Ezekiel 14:3

Ezekiel 14:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
• New International Version (NIV)“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?

Context of Ezekiel 14:3

1Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me [seeking an oracle from God] and sat down before me. 2And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, these men have set up [and honored] their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the [vile] stumbling block of their wickedness and guilt; should I [permit Myself to] be consulted by them at all? 4Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Any man of the house of Israel who takes his idols [of rebellion] into his heart, and puts the [vile] stumbling block of his wickedness and guilt [images of silver and gold] before his face, and yet comes to the prophet [to ask of him], I the Lord will answer him, [but I will answer him] in accordance with the number of his idols, 5in order that I may take hold of the heart (mind) of the house of Israel who are all estranged from Me because of their idols.” ’

Ezekiel 14:3 word by word

בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם הָאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הֶעֱל֤וּ גִלּֽוּלֵיהֶם֙ עַל־לִבָּ֔ם וּמִכְשׁ֣וֹל עֲוֹנָ֔ם נָתְנ֖וּ נֹ֣כַח פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם הַאִדָּרֹ֥שׁ אִדָּרֵ֖שׁ לָהֶֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• these menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• have set upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• their idolsגִּלּוּלgillûl gillûl · idolH1544
• in their heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• and putנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• the stumblingblockמִכְשׁוֹלmikshôl mikshôl · stumblingH4383
• of their iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
• beforeנֹ֫כַחnôkach · beforeH5227
• their faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• should I be enquiredדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875

Cross-references for Ezekiel 14:3

• Ezekiel 6:9Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be exiled, how I have been broken by their lewdness and their adulterous hearts which have turned away from Me, and by their eyes which lust after their idols; and they will loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed, for all their repulsive acts.
• Ezekiel 11:21But as for those whose heart longs for and follows after their detestable things and their repulsive things [associated with idolatry], on their own head I will repay [them in full for] their [vile] conduct,” says the Lord God.
• Ezekiel 20:16because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My Sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their [worthless] idols.
• Ezekiel 36:25Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols.
• Jeremiah 17:1The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus; With a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart And on the horns of their altars.
• Ephesians 5:5For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God].
• Ezekiel 3:20Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness (right standing with God) and sins, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered; but you will be responsible for his blood.
• Ezekiel 7:19They will fling their silver into the streets and their gold will be [discarded] like something unclean; their silver and their gold shall not be able to save them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. These [things] cannot satisfy their soul nor fill their stomachs, for they have become their stumbling block and source of sin.
• Ezekiel 44:12Because the priests ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of sin to the house of Israel, therefore I have lifted up My hand and have sworn [an oath] against them,” says the Lord God, “that they shall bear the punishment for their sin and guilt.
• Jeremiah 44:16“As for the word (message) that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you.
• Zephaniah 1:3“I will consume and sweep away man and beast; I will consume and sweep away the birds of the air And the fish of the sea, And the stumbling blocks (idols) along with the wicked; And I will cut off and destroy man from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
• 1 Peter 2:8and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they disobey the word [of God], and to this they [who reject Him as Savior] were also appointed.
• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] immorality.
• Ezekiel 20:3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you.” ’
• 1 Samuel 28:6So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim [used like lots by the priest to determine the will of God] or by prophets.
• 2 Kings 3:13Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What business do you have with me? Go to the prophets of your [wicked] father [Ahab] and to the prophets of your [pagan] mother [Jezebel].” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to be handed over to Moab.”

Commentaries on Ezekiel 14:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3These men have set up their idols in their heart - Not only in their houses; in the streets; but they had them in their hearts. These were stumbling-blocks of iniquity; they fell over them, and broke the neck of their souls. And should God be inquired of by such miscreants as these?Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3The leaders of the exiled community of Israel visited Ezekiel again, likely seeking encouragement (see Ezekiel 8:1; 20:1). The people were involved in similar sins, such as idolatry, that also affected those in Judah (see Ezekiel 8:10–12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. heart ... face--The heart is first corrupted, and then the outward manifestation of idol-worship follows; they set their idols before their eyes. With all their pretense of consulting God now, they have not even put away their idols outwardly; implying gross contempt of God. "Set up," literally, "aloft"; implying that their idols had gained the supreme ascendancy over them. stumbling-block of ... iniquity--See Pr 3:21, 23, "Let not them (God's laws)…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 14:3

• Idolatry
• Stumbling

In the dictionaries

• Son of man
• Lothing
• Idolatry
• Offence; Offend
• Resurrection
• Stumbling-Block; Stumbling-Stone

Commentaries on Ezekiel 14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings