Ezekiel 24:17 kjv
Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.
Ezekiel 24:17 nkjv
Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat man's bread of sorrow."
Ezekiel 24:17 niv
Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners."
Ezekiel 24:17 esv
Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men."
Ezekiel 24:17 nlt
Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends."
Ezekiel 24 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 24 | "Your wife your eyes' delight; at the moment of death..." | Ezekiel 24:16 |
| Jeremiah 16 | "For I will no longer show a heart of compassion or favor..." | Jeremiah 16:5 |
| Lamentations 1 | "How lonely sits the city once so full of people!..." | Lamentations 1:1 |
| Isaiah 47 | "Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans..." | Isaiah 47:5 |
| Ezekiel 24 | "Son of man, behold, I am about to strike you down..." | Ezekiel 24:16 |
| Jeremiah 51 | "Jerusalem shall be judged and visited for her iniquities..." | Jeremiah 51:5 |
| Hosea 1 | "The beginning of the dụy with an utterance of the LORD..." | Hosea 1:2 |
| Amos 5 | "For I will pass through the midst of you..." | Amos 5:17 |
| Micah 3 | "Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob..." | Micah 3:1 |
| Zechariah 11 | "So I bought them for thirty pieces of silver..." | Zechariah 11:12 |
| Matthew 23 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets..." | Matthew 23:37 |
| Luke 21 | "For days of vengeance are yet to come..." | Luke 21:22 |
| Revelation 18 | "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!" | Revelation 18:2 |
| Jeremiah 14 | "Their nobles send their young men for water..." | Jeremiah 14:3 |
| Ezekiel 37 | "Then he said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'..." | Ezekiel 37:3 |
| Isaiah 54 | "Sing, O barren one, who did not bear..." | Isaiah 54:1 |
| Psalms 73 | "For they have no pangs until death..." | Psalms 73:4 |
| Romans 11 | "So then, all Israel will be saved..." | Romans 11:26 |
| 1 Corinthians 12 | "For as the body is one, and has many members..." | 1 Corinthians 12:12 |
| Galatians 4 | "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son..." | Galatians 4:4 |
| 1 Thessalonians 4 | "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven..." | 1 Thessalonians 4:16 |
| Revelation 21 | "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth..." | Revelation 21:1 |
Ezekiel 24 verses
Ezekiel 24 17 Meaning
The verse signifies an intensely personal and public announcement of judgment upon the prophet Ezekiel and his household. The "covering" and "death" of his wife are not a literal event happening at that exact moment but a symbolic act of divine judgment. This represents the complete removal of God's favor and presence from Jerusalem and its people, analogous to the severing of a life-sustaining bond. The grief expected is profound, mirroring the deep sorrow the nation will experience when they realize their connection with God is irrevocably broken.
Ezekiel 24 17 Context
Chapter 24 of Ezekiel deals with God's judgment on Jerusalem. This specific verse is part of a prophetic enactment by Ezekiel. God instructs him to announce a devastating prophecy, not to grieve openly for his own wife's impending death. This shocking command serves as a dramatic illustration for the Israelites, signifying the sudden and complete destruction of Jerusalem, the exile of its people, and the utter devastation of the temple and all they held dear. The intimacy of the grief, which Ezekiel is forbidden to express, symbolizes the abrupt removal of God’s presence and the subsequent loss of national and religious identity for the exiles. The prophet's inability to mourn reflects the people's inability to express their grief in a normal way once they realize the extent of God's judgment.
Ezekiel 24 17 Word Analysis
- Son of man: (Hebrew:
ben-'adamben-ad-am) This is a common appellation God uses for Ezekiel. It emphasizes his humanity and subservience to God's divine authority. It is used 93 times in Ezekiel. - Behold, I am about to strike you down: (Hebrew:
hinneh 'ani nagē'aph ’otkha hinneh nagaph 'othekahiy-nayh a-ni na-gaf o-the-kha) "Behold" (hinneh) is an interjection used to draw attention to something significant. The phrase "strike you down" (nagaph) implies a severe, impactful blow, a striking down, often associated with judgment or defeat. Here it is a direct action from God. - with a stroke: (Hebrew:
makeph) This means a blow, a smite, a striking. It's a more specific term for the manner of the "strike." - nor shall you grieve: (Hebrew:
we'al yit'abēluwe-al yit-ab-lu) This indicates a prohibition of mourning or expressing sorrow. The Hebrew root ('abhal) signifies to grieve, mourn, or be sorrowful. God forbids a natural human emotional response. - and do not let tears run down: (Hebrew:
we'al yātarōdu dymōtwe-al ya-tar-o-du diy-mot) "Let tears run down" (yātarōdu dymōt) means to allow tears to flow. This reinforces the prohibition of showing any outward signs of mourning or distress. - for your wife: (Hebrew:
mešat 'ešet khameh-eshet-kha) This refers to Ezekiel's wife. The phrase is constructed in a way that highlights the personal nature of the impending event. - the one whom you love: (Hebrew:
’ašer ’att ’eheṣen baha-sher at-eh-sen bah) This phrase emphasizes the depth of Ezekiel's affection for his wife, making God's command to refrain from grieving even more profound and jarring. The verb’āḥaz` (to love) conveys strong affection.
Words Group Analysis:
- "Behold, I am about to strike you down... with a stroke, nor shall you grieve... and do not let tears run down": This sequence presents a direct divine command that overrides a natural human reaction. God is acting, causing a powerful impact, and then controlling the prophet's emotional response. The parallel construction of not grieving and not letting tears fall emphasizes the totality of the prohibition of outward mourning.
- "for your wife, the one whom you love": This phrase acts as the reason for the commanded emotional suppression. The intense personal loss (loss of beloved wife) is juxtaposed with the instruction not to express grief, highlighting the severity of the symbolic message to the people of Jerusalem. The intensity of his personal connection makes the restraint more powerful.
Ezekiel 24 17 Bonus Section
This verse highlights the prophetic principle of "enactment" where the prophet’s life and experiences are used as living illustrations of God's message. This practice was common among prophets to make their message visceral and memorable. The specific phrasing "the one whom you love" points to the suffering God allowed his prophet to experience as part of his vocational call. It signifies a divine decision that directly impacts intimate human relationships for the purpose of communication and judgment. It also foreshadows later scriptural examples of divine discipline affecting familial bonds, as seen in Jesus' warnings to his disciples regarding the persecutions they would face, where family relationships would be strained (Matthew 10:21, 36).
Ezekiel 24 17 Commentary
Ezekiel's wife's death is not just a personal tragedy; it's a divine signpost. God orchestrates this painful personal experience for Ezekiel to convey a powerful message to his people about the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The prophet's inability to mourn symbolizes the nation's impending desolation and their future inability to properly lament due to overwhelming loss and shock. It foreshadows a time when joy and normal expressions of emotion will cease as divine favor is removed. The intensity of the forbidden grief ("the one whom you love") magnifies the scale of the catastrophe to come. It underscores that Jerusalem's destruction will be a total, all-encompassing loss.