Ezekiel 3:8 kjv
Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
Ezekiel 3:8 nkjv
Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads.
Ezekiel 3:8 niv
But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.
Ezekiel 3:8 esv
Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
Ezekiel 3:8 nlt
But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are.
Ezekiel 3 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 2:5 | "And whether they hear or refuse—for they are a rebellious house—they shall know that a prophet has been among them." | Fulfills God's promise for Ezekiel's mission. |
| Ezekiel 3:27 | "But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth; then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’" | Connects to the opening of Ezekiel's mouth. |
| Jeremiah 1:7-8 | "But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.”" | God assures Jeremiah of His presence and commands. |
| Isaiah 6:9-10 | "And he said, “Go, and tell this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn and be healed.”" | Shows God's foreknowledge of Israel's hardness. |
| Jeremiah 1:17 | "But you, gird up your loins; arise, and tell them whatever I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them." | Direct parallel of God commanding a prophet. |
| Acts 7:51 | “You stiff-necked people! Uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." | New Testament confirmation of their resistance. |
| John 10:26 | "but you do not believe because you are not of my sheep." | Relates to the spiritual deafness mentioned. |
| Romans 11:8 | "...as it is written, 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day.'" | Echoes Isaiah's prophecy about spiritual blindness. |
| 1 Corinthians 14:37 | "If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, let him recognize what I am writing to you, for it is by the commandment of the Lord." | Confirms prophetic authority and divine command. |
| 2 Corinthians 5:20 | "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." | Describes the role of prophets/messengers. |
| Hebrews 3:7-8 | "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion..." | Urges against hardening hearts, referencing their past. |
| Luke 10:16 | "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." | The weight of a prophet's message. |
| Matthew 10:14 | "And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." | Instruction for prophets facing rejection. |
| Romans 10:18 | "But I ask, surely they have heard? Indeed they have, for 'Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.'" | The scope of prophetic declaration. |
| 1 Kings 22:27 | "And Micaiah said, 'If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.' And he said, 'Take heed, all you peoples!'" | Prophet's affirmation of divine utterance. |
| Jeremiah 23:21 | "I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied." | Distinction between true and false prophets. |
| Ephesians 4:14 | "...so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." | Resistance to spiritual deception. |
| Mark 7:13 | "...thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”" | Similar charge of disregarding God's word. |
| Acts 19:3 | "And he said, 'Into what then were you baptized?' They said, 'Into John's baptism.'" | Referring to earlier prophetic voices. |
| Proverbs 28:13 | "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." | Links hearing to repentance. |
| Deuteronomy 28:49 | "The LORD will bring a nation from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you do not understand," | Future consequence of disobedience. |
| Zechariah 7:11 | "But they refused to listen and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears so that they might not hear." | Echoes the persistent refusal to hear. |
Ezekiel 3 verses
Ezekiel 3 8 Meaning
God instructs Ezekiel to confront the Israelites, described as rebellious and stubborn. Despite their hardness, God assures Ezekiel that the people will either listen or know that a prophet has been among them. This is God empowering Ezekiel for a difficult mission, preparing him for the resistance he will face.
Ezekiel 3 8 Context
Ezekiel chapter 3 begins God’s commissioning of the prophet Ezekiel in exile in Babylon. Ezekiel is about to deliver a message of judgment to the increasingly corrupt and rebellious nation of Israel. The prophecy is addressed to a people characterized by their "stubbornness and hardness of heart." This verse establishes the nature of Ezekiel’s mission, highlighting the inherent resistance he will encounter. The historical context is crucial: the people are in exile precisely because of their ancestors' disobedience and their persistent turning away from God. Ezekiel’s role is to speak God’s word to them, regardless of their reception.
Ezekiel 3 8 Word Analysis
- "But": (Hebrew: וְ) Indicates a conjunction introducing a contrast or continuation. Here, it shifts to the directive part of the commission after the description of the people.
- "if": (Hebrew: אִם) A conditional particle. This sets up the alternative scenarios for Ezekiel's mission.
- "they": (Hebrew: הֵ֕מָּה) Refers back to the people of Israel, previously described as a "rebellious house."
- "will hear": (Hebrew: יִשְׁמְע֖וּ) From the root שׁמע (shama), meaning to hear, listen, obey. This verb can encompass mere auditory perception or attentive obedience.
- "or": (Hebrew: וְ) Here used conjunctively, similar to "and," or introducing a second alternative. It signifies the dual possibilities of their response.
- "refuse": (Hebrew: אִם־ יִמְאָ֥ -> or the common understanding derived from context of hearing/not hearing.) Though not a direct translation of a single verb in common usage, the sense is one of rejecting or turning away from. In other translations, the Hebrew word is often implied as "will not hear." The core idea is their obstinate rejection of the message.
- "know": (Hebrew: יֵֽדְע֔וּ) From the root ידע (yada), meaning to know, understand, recognize. God wants them to gain experiential knowledge.
- "that": (Hebrew: כִּי) A conjunction introducing the content of what they will know.
- "a prophet": (Hebrew: נָבִיא֒) (Navi). One who is called and speaks for God.
- "has been": (Hebrew: הָיָ֖ה) Perfect tense, indicating a past completed action.
- "among": (Hebrew: בְּתוֹכְכֶ֑ם) Within them, in their midst.
- "you": (Hebrew: ה֔וּא) Masculine singular pronoun, referring to Ezekiel.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And if they will hear, or if they will refuse": This phrase encapsulates the inevitability of both potential outcomes – hearing (obedience) and refusing (disobedience). God's decree is absolute; their response, while variable, is foreseen. It underscores the prophet's commitment regardless of their reception.
- "they shall know that a prophet has been among them": This is the overarching purpose. Whether they heed the message or not, they are to be made aware of the divine intervention and communication through Ezekiel. The outcome serves as a testimony to God's dealings with His people.
Ezekiel 3 8 Bonus Section
The declaration that "they shall know that a prophet has been among them" is a foundational concept for prophetic ministry. It highlights that God's word, once spoken through His chosen messenger, cannot be erased. This knowledge is not necessarily saving knowledge, but it is knowledge of God's faithfulness in sending His word and His judgment upon them if they fail to respond. The repetition of the root for "know" (yada) suggests an experiential knowing, a deep apprehension of reality that will dawn on them either through their turning or through the consequences of their defiance. This recalcitrance is a hallmark of Israel's history, as noted in numerous biblical passages, from the Exodus to the Babylonian captivity and beyond.
Ezekiel 3 8 Commentary
God appoints Ezekiel to a critical, yet challenging, task. He is to prophesy to a people already marked by rebellion and spiritual resistance. The essence of the verse lies in God’s guarantee that His message will be delivered and acknowledged, regardless of Israel's willingness to listen or obey. This assurance empowers Ezekiel and emphasizes God's sovereignty over human response. It means that the mere presence of the prophet and the delivery of his message will serve as evidence of God's outreach, leaving no room for their ignorance or denial of His truth. Even in rejection, there is revelation of God’s consistent dealing.