“Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South;
- KJV Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
- NKJV “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South,
- NASB “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and speak prophetically against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev,
- NLT “Son of man, turn and face the south and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev.
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 tells Ezekiel to set his face toward the south and prophesy against its forest. The prophet is directed to announce judgment on the land of Judah.
Overview
Setting the face toward the south and the 'forest of the field' is symbolic language for the territory of Judah and Jerusalem, which lay south of Ezekiel in Babylon. The forest imagery prepares for the picture of an all-consuming fire. The threefold mention of 'south' heightens the certainty and intensity of the coming judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ezek 21:2“Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
- Amos 7:16Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.’
- Jer 13:19The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.
- Ezek 4:7You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.
- Ezek 6:2“Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.
- Jer 22:7I will appoint destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut down the choicest of your cedars and throw them into the fire.
- Zech 11:1–2Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may consume your cedars!
- Isa 30:6This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.
- Deut 32:2Let my teaching fall like rain and my speech settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass, like showers on tender plants.
- Mic 2:6“Do not preach,” they preach. “Do not preach these things; disgrace will not overtake us.”
- Job 29:22After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
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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 20:46 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.