Behold, I will make your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads.
- KJV Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
- NKJV Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads.
- NASB Behold, I have made your face just as hard as their faces, and your forehead just as hard as their foreheads.
- NLT But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are.
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 makes Ezekiel's face and forehead as hard as the people's. He gives the prophet resolve to match their stubbornness.
Overview
God graciously equips Ezekiel with firmness so he will not crumble under opposition. The prophet's God-given hardness is steadfast determination, not sinful stubbornness. Divine strengthening enables faithful endurance in a hostile setting. This shows that God supplies what He demands, fortifying His servants for difficult tasks.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Jer 1:18Now behold, this day I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
- Acts 7:51–56You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Exod 4:15–16You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do.
- Heb 11:32–37And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
- 1 Kgs 21:20When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.
- Mic 3:8As for me, however, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, with justice and courage, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.
- Exod 11:4–8So Moses declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt,
- Isa 50:7Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame.
- Heb 11:27By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.
- Jer 15:20Then I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, declares the LORD.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 3:8 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.