Yehezkiel 2:4

2:4 The people ¹  to whom I am sending you are obstinate and hard-hearted, ²  and you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says.’ ³ 

Yehezkiel 5:8

5:8 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: I – even I – am against you, ⁴  and I will execute judgment ⁵  among you while the nations watch. ⁶ 

Yehezkiel 7:2

7:2 “You, son of man – this is what the sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel: An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land! ⁷ 

Yehezkiel 11:7

11:7 Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘The corpses you have dumped ⁸  in the midst of the city ⁹  are the meat, and this city ¹⁰  is the cooking pot, but I will take you out of it. ¹¹ 

Yehezkiel 12:10

12:10 Say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: The prince will raise this burden in Jerusalem, ¹²  and all the house of Israel within it.’ ¹³ 

Yehezkiel 13:3

13:3 This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing!

Yehezkiel 13:13

13:13 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: In my rage I will make a violent wind break out. In my anger there will be a deluge of rain and hailstones in destructive fury.

Yehezkiel 13:16

13:16 those prophets of Israel who would prophesy about Jerusalem ¹⁴  and would see visions of peace for it, when there was no peace,” declares the sovereign Lord.’

Yehezkiel 14:6

14:6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Return! Turn from your idols, and turn your faces away from your abominations.

Yehezkiel 14:14

14:14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, ¹⁵  and Job, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 14:18

14:18 Even if these three men were in it, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, they could not save their own sons or daughters – they would save only their own lives.

Yehezkiel 16:3

16:3 and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

Yehezkiel 16:14

16:14 Your fame ¹⁶  spread among the nations because of your beauty; your beauty was perfect because of the splendor which I bestowed on you, declares the sovereign Lord. ¹⁷ 

Yehezkiel 16:19

16:19 As for my food that I gave you – the fine flour, olive oil, and honey I fed you – you placed it before them as a soothing aroma. That is exactly what happened, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 16:30

16:30 “‘How sick is your heart, declares the sovereign Lord, when you perform all of these acts, the deeds of a bold prostitute.

Yehezkiel 16:48

16:48 As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never behaved as wickedly as you and your daughters have behaved.

Yehezkiel 16:59

16:59 “‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you according to what you have done when you despised your oath by breaking your covenant.

Yehezkiel 17:19

17:19 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will certainly repay him ¹⁸  for despising my oath and breaking my covenant!

Yehezkiel 18:3

18:3 “As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, ¹⁹  you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore!

Yehezkiel 18:9

18:9 and follows my statutes and observes my regulations by carrying them out. ²⁰  That man ²¹  is righteous; he will certainly live, ²²  declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 18:25

18:25 “Yet you say, ‘The Lord’s conduct ²³  is unjust!’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

Yehezkiel 18:29

18:29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The Lord’s conduct is unjust!’ Is my conduct unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

Yehezkiel 20:30

20:30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers ²⁴  and engage in prostitution with detestable idols?

Yehezkiel 20:33

20:33 As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm, ²⁵  and with an outpouring of rage, I will be king over you.

Yehezkiel 20:36

20:36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 20:44

20:44 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of my reputation and not according to your wicked conduct and corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

Yehezkiel 20:49

20:49 Then I said, “O sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?’”

Yehezkiel 21:9

21:9 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword is sharpened,

and also polished.

Yehezkiel 21:13

21:13 “‘For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more? ²⁶  declares the sovereign Lord.’

Yehezkiel 21:26

21:26 this is what the sovereign Lord says:

Tear off the turban, ²⁷ 

take off the crown!

Things must change! ²⁸ 

Exalt the lowly,

bring down the proud! ²⁹ 

Yehezkiel 22:3

22:3 Then say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: O city, who spills blood within herself (which brings on her doom), ³⁰  and who makes herself idols (which results in impurity),

Yehezkiel 22:12

22:12 They take bribes within you to shed blood. You engage in usury and charge interest; ³¹  you extort money from your neighbors. You have forgotten me, ³²  declares the sovereign Lord. ³³ 

Yehezkiel 22:19

22:19 Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Because all of you ³⁴  have become slag, look out! – I am about to gather you in the middle of Jerusalem. ³⁵ 

Yehezkiel 22:28

22:28 Her prophets coat their messages with whitewash. ³⁶  They see false visions and announce lying omens for them, saying, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says,’ when the Lord has not spoken.

Yehezkiel 23:28

23:28 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look here, ³⁷  I am about to deliver you over to ³⁸  those whom you hate, to those with whom you were disgusted.

Yehezkiel 23:32

23:32 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: “You will drink your sister’s deep and wide cup; ³⁹  you will be scorned and derided, for it holds a great deal.

Yehezkiel 23:34-35

23:34 You will drain it dry, ⁴⁰  gnaw its pieces, ⁴¹  and tear out your breasts, ⁴²  for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.

23:35 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you have forgotten me and completely disregarded me, ⁴³  you must bear now the punishment ⁴⁴  for your obscene conduct and prostitution.”

Yehezkiel 24:3

24:3 Recite a proverb to this rebellious house ⁴⁵  and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Set on the pot, ⁴⁶  set it on,

pour water in it too;

Yehezkiel 24:14

24:14 “‘I the Lord have spoken; judgment ⁴⁷  is coming and I will act! I will not relent, or show pity, or be sorry! ⁴⁸  I will judge you ⁴⁹  according to your conduct ⁵⁰  and your deeds, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

Yehezkiel 24:24

24:24 Ezekiel will be an object lesson for you; you will do all that he has done. When it happens, then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’

Yehezkiel 25:6

25:6 For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced with intense scorn ⁵¹  over the land of Israel,

Yehezkiel 25:8

A Prophecy Against Moab

25:8 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Moab ⁵²  and Seir say, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations.”

Yehezkiel 25:12

A Prophecy Against Edom

25:12 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Edom ⁵³  has taken vengeance against the house of Judah; they have made themselves fully culpable ⁵⁴  by taking vengeance ⁵⁵  on them. ⁵⁶ 

Yehezkiel 25:14-16

25:14 I will exact my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel. They will carry out in Edom my anger and rage; they will experience ⁵⁷  my vengeance, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

A Prophecy Against Philistia

25:15 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘The Philistines ⁵⁸  have exacted merciless revenge, ⁵⁹  showing intense scorn ⁶⁰  in their effort to destroy Judah ⁶¹  with unrelenting hostility. ⁶²  25:16 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note, I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines. I will kill ⁶³  the Cherethites ⁶⁴  and destroy those who remain on the seacoast.

Yehezkiel 26:3

26:3 therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, ⁶⁵  I am against you, ⁶⁶  O Tyre! I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.

Yehezkiel 26:5

26:5 She will be a place where fishing nets are spread, surrounded by the sea. For I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord. She will become plunder for the nations,

Yehezkiel 26:14-15

26:14 I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place where fishing nets are spread. You will never be built again, ⁶⁷  for I, the Lord, have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.

26:15 “This is what the sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Oh, how the coastlands will shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, at the massive slaughter in your midst!

Yehezkiel 28:24

28:24 “‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers ⁶⁸  or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them. ⁶⁹  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 29:8

29:8 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will kill ⁷⁰  every person and every animal.

Yehezkiel 29:13

29:13 “‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years ⁷¹  I will gather Egypt from the peoples where they were scattered.

Yehezkiel 29:16

29:16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help. ⁷²  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’”

Yehezkiel 29:20

29:20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyre ⁷³ , because they did it for me, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 30:6

30:6 “‘This is what the Lord says:

Egypt’s supporters will fall;

her confident pride will crumble. ⁷⁴ 

From Migdol to Syene ⁷⁵  they will die by the sword within her,

declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 31:10

31:10 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because it was tall in stature, and its top reached into the clouds, and it was proud of its height,

Yehezkiel 32:3

32:3 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘I will throw my net over you ⁷⁶  in the assembly of many peoples;

and they will haul you up in my dragnet.

Yehezkiel 32:8

32:8 I will darken all the lights in the sky over you,

and I will darken your land,

declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 32:16

32:16 This is a lament; they will chant it.

The daughters of the nations will chant it.

They will chant it over Egypt and over all her hordes,

declares the sovereign Lord.”

Yehezkiel 32:31

32:31 “Pharaoh will see them and be consoled over all his hordes who were killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his army, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 33:25

33:25 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: You eat the meat with the blood still in it, ⁷⁷  pray to ⁷⁸  your idols, and shed blood. Do you really think you will possess ⁷⁹  the land?

Yehezkiel 34:17

34:17 “‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.

Yehezkiel 34:20

34:20 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

Yehezkiel 34:30

34:30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, ⁸⁰  and that they are my people, the house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord. ⁸¹ 

Yehezkiel 35:3

35:3 Say to it, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against you, Mount Seir;

I will stretch out my hand against you

and turn you into a desolate ruin.

Yehezkiel 35:6

35:6 Therefore, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will subject you to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.

Yehezkiel 35:11

35:11 therefore, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will deal with you according to your anger, and according to your envy, by which you acted spitefully against them. I will reveal myself to them when I judge you.

Yehezkiel 36:2

36:2 This is what the sovereign Lord says: The enemy has spoken against you, saying “Aha!” and, “The ancient heights ⁸²  have become our property!”’

Yehezkiel 36:7

36:7 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: I vow ⁸³  that the nations around you will endure insults as well.

Yehezkiel 36:13-14

36:13 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Because they are saying to you, “You are a devourer of men, and bereave your nation of children,” 36:14 therefore you will no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 36:32-33

36:32 Understand that ⁸⁴  it is not for your sake I am about to act, declares the sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and embarrassed by your behavior, O house of Israel.

36:33 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will populate the cities and the ruins will be rebuilt.

Yehezkiel 36:37

36:37 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: I will allow the house of Israel to ask me to do this for them: ⁸⁵  I will multiply their people like sheep. ⁸⁶ 

Yehezkiel 38:10

38:10 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind, ⁸⁷  and you will devise an evil plan.

Yehezkiel 38:14

38:14 “Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day when my people Israel are living securely, you will take notice ⁸⁸ 

Yehezkiel 38:18

38:18 On that day, when Gog invades ⁸⁹  the land of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord, my rage will mount up in my anger.

Yehezkiel 39:1

39:1 “As for you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal!

Yehezkiel 39:25

39:25 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Now I will restore ⁹⁰  the fortunes of Jacob, and I will have mercy on the entire house of Israel. I will be zealous for my holy name.

Yehezkiel 39:29

39:29 I will no longer hide my face from them, when I pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, ⁹¹  declares the sovereign Lord.”

Yehezkiel 43:19

43:19 you will give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are descended from Zadok, who approach me to minister to me, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 44:6

44:6 Say to the rebellious, ⁹²  to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Enough of all your abominable practices, O house of Israel!

Yehezkiel 44:27

44:27 On the day he enters the sanctuary, into the inner court to serve in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 45:15

45:15 and one sheep from each flock of two hundred, from the watered places of Israel, for a grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offering, to make atonement for them, declares the sovereign Lord.

Yehezkiel 45:18

45:18 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you must take an unblemished young bull and purify the sanctuary.

Yehezkiel 46:16

46:16 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: If the prince should give a gift to one of his sons as ⁹³  his inheritance, it will belong to his sons, it is their property by inheritance.

Yehezkiel 47:13

Boundaries for the Land

47:13 This is what the sovereign Lord says: “Here ⁹⁴  are the borders ⁹⁵  you will observe as you allot the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Joseph will have two portions.) ⁹⁶ 

[2:4]  ¹ tn Heb “sons.” The word choice may reflect treaty idiom, where the relationship between an overlord and his subjects can be described as that of father and son.

[2:4]  ² tc Heb “stern of face and hard of heart.” The phrases “stern of face” and “hard of heart” are lacking in the LXX.

[2:4]  ³ tn The phrase “thus says [the Lord]” occurs 129 times in Ezekiel; the announcement is identical to the way messengers often introduced their messages (Gen 32:5; 45:9; Exod 5:10; Num 20:14; Judg 11:15).

[5:8]  ⁴ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8. The Hebrew text switches to a second feminine singular form here, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed (see vv. 5-6a). The address to Jerusalem continues through v. 15. In vv. 16-17 the second masculine plural is used, as the people are addressed.

[5:8]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text uses wordplay here to bring out the appropriate nature of God’s judgment. “Execute” translates the same Hebrew verb translated “carried out” (literally meaning “do”) in v. 7, while “judgment” in v. 8 and “regulations” in v. 7 translate the same Hebrew noun (meaning “regulations” or in some cases “judgments” executed on those who break laws). The point seems to be this: God would “carry out judgments” against those who refused to “carry out” his “laws.”

[5:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “in the sight of the nations.”

[5:8]  sn This is one of the ironies of the passage. The Lord set Israel among the nations for honor and praise as they would be holy and obey God’s law as told in Ezek 5:5 and Deut 26:16-19. The practice of these laws and statutes would make the peoples consider Israel wise. (See Deut 4:5-8, where the words for laws and statutes are the same as those used here). Since Israel did not obey, they are made a different kind of object lesson to the nations, not by their obedience but in their punishment as told in Ezek 5:8 and Deut 29:24-29. Yet Deut 30 goes on to say that when they remember the cursings and blessings of the covenant and repent, God will restore them from the nations to which they have been scattered.

[7:2]  ⁷ tn Or “earth.” Elsewhere the expression “four corners of the earth” figuratively refers to the whole earth (Isa 11:12).

[11:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “placed.”

[11:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “in its midst.”

[11:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “she/it.” See v. 3.

[11:7]  ¹¹ tc Many of the versions read “I will bring you out” (active) rather than “he brought out” (the reading of MT).

[12:10]  ¹² tc The nearly incoherent Hebrew reads “The prince is this burden (prophetic oracle?) in Jerusalem.” The Targum, which may only be trying to make sense of a very difficult text, says “Concerning the prince is this oracle,” assuming the addition of a preposition. This would be the only case where Ezekiel uses this term for a prophetic oracle. The LXX reads the word for “burden” as a synonym for leader, as both words are built on the same root (נָשִׂיא, nasi’), but the verse is still incoherent because it is only a phrase with no verb. The current translation assumes that the verb יִשָּׂא (yisa’) from the root נָשִׂיא has dropped out due to homoioteleuton. If indeed the verb has dropped out (the syntax of the verbless clause being the problem), then context clearly suggests that it be a form of נָשִׂיא (see vv. 7 and 12). Placing the verb between the subject and object would result in three consecutive words based on the root נָשִׂיא and an environment conducive to an omission in copying: הַנָּשִׂיא יִשָּׁא הַמַּשָּׂא הַזֶּה (hannasi’ yisha’ hammasa’ hazzeh, “the Prince will raise this burden”).

[12:10]  sn The prince in Jerusalem refers to King Zedekiah.

[12:10]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:10]  ¹³ tc The MT reads “within them.” Possibly a scribe copied this form from the following verse “among them,” but only “within it” makes sense in this context.

[13:16]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[14:14]  ¹⁵ sn Traditionally this has been understood as a reference to the biblical Daniel, though he was still quite young when Ezekiel prophesied. One wonders if he had developed a reputation as an intercessor by this point. For this reason some prefer to see a reference to a ruler named Danel, known in Canaanite legend for his justice and wisdom. In this case all three of the individuals named would be non-Israelites, however the Ugaritic Danel is not known to have qualities of faith in the Lord that would place him in the company of the other men. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:447-50.

[16:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “name.”

[16:14]  ¹⁷ sn The description of the nation Israel in vv. 10-14 recalls the splendor of the nation’s golden age under King Solomon.

[17:19]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “place it on his head.”

[18:3]  ¹⁹ tn This expression occurs often in Ezekiel (5:11; 14:16, 18, 20; 16:48; 17:16, 19; 20:3, 31, 33; 33:11, 27; 34:8; 35:6, 11).

[18:9]  ²⁰ tc The MT reads לַעֲשׂוֹת אֱמֶת (la’asot ’emet, “to do with integrity”), while the LXX reads “to do them,” presupposing לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתָם (la’asot ’otam). The ם (mem) and ת (tav) have been reversed in the MT. The LXX refelcts the original, supported by similar phrasing in Ezekiel 11:20; 20:19.

[18:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “he.”

[18:9]  ²² tn Heb “living, he will live.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[18:25]  ²³ tn Heb “way.”

[20:30]  ²⁴ tn Heb “in the way of your fathers.”

[20:33]  ²⁵ sn This phrase occurs frequently in Deuteronomy (Deut 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8).

[21:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “For testing (will come) and what if also a scepter, it despises, will not be?” The translation understands the subject of the verb “despises,” which is a feminine form in the Hebrew text, to be the sword (which is a feminine noun) mentioned in the previous verses. The text is very difficult and any rendering is uncertain.

[21:26]  ²⁷ tn Elsewhere in the Bible the turban is worn by priests (Exod 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:28, 31; Lev 8:9; 16:4), but here a royal crown is in view.

[21:26]  ²⁸ tn Heb “This not this.”

[21:26]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the high one.”

[22:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “her time”; this refers to the time of impending judgment (see the note on “doom” in v. 4).

[22:12]  ³¹ tn Heb “usury and interest you take.” See 18:13, 17. This kind of economic exploitation violated the law given in Lev 25:36.

[22:12]  ³² sn Forgetting the Lord is also addressed in Deut 6:12; 8:11, 14; Jer 3:21; 13:25; Ezek 23:35; Hos 2:15; 8:14; 13:6.

[22:12]  ³³ tn The second person verb forms are feminine singular in Hebrew, indicating that the personified city is addressed here as representing its citizens.

[22:19]  ³⁴ tn The Hebrew second person pronoun is masculine plural here and in vv. 19b-21, indicating that the people are being addressed.

[22:19]  ³⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[22:28]  ³⁶ tn Heb “her prophets coat for themselves with whitewash.” The expression may be based on Ezek 13:10-15.

[23:28]  ³⁷ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[23:28]  ³⁸ tn Heb “I am giving you into the hand of.”

[23:32]  ³⁹ sn The image of a deep and wide cup suggests the degree of punishment; it will be extensive and leave the victim helpless.

[23:34]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “You will drink it and drain (it).”

[23:34]  ⁴¹ tn D. I. Block compares this to the idiom of “licking the plate” (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:754, n. 137). The text is difficult as the word translated “gnaw” is rare. The noun is used of the shattered pieces of pottery and so could envision a broken cup. But the Piel verb form is used in only one other place (Num 24:8), where it is a denominative from the noun “bone” and seems to mean to “break (bones).” Why it would be collocated with “sherds” is not clear. For this reason some emend the phrase to read “consume its dregs” (see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:44) or emend the verb to read “swallow,” as if the intoxicated Oholibah breaks the cup and then eats the very sherds in an effort to get every last drop of the beverage that dampens them.

[23:34]  ⁴² sn The severe action is more extreme than beating the breasts in anguish (Isa 32:12; Nah 2:7). It is also ironic for these are the very breasts she so blatantly offered to her lovers (vv. 3, 21).

[23:35]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and you cast me behind your back.” The expression pictures her rejection of the Lord (see 1 Kgs 14:9).

[23:35]  ⁴⁴ tn The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text but is demanded by the context.

[24:3]  ⁴⁵ sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).

[24:3]  ⁴⁶ sn See Ezek 11:3-12.

[24:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “it”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:14]  ⁴⁸ tn Or perhaps, “change my mind.”

[24:14]  ⁴⁹ tc Some medieval Hebrew mss and the major ancient versions read a first person verb here. Most Hebrew mss read have an indefinite subject, “they will judge you,” which could be translated, “you will be judged.”

[24:14]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “ways.”

[25:6]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “with all your scorn in (the) soul.”

[25:8]  ⁵² sn Moab was located immediately south of Ammon.

[25:12]  ⁵³ sn Edom was located south of Moab.

[25:12]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and they have become guilty, becoming guilty.” The infinitive absolute following the finite verb makes the statement emphatic and draws attention to the degree of guilt incurred by Edom due to its actions.

[25:12]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “and they have taken vengeance.”

[25:12]  ⁵⁶ sn Edom apparently in some way assisted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/6 b.c. (Ps 137:7; Lam 5:21, 23; Joel 3:19; Obadiah).

[25:14]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “know.”

[25:15]  ⁵⁸ sn The Philistines inhabited the coastal plain by the Mediterranean Sea, west of Judah.

[25:15]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “have acted with vengeance and taken vengeance with vengeance.” The repetition emphasizes the degree of vengeance which they exhibited, presumably toward Judah.

[25:15]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “with scorn in (the) soul.”

[25:15]  ⁶¹ tn The object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but has been clarified as “Judah” in the translation.

[25:15]  ⁶² tn Heb “to destroy (with) perpetual hostility.” Joel 3:4-8 also speaks of the Philistines taking advantage of the fall of Judah.

[25:16]  ⁶³ tn In Hebrew the verb “and I will cut off” sounds like its object, “the Cherethites,” and draws attention to the statement.

[25:16]  ⁶⁴ sn This is a name for the Philistines, many of whom migrated to Palestine from Crete.

[26:3]  ⁶⁵ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws attention to something and has been translated here as a verb.

[26:3]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8. The Hebrew text switches to a second feminine singular form here, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed (see vv. 5-6a). The address to Jerusalem continues through v. 15. In vv. 16-17 the second masculine plural is used, as the people are addressed.

[26:14]  ⁶⁷ sn This prophecy was fulfilled by Alexander the Great in 332 b.c.

[28:24]  ⁶⁸ sn Similar language is used in reference to Israel’s adversaries in Num 33:55; Josh 23:13.

[28:24]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “and there will not be for the house of Israel a brier that pricks and a thorn that inflicts pain from all the ones who surround them, the ones who scorn them.”

[29:8]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “I will cut off from you.”

[29:13]  ⁷¹ sn In Ezek 4:4-8 it was said that the house of Judah would suffer forty years.

[29:16]  ⁷² tn Heb “reminding of iniquity when they turned after them.”

[29:20]  ⁷³ tn Heb “for which he worked,” referring to the assault on Tyre (v. 18).

[30:6]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “come down.”

[30:6]  ⁷⁵ sn Syene is known as Aswan today.

[32:3]  ⁷⁶ tn The expression “throw my net” is common in Ezekiel (12:13; 17:20; 19:8).

[33:25]  ⁷⁷ sn This practice was a violation of Levitical law (see Lev 19:26).

[33:25]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “lift up your eyes.”

[33:25]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “Will you possess?”

[34:30]  ⁸⁰ sn A promise given to Abraham (Gen 15:7) and his descendants (Gen 15:8; Exod 6:7).

[34:30]  ⁸¹ sn The blessings described in vv. 25-30 are those promised for obedience in Lev 26:4-13.

[36:2]  ⁸² tn Or “high places.”

[36:7]  ⁸³ tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”

[36:32]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “Let it be known.”

[36:37]  ⁸⁵ tn The Niphal verb may have a tolerative function here, “Again (for) this I will allow myself to be sought by the house of Israel to act for them.” Or it may be reflexive: “I will reveal myself to the house of Israel by doing this also.”

[36:37]  ⁸⁶ sn Heb “I will multiply them like sheep, human(s).”

[38:10]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “words will go up upon your heart.”

[38:14]  ⁸⁸ tn The Hebrew text is framed as a rhetorical question: “will you not take notice?”

[38:18]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “goes up against.”

[39:25]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “cause to return.”

[39:29]  ⁹¹ sn See Ezek 11:19; 37:14.

[44:6]  ⁹² tc The LXX reads “house of rebellion.”

[46:16]  ⁹³ tn The Hebrew text has no preposition; the LXX reads “from” (see v. 17).

[47:13]  ⁹⁴ tc This translation follows the reading זֶה (zeh) instead of גֵּה (geh), a nonexistent word, as supported by the LXX.

[47:13]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “territory”; see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:715.

[47:13]  ⁹⁶ tc The grammar is awkward, though the presence of these words is supported by the versions. L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 2:274) suggests that it is an explanatory gloss.

[47:13]  sn One portion for Ephraim, the other for Manasseh (Gen 48:17-20).