“Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’
- KJV Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?
- BSB “Son of man, hasn’t the rebellious house of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’
- NKJV “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’
- NASB “Son of man, has the house of Israel, the rebellious house, not said to you, ‘What are you doing?’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God notes that the curious people are asking Ezekiel what his strange actions mean.
Overview
The rebellious house, intrigued by the drama, finally asks the question that opens the door to instruction. Their curiosity becomes the occasion for God's plain word of judgment. Even idle interest can be used by God to confront people with truth they need to hear.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ezek 24:19The people said to me, Won’t you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?
- Ezek 17:12“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon.
- Ezek 20:49Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! they say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?’”
- Ezek 2:5–8They, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them.
- Ezek 12:1–3Yahweh’s word also came to me, saying,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 12:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.