“Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them
Parallel translations
- WEB “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them,
- KJV Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
- BSB “Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.
- NKJV “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
- NLT “Son of man, turn and face the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.
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
Ezekiel must set his face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. The mountains were sites of idolatrous worship now under judgment.
Overview
God directs the prophet to address the mountains of Israel, the high places where idol shrines were built. By targeting the very landscape of false worship, the oracle exposes how deeply idolatry had spread. Setting one's face against them signals God's firm opposition to every place where His glory was given to idols.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ezek 19:9They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
- Ezek 34:14I will feed them with good pasture; and on the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed on the mountains of Israel.
- Ezek 36:1You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, You mountains of Israel, hear Yahweh’s word.
- Ezek 13:17You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them,
- Ezek 21:2“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel.
- Ezek 25:2Son of man, set your face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them:
- Ezek 37:22and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all;
- Ezek 33:28I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that no one shall pass through.
- Ezek 20:46“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;
- Ezek 35:12You shall know that I, Yahweh, have heard all your insults which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they have been given us to devour.
- Mic 6:1–2Listen now to what Yahweh says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say.
- Ezek 4:7You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered; and you shall prophesy against it.
- Josh 11:21Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
- Ezek 38:2–3Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
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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 6:2 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
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