Ezekiel 24 19

Ezekiel 24:19 kjv

And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

Ezekiel 24:19 nkjv

And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?"

Ezekiel 24:19 niv

Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us? Why are you acting like this?"

Ezekiel 24:19 esv

And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"

Ezekiel 24:19 nlt

Then the people asked, "What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?"

Ezekiel 24 verses

Ezekiel 24 19 Meaning

This verse describes God’s direct communication to Ezekiel about the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the demise of his wife, a symbol of God's judgment upon His people. It signifies a cessation of mourning practices for the deceased, emphasizing the depth of the calamity and the focus on God's divine decree.

Ezekiel 24 19 Context

This chapter marks a significant turning point in Ezekiel’s prophecy, detailing the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. Verse 19 is part of a series of actions and pronouncements illustrating the devastating impact of God's judgment on the unfaithful nation of Israel. Ezekiel’s wife, depicted as the "delight of his eyes," dying without public mourning, serves as a poignant symbol of the total upheaval and the overwhelming nature of the coming calamity. The people are so consumed by their own destruction that they will have no capacity to offer comfort or participate in ritualistic lamentations for the prophet. This symbolizes the intensity of the national disaster, where normal social and religious customs surrounding death become impossible due to widespread devastation and shock.

Ezekiel 24 19 Word Analysis

• "Son of man": (Hebrew: ben-adam, בֶּן־אָדָם, ben-adam) A title God consistently uses for Ezekiel. It emphasizes his humanity, yet also his role as a representative of God to the people. It underscores his mortal nature in contrast to God’s divine authority and message.

• "Behold": (Hebrew: hineni, הִנֵּנִי, hinneni - lit. "Here I am" or "Behold me") A call for attention, drawing the prophet and the audience into the immediacy and seriousness of the divine message. It signals a pronouncement of significant import.

• "I am about to take": (Hebrew: lakach, לָקַח, laqach - "to take," "to seize") Indicates a future, imminent action of divine removal or confiscation. This is God’s action, not merely a natural event.

• "the delight of your eyes": (Hebrew: miqveh eneyim, מִקְוֵה עֵינַיִם, miqveh enayim - lit. "hope/gathering of your eyes") Refers to something highly cherished and beautiful, that which brings pleasure and joy. This personification of Ezekiel's wife highlights the deeply personal nature of the coming loss, mirroring the nation’s loss of Jerusalem.

• "with which you took delight": (Hebrew: hen teretzeh, הֵן תִּרְצֶה, hen tirtseh) Further emphasizes the cherished status of his wife and the depth of personal affection involved. This personalizes the prophetic message.

• "suddenly": (Hebrew: pa'am achath, פַּעַם אַחַת, pa'am achath - lit. "one time" or "at once") Implies an unexpected, swift, and abrupt happening, underscoring the shock and abruptness of the disaster.

• "you shall not mourn": (Hebrew: ve'lo tiqber, וְלֹא תִּקְבֹּר, velo tikhbor - lit. "and you shall not bury" or "and you shall not mourn") The command prohibits the culturally significant act of mourning and burial. This indicates a complete incapacitation by grief and disaster, preventing even proper ritual.

• "nor lament": (Hebrew: ve'lo tesofen, וְלֹא תִסְפֹּד, velo tesophed) Another prohibition against a standard expression of grief. The typical public mourning ( saphad) is forbidden.

• "nor shall the shroud be seen": (Hebrew: ve'lo yera'eh pe'er, וְלֹא יֵרָאֶה פְּאֵר, velo yera'eh pe'er) The "pe'er" can refer to ornate headwear, a sash, or funeral clothes. It symbolizes the customary signs of mourning, now to be absent, showing the disruption of all familiar customs.

• "neither cover yourself": (Hebrew: velotechaseh, וְלֹא־תְכֻסֶּה, velo tekhouseh) This likely refers to the customary covering of the head or body in mourning, a gesture of shame or deep sorrow.

• "with your shroud": (Hebrew: misapod, מִסְפֶּד, misped - connected to saphad) Relates to the mourning rites, specifically the garments or materials used in mourning.

• "nor shall your bread for the mourners be covered": (Hebrew: velaham emzor be'emzoz, וְלֶחֶם אֶבְלִים כָּסוּ, velechem evelim kasu) This refers to food prepared for mourners or a veil over their offerings, symbolic of shared sorrow. Its covering signifies that this communal aspect of mourning is also suppressed.

• "neither shall a cup of consolation be offered to you": (Hebrew: ve'loh al tiqresh leh etsrikh lecho es-esro`, וְלֹא יֻסֵּךְ־לְךָ אֶסְתְּר אֵין אֵין, velo yusach lecha ester esro'echa*) The "cup of consolation" is food or drink offered to comfort mourners. Its absence signifies isolation and a lack of communal support due to overwhelming national suffering.

• Prophetic Symbolic Action: The commands to Ezekiel mirror broader themes in prophetic literature where the prophet’s personal life becomes a living parable for Israel’s spiritual state and destiny. This is seen in Hosea’s marriage and Jeremiah’s abstaining from marriage.

• Severity of Judgment: The removal of personal affections (wife) and the prohibition of normal mourning rites signify a judgment so catastrophic that it eclipses personal and communal grieving rituals, leaving people solely with the direct experience of God's wrath and destruction.

• Focus on God's Decree: By stopping these customary expressions of sorrow, the verse directs attention to God as the ultimate source and administrator of this devastating judgment, and the people’s inability to escape or ritualize it.

Ezekiel 24 19 Bonus Section

The prohibition of mourning rites also implicitly connects to the impurity associated with death in the Old Testament context. By suspending these rituals, it emphasizes a state where God's presence, symbolized by the covenant and the Temple, is completely withdrawn, leaving only desolation. The absence of these rites also contrasts with the eventual return and restoration that will involve renewed worship and comfort, marking this period as one of extreme alienation.

Ezekiel 24 19 Commentary

This verse encapsulates the absolute devastation coming upon Jerusalem, using Ezekiel's personal life as a potent, visceral symbol. God informs Ezekiel that his beloved wife will die suddenly, and the prophet is forbidden from observing customary mourning rituals—no public lamentation, no removal of her shroud, no comforting offerings for the bereaved. This personal deprivation mirrors the comprehensive nature of God's judgment on Jerusalem and its people. The destruction will be so total that normal human compassion and customary expressions of grief will be impossible; the overwhelming nature of the crisis will suspend such practices. The loss of Ezekiel’s wife represents the loss of national treasures and spiritual blessings for Israel. God’s instruction strips away the usual coping mechanisms for grief, forcing a direct confrontation with divine judgment and highlighting the shock and incapacity of those who experience such widespread devastation. It underscores that God is the active agent, orchestrating both the loss and the altered reality of grief, emphasizing His sovereignty over all circumstances, even the most tragic. The prohibitions signify the impending desolation, where such personal mourning would be deemed inappropriate or impossible amidst the greater national catastrophe.