Ezekiel 33 22

Ezekiel 33:22 kjv

Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

Ezekiel 33:22 nkjv

Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had opened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

Ezekiel 33:22 niv

Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the LORD was on me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.

Ezekiel 33:22 esv

Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

Ezekiel 33:22 nlt

The previous evening the LORD had taken hold of me and given me back my voice. So I was able to speak when this man arrived the next morning.

Ezekiel 33 verses

Ezekiel 33 22 Meaning

The arrival of news about Jerusalem's destruction brought a sobering realization to those who had previously fled. The fallen city signified a confirmed divine judgment. The verse emphasizes the end of prophecy concerning the people who had already been dispersed and were now scattered. There were no more messages of impending doom to be delivered, as the foreseen calamities had fully transpired.

Ezekiel 33 22 Context

This verse appears in Ezekiel chapter 33, following the report of Jerusalem's fall. The prophet Ezekiel had been serving as a watchman for the house of Israel, delivering messages of judgment for their unfaithfulness. After the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, signifying the culmination of the divine judgment announced through Ezekiel, the nature of his prophetic mission shifted. Previously, his message was largely one of impending doom and pronouncements of wrath for the nation's sins. With the physical evidence of that judgment—the fall of the city—the messages of that specific nature ceased. This marks a transition in Ezekiel's role and the unfolding of God's plan.

Ezekiel 33 22 Word Analysis

• וַתִּפָּ֧ל (wat-tip-pál): And it fell.

  • This Hebrew verb, naphal (נָפַל), means "to fall." The waw consecutive prefix indicates a past action that follows sequentially, emphasizing the certainty and occurrence of the event.

• וַיַּגֵּ֧עוּ (way-ya-ge-ʿū): And they arrived.

  • From the root naga (נָגַע), meaning "to touch," "to reach," or "to arrive." This indicates the arrival of messengers or the news of the city's fall.

• הַפְּלֵיטָ֧ה (hap-pə-lê-ṭâ): The escapee.

  • The feminine noun peliṭah (פְּלִיטָה) signifies "escape" or "remnant," referring to survivors. Here, it is used to denote someone who escaped the destruction.

• הָעִ֧יר (hā-ʿîr): The city.

  • A definite article ("the") followed by the noun ʿîr (עִיר), meaning "city." This clearly refers to Jerusalem.

• לִבְּרֹ֤ךְ (lib-rōḵ): To announce; to report.

  • The infinitive construct of the verb barak (בָּרַךְ) which can mean "to bless" but in certain contexts, especially with a direct object that is abstract like news, it means to "announce" or "bring tidings."

• עָלֶ֨יָה (ʿā-le-yâ): Its coming.

  • A preposition ʿal (עַל) meaning "upon" or "concerning," combined with yada (יָד), "hand," forming a possessive. It refers to the arrival of the news or the event itself.

• אֶל־ (ʾel-): To.

  • A common preposition indicating direction or destination.

• הַֽמְּפַלֵּ֤ט (ham-mə-pā-lêṭ): The survivor.

  • Similar to peliṭah, from palat (פָּלַט), meaning "to escape" or "be delivered." This highlights the person who escaped and now brings the news.

• אֲשֶׁר־ (ʾă-šer-): Who; which.

  • A relative pronoun introducing a subordinate clause.

• בָּרַ֥ח (bā-raḥ): Fled.

  • From the root barach (בָּרַח), meaning "to flee."

• מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ (mim-mê-nâ): From it.

  • The preposition min (מִן) meaning "from," followed by the feminine singular suffix "-nâ" referring to the city.

• גֶּ֚נֵי (gen-nê): The prophet; prophet.

  • The singular definite form of nabi (נָבִיא), "prophet."

• אֱלֹהִ֖ים (ʾĕ-lō-hîm): God.

  • The plural noun for God, often used to express majesty and completeness.

• חֶרֶשׂ׃ (ḥé-reṣ): Silent.

  • The masculine adjective ḥeres (חֵרֵשׁ), meaning "deaf" or "silent." Here it indicates that the prophetic pronouncements for this specific purpose were now silenced.

• בְּתוּלֹ֖ו (bə-ṯū-lō): Her virgins.

  • The noun bətuulah (בְּתוּלָה), "virgin." While a literal interpretation of "her virgins" is unlikely in this context, it can metaphorically refer to the daughters of Jerusalem or the chastity and purity that was now lost, or even the finality that no more "virgin prophecies" (untouched, unfulfilled predictions) remained concerning their specific plight. The primary understanding is the cessation of predictive prophecy related to the impending doom.

Ezekiel 33 22 Bonus Section

This verse signifies the transition from pronouncements of wrath for the specific covenant violations leading to the exile to the future pronouncements of restoration and hope that would follow. The completion of God's judgment on Jerusalem, as confirmed by the arrival of the survivor, meant that the "word of the LORD" concerning this particular judgment was now finished. It emphasizes the fulfillment of prophecy and the inescapable reality of divine consequence. The mention of "her virgins" being silenced can be interpreted as the finality of the calamity; no untouched, pure aspects of the nation or its capital remained unscathed by the divine judgment.

Ezekiel 33 22 Commentary

With the fall of Jerusalem, the critical role of Ezekiel as a watchman delivering news of imminent disaster concludes for the exiled community. The news of the city's destruction, brought by a survivor, confirms what had been prophesied. There are no more prophecies of impending doom for this phase of judgment. The silenced prophetic voice here refers specifically to the end of warnings and pronouncements concerning the total annihilation and captivity of the nation which had been central to Ezekiel's earlier ministry in exile. The figurative language "her virgins" suggests a loss of what was considered pure or untouched in the national context, now subject to judgment. This marks a turning point in prophetic fulfillment for the exiles.