Ezekiel 20 49

Ezekiel 20:49 kjv

Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

Ezekiel 20:49 nkjv

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, 'Does he not speak parables?' "

Ezekiel 20:49 niv

Then I said, "Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, 'Isn't he just telling parables?'?"

Ezekiel 20:49 esv

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not a maker of parables?'"

Ezekiel 20:49 nlt

Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, 'He only talks in riddles!'"

Ezekiel 20 verses

Ezekiel 20 49 Meaning

This verse pronounces a harsh judgment on the people of Israel for their persistent idolatry and disobedience, framing it as a prophecy of impending doom that will engulf them entirely. The "parable" signifies that their actions will become a story of destruction and scorn for all nations.

Ezekiel 20 49 Context

This verse is the concluding statement in Ezekiel's twenty-chapter rebuke of Israel, stemming from their history of apostasy. The preceding verses detail their cyclical patterns of rebellion, sin, and divine punishment, culminating in the impending judgment. This prophecy of exile and dispersion is a consequence of their ongoing refusal to heed God's commands and their persistent adoption of Canaanite idolatry, particularly child sacrifice and sun worship, which the Lord emphatically condemns throughout the book. Ezekiel is sent to a people who have consistently demonstrated a willful blindness to God's covenants, and this verse highlights their continued disbelief in the seriousness of his pronouncements.

Ezekiel 20 49 Word Analysis

• "Surely" (Hebrew: כִּי - ki): Emphatic particle introducing a strong assertion.
• "you" (Hebrew: אַתֶּם - attem): Plural pronoun, addressing the entire house of Israel.
• "speak" (Hebrew: דֹּבֵר - dober): Present participle, indicating ongoing speech.
• "against" (Hebrew: עָלַי - alay): Preposition meaning "against" or "upon," signifying opposition.
• "Me" (Hebrew: יְהוָה - YHWH): The personal covenantal name of God, emphasizing His divine authority and identity.
• "Do not" (Hebrew: הֲלֹא - halō'): Interrogative particle, forming a rhetorical question, implying an expected affirmative answer.
• "all" (Hebrew: כָּל - kol): Encompassing entirety.
• "these" (Hebrew: הָאֵלֶּה - ha'elleh): Demonstrative pronoun, pointing to the people directly addressed.
• "people" (Hebrew: הָעָם - ha'am): The collective noun for the nation.
• "speak" (Hebrew: דָּבָר - dabar): Verb meaning "to speak" or "to say."
• "against" (Hebrew: עָלַי - alay): Again, signifying opposition to God.
• "Me?" (Hebrew: יְהוָה - YHWH): Reinforces the direct accusation against God.
• "They say," (Hebrew: לֵאמֹר - le'mor): Introducing direct speech.
• "Is it not" (Hebrew: הֲלֹא - halō'): Another rhetorical question, emphasizing incredulity.
• "He" (Hebrew: הוּא - hu): Pronoun referring to the speaker, in this case, God.
• "a" (Hebrew: מְשָׁל - meshal): Parable, riddle, proverb, or allegory; signifying something obscure or challenging to understand.
• "maker" (Hebrew: הֹפֵךְ - hofekh): One who twists or perverts.
• "of" (Hebrew: מְשָׁלִים - meshalim): Plural form of meshal, enigmas, or parables.
• "parables?" (Hebrew: מְשָׁלִים - meshalim): Referring to the prophecies delivered by Ezekiel.
• "But you," (Hebrew: אַתָּה - attah): Contrasting pronoun, shifting focus to Israel.
• "O house of Israel," (Hebrew: בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל - bet-Yisrael): Direct address to the nation as a whole.
• "thus" (Hebrew: כֹּה - koh): Adverb of manner, introducing the prescribed response.
• "you" (Hebrew: אָמַרְתָּ - amarta): Verb, past tense, addressing Israel's words or state of being.
• "shall say:" (Hebrew: נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָי יְהוָה - ne'um-Adonai YHWH): Lit. "declaration of the Lord GOD," the formal pronouncement of God's message.
• "Behold," (Hebrew: הִנֵּה - hinneh): Particle calling attention.
• "I" (Hebrew: אֲנִי - ani): First-person pronoun, asserting God's direct action.
• "am against" (Hebrew: אֶל־ - el): Preposition, signifying direction toward, here in a hostile sense.
• "you," (Hebrew: אֶתְכֶם - etkem): Direct object pronoun, plural, the people of Israel.
• "O house of Israel," (Hebrew: בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל - bet-Yisrael): Reinforces the addressed entity.
• "and" (Hebrew: וְ - ve): Conjunction connecting clauses.
• "I will" (Hebrew: וְ־ - ve): Prefixed to verbs indicating future action.
• "lay" (Hebrew: שַׂמְתִּי - samti): Verb, "to put," "to lay," or "to place."
• "My" (Hebrew: יָדִי - yadi): Possessive pronoun attached to "hand."
• "hand" (Hebrew: יָדִי - yadi): Metaphor for power, authority, and direct action.
• "upon" (Hebrew: עַל־ - al): Preposition indicating contact or direction.
• "you," (Hebrew: עָלֵיכֶם - aleikhem): Again, plural pronoun for Israel.
• "from" (Hebrew: מִן־ - min): Preposition indicating origin or separation.
• "the" (Hebrew: צָפוֹן - tzafon): The North, often a region of judgment or invading forces.
• "North" (Hebrew: מִצָּפוֹן - mitzafon): Explicitly indicates the source of judgment.
• "I" (Hebrew: וְקָרָאתִי - vekarati): "And I will call" or "gather."
• "will call forth" (Hebrew: אֶת־ - et): Direct object marker.
• "the cedar" (Hebrew: אֲרָזִים - arazim): Cedars, symbol of grandeur and strength, here referring to the forest of Lebanon.
• "of Lebanon." (Hebrew: הַלְּבָנוֹן - hallevanon): Lebanon, known for its tall cedars.
• "and" (Hebrew: וְ־ - ve): Conjunction.
• "cast" (Hebrew: וְהִפַּלְתִּי - vehifalti): "And I will cast down."
• "you" (Hebrew: אֹתָךְ - otakh): Direct object pronoun, referring to Israel as a corporate entity, possibly singling out leaders or strongholds.
• "down" (Hebrew: עַל־ - al): On.
• "upon" (Hebrew: הָרִים - harim): The mountains, suggesting widespread dispersion and downfall.
• "the mountains," (Hebrew: הָרִים - harim): mountains.
• "and" (Hebrew: וְ־ - ve): Conjunction.
• "destroy" (Hebrew: וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּי - vehishmadti): "And I will destroy."
• "all" (Hebrew: כָּל־ - kol): All.
• "your" (Hebrew: גַּלֵּךְ - gallekha): Your piles or heaps (used here to refer to forests/vines).
• "forests" (Hebrew: גַּלֵּיכֶם - galleikhem): Forests.
• "and" (Hebrew: וְ־ - ve): Conjunction.
• "all" (Hebrew: כָּל־ - kol): All.
• "your" (Hebrew: גְּפָנִים - gefanim): Vines.
• "vines." (Hebrew: גְּפָנֶיךָ - gefaneikha): Vines.
• "for" (Hebrew: כִּי־ - ki): Because.
• "I," (Hebrew: אֲנִי־ - ani): I.
• "the LORD," (Hebrew: יְהוָה - YHWH): The Lord.
• "have spoken" (Hebrew: דִּבַּרְתִּי - dibarti): Spoken.
• "it." (Hebrew: דְּבָרִי - devari): My word.
• "The house of Israel shall know" (Hebrew: וְיָדְעוּ בֵית־יִשְׂרָאֵל - veyad'u bet-Yisrael): And the house of Israel shall know.
• "that" (Hebrew: כִּי־ - ki): That.
• "I" (Hebrew: אֲנִי־ - ani): I.
• "am" (Hebrew: יְהוָה - YHWH): Am the Lord.
• "the LORD." (Hebrew: יְהוָה - YHWH): The Lord.
• "the LORD" (Hebrew: אֲדֹנָי יְהוָה - Adonai YHWH): Lord GOD.

Words-group analysis:The entire chapter points to the ongoing pattern of rebellion. Verse 49 is the culmination, identifying their speech as "speaking against" God and calling His prophetic pronouncements mere "parables" or "enigmas," questioning their divine origin and authority. God's response is a definitive statement of His direct opposition to them, and He promises to actively bring judgment using powerful imagery (cedars of Lebanon, mountains, forests, vines) that signifies a total uprooting and destruction of their former status and provisions. The concluding phrase emphasizes that this judgment will ultimately lead to their recognition of His identity and sovereignty.

Ezekiel 20 49 Bonus Section

The "cedar of Lebanon" represents what was seen as mighty and enduring. Casting down such symbols of strength signifies that no earthly power or boast will protect them from God's judgment. The enumeration of forests and vines speaks to the totality of their loss, impacting their sustenance and the very symbols of their land's prosperity. This verse’s promise of knowledge of the Lord through judgment underscores that God’s ultimate aim, even through discipline, is relationship and recognition of His sovereignty. The question of Israel being a "maker of enigmas" reflects a deeper theological issue: the people's spiritual dullness and refusal to acknowledge the clear moral and spiritual lessons God was trying to impart through His prophet.

Ezekiel 20 49 Commentary

Ezekiel's prophecy addresses the stubborn disbelief of Israel, who dismiss his dire pronouncements as mere riddles or incomprehensible talk. They question God's message, implying it is a meaningless "parable." God's response is decisive: He is directly opposed to them, not just with words, but with actions that will be visible and devastating. The imagery of uprooting the cedars of Lebanon, mountains, forests, and vines symbolizes the comprehensive destruction and scattering of Israel's strength, resources, and livelihood. This judgment serves a dual purpose: it is a consequence of their persistent disobedience and a means by which they will ultimately come to know the Lord. This verse highlights the reality that God’s judgment is not just spoken but enacted, and even in destruction, His true nature will be revealed.