Ezekiel 14:4

Ezekiel 14:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols,
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,

Context of Ezekiel 14:4

2And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3“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? Therefore 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.” ’ 6“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your disgusting and vile acts.

Ezekiel 14:4 word by word

לָכֵ֣ן דַּבֵּר־א֠וֹתָם וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ יַעֲלֶ֨ה אֶת־גִּלּוּלָ֜יו אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ וּמִכְשׁ֤וֹל עֲוֹנוֹ֙ יָשִׂים֙ נֹ֣כַח פָּנָ֔יו וּבָ֖א אֶל־הַנָּבִ֑יא אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה נַעֲנֵ֧יתִי ל֦וֹ בָ֖א בְּרֹ֥ב גִּלּוּלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• unto them, and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
• Every manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• that setteth upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• his idolsגִּלּוּלgillûl gillûl · idolH1544
• in his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• and puttethשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• the stumblingblockמִכְשׁוֹלmikshôl mikshôl · stumblingH4383
• of his iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
• beforeנֹ֫כַחnôkach · beforeH5227
• his faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• and comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• I the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• will answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• according to the multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230

Cross-references for Ezekiel 14:4

• Ezekiel 2:7But you shall speak My words to them whether they will listen or refuse [to listen], for they are [most] rebellious.
• Ezekiel 3:4Then He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them.
• Ezekiel 14:7For anyone of the house of Israel or among the strangers who immigrate to Israel who separates himself from Me, taking his idols into his heart, and puts right before his face the [vile] stumbling block of his wickedness and guilt, and [then] comes to the prophet to ask of Me for himself, I the Lord will answer him Myself.
• 1 Kings 21:20Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
• 2 Kings 1:16Then Elijah said to Ahaziah, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Since you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore you will not leave the bed on which you lie, but will certainly die.’ ”
• Isaiah 3:11Woe (judgment is coming) to the wicked! It shall go badly with him, For what his hand has done shall be done to him.
• Isaiah 66:4So I will choose their punishments, And will bring the things they dread upon them Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen or obey. But they did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight.”

Commentaries on Ezekiel 14:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4According to the multitude of his idols - I will treat him as an idolater, as a flagrant idolater.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Omit “that cometh.” According to the multitiude of his idols - i. e., I will give him an answer as delusive as the idols which he serves. Compare Micaiah‘s answer to Ahab 1 Kings 22:15.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5The exiles acted as if they were seeking the Lord. But they were only going through the motions. They performed the outward actions, yet their hearts had turned away from him. They were worshiping idols, which the Lord calls detestable (deeply hateful and unclean). It was easy for them to think that Babylon’s many military victories proved something. They could begin to believe that real power belonged to the Babylonian gods, not to the Lord.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. and cometh--and yet cometh, reigning himself to be a true worshipper of Jehovah. him that cometh--so the Hebrew Margin reads. But the Hebrew text reading is, "according to it, according to the multitude of his idols"; the anticipative clause with the pronoun not being pleonastic, but increasing the emphasis of the following clause with the noun. "I will answer," literally, reflexively, "I will Myself (or for Myself) answer him." according to…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 14:4

• Hypocrisy
• Idolatry
• Stumbling

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Lothing
• Idolatry
• Resurrection

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