the people |
| Luke 1:70 | "as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old—" | Prophets as speakers of God's word |
| Acts 20:26-27 | "Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God." | Faithful declaration of God's word |
| Jeremiah 7:23 | "But this command I gave them, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'" | Obedience to God's command |
| Ezekiel 2:5 | "and whether they hear or refuse to hear—for they are a rebellious house—they are to know that there has been a prophet among them." | Certainty of resistance |
| Psalm 119:105 | "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." | Power and guidance of God's word |
| 2 Kings 17:14 | "they did not obey, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God." | Historical precedent of rebellion |
| Revelation 22:16 | "‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.’" | Jesus as the ultimate messenger |
Ezekiel 2 verses
Ezekiel 2 7 Meaning
This verse signifies a crucial divine directive to Ezekiel. He is told to speak God's words to a rebellious people. The emphasis is on the unhesitating delivery of God's message, regardless of the listener's receptiveness. It highlights the prophet's role as a conduit for God's will and the inherent spiritual battle involved in conveying truth to those who resist it. The command is not about changing hearts immediately, but about faithfully proclaiming what God says.
Ezekiel 2 7 Context
This verse appears in the initial commissioning of the prophet Ezekiel. Following his vision of God's glory and cherubim, Ezekiel is empowered and instructed for his prophetic ministry. The preceding verses (Ezekiel 2:3-6) establish the dire state of the people of Israel – rebellious, stubborn, and stiff-necked. They are described as a "rebellious house" to whom God is sending Ezekiel. This specific verse (Ezekiel 2:7) then lays out the direct mandate for Ezekiel's speech. Historically, this occurred during the Babylonian exile, a period of intense judgment for Israel due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry. The cultural context involves a society deeply embedded in religious rituals but alienated from true obedience to Yahweh, making them unreceptive to prophetic warnings.
Ezekiel 2 7 Word Analysis
- "And": Conjunction indicating a sequence of action or a connection to the previous commands and descriptions of the people.
- "you": Refers to Ezekiel, emphasizing the personal nature of the command.
- "shall": Indicates a direct, authoritative command from God, not a suggestion.
- "speak": Hebrew: daber (דבר). To talk, say, utter. The fundamental action of the prophet.
- "my": Possessive pronoun, highlighting that the words belong to God.
- "words": Hebrew: debaray (דברי). The utterances, commands, and revelations from God. This emphasizes that Ezekiel is not to speak his own thoughts but God's.
- "to": Preposition indicating direction or destination.
- "them": Refers back to the "people of Israel," specifically the "rebellious house" mentioned previously.
- "whether": Introduces a conditional clause, acknowledging the uncertainty of their response.
- "they": The people of Israel.
- "hear": Hebrew: shama' (שׁמע). To listen, pay attention, obey. It encompasses both auditory reception and volitional response.
- "or": Connects the two possibilities of their reaction.
- "refuse": Hebrew: yem'a'u (ימאנו). To reject, deny, refuse to obey or listen. A strong term for willful opposition.
- "to": Preposition.
- "hear": Again, shama', but here emphasized as the act they are refusing.
Group by words analysis:
- "whether they hear or refuse to hear": This phrase establishes the inevitability of the people's opposition. God foreknows their stubbornness and does not exempt Ezekiel from speaking because of it. It speaks to the divine assurance that even in resistance, the message must be delivered.
Ezekiel 2 7 Bonus Section
This verse, alongside Ezekiel 2:5, addresses the prophet's daunting task. It is a clear affirmation that the prophet's success is measured by obedience to God's command to speak, not by the outcome of the message in the hearts of men. The dual Hebrew terms for "hear" (shama') implying both "to listen" and "to obey," underscore the depth of Israel's rebellion – they will not even give ear, let alone obey. This directive foreshadows the similar call given to Paul in Acts 18:9-10, where Christ encourages him, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not be silent, for I am with you." The prophetic calling, as shown here, is always accompanied by God’s presence and authority.
Ezekiel 2 7 Commentary
The core message for Ezekiel is obedience in proclamation, irrespective of reception. God instructs him to speak His words to Israel, emphasizing that their reaction—whether attentive listening or outright rejection—is not the condition for speaking, but a characteristic of the audience. This highlights God's sovereignty and purpose in sending a prophet, which includes revealing Himself and His judgment even to the unhearing. Ezekiel's fidelity lies in faithful delivery, not in immediate conversion of the audience. This sets a pattern for prophetic ministry: to declare God's truth without compromise, even when facing a hardened and unreceptive people.