And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.
- BSB Then He said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak My words to them.
- NKJV Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.
- NASB Then He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.
- NLT Then he said, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages.
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 sends Ezekiel to speak His words to the house of Israel. His mission is to deliver God's message accurately to his own people.
Overview
Having internalized the scroll, Ezekiel is commissioned to proclaim God's exact words. His audience is Israel, the covenant people who ought to know the LORD. The emphasis on 'my words' stresses fidelity to God's message over human invention. This faithful transmission of God's word is the heart of true prophetic and gospel ministry.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ezek 3:11And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
- Acts 1:8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- Matt 10:5–6These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
- Ezek 2:3And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
- Ezek 2:7And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
- Matt 15:24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 3:4 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.