Ezekiel 24:16

Ezekiel 24:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
• New International Version (NIV)“Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down.

Context of Ezekiel 24:16

14I, the Lord, have spoken. It is coming, and I will do it! I will not refrain, I will not show pity, and I will not relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’” 15Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow. 17Groan quietly; do not observe mourning rites for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.” 18I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did just as I was commanded.

Ezekiel 24:16 word by word

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנְנִ֨י לֹקֵ֧חַ מִמְּךָ֛ אֶת־מַחְמַ֥ד עֵינֶ֖יךָ בְּמַגֵּפָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תִסְפֹּד֙ וְלֹ֣א תִבְכֶּ֔ה וְל֥וֹא תָב֖וֹא דִּמְעָתֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• behold, I take awayלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• from thee the desireמַחְמָדmachmâd · desireH4261
• of thine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• with a strokeמַגֵּפָהmaggêphâh · plagueH4046
• yet neither shalt thou mournסָפַדsâphad · to mournH5594
• nor weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• neither shall thy tearsדִּמְעָהdim‛âh · tearsH1832
• run downבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935

Cross-references for Ezekiel 24:16

• Ezekiel 24:18I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did just as I was commanded.
• Proverbs 5:19A loving deer, a graceful doe — let her breasts always satisfy you; be lost in her love forever.
• Job 36:18Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large ransom lead you astray.
• Ezekiel 24:21Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.
• Leviticus 10:2Then fire came from the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
• Jeremiah 22:10Do not weep for the dead; do not mourn for him. Weep bitterly for the one who has gone away, for he will never return again and see his native land.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
• Jeremiah 9:1If my head were a flowing spring, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people.
• Jeremiah 13:17But if you will not listen, my innermost being will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, for the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
• Lamentations 2:18The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. Wall of Daughter Zion, let your tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief and your eyes no rest.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 24:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes - Here is an intimation that the stroke he was to suffer was to be above all grief; that it would be so great as to prevent the relief of tears. Curae leves loquuntur, graviores silent, is a well-accredited maxim in such cases. Superficial griefs affect the more easily moved passions; great ones affect the soul itself, in its powers of reasoning, reflecting, comparing, recollecting, etc., when the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-27Verses 16-27 The death of Ezekiel‘s wife took place in the evening of the same day that he delivered the foregoing prophecy. This event was to signify to the people that the Lord would take from them all that was most dear to them; and - owing to the extraordinary nature of the times - quiet lamentation for the dead, according to the usual forms of mourning, would be impossible. Ezekiel 24:17 The priest in general was to mourn for his dead (Leviticus 21:1…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-27Verses 15-27 Though mourning for the dead is a duty, yet it must be kept under by religion and right reason: we must not sorrow as men that have no hope. Believers must not copy the language and expressions of those who know not God. The people asked the meaning of the sign. God takes from them all that was dearest to them. And as Ezekiel wept not for his affliction, so neither should they weep for theirs. Blessed be God, we need not pine away under our…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17Nowhere do we see a prophet so deeply involved in his message as in this event. God took the life of Ezekiel’s wife. Yet Ezekiel was not allowed to mourn her openly, even though she was very precious to him. Ezekiel was a priest (Ezekiel 1:3). Priests had strict rules about mourning. When people mourned, they often tore their clothes and left their hair uncombed. These public signs of grief made a person ceremonially unclean (not fit for worship). Priests…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. desire of ... eyes--his wife: representing the sanctuary (Eze 24:21) in which the Jews so much gloried. The energy and subordination of Ezekiel's whole life to his prophetic office is strikingly displayed in this narrative of his wife's death. It is the only memorable event of his personal history which he records, and this only in reference to his soul-absorbing work. His natural tenderness is shown by that graphic touch, "the desire of thine eyes."…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 24:16

• Bereavement
• Ezekiel
• Instruction
• Minister, Christian
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• Son of man
• Pine
• Profane
• Set
• Tell
• Tire
• Ezekiel

Commentaries on Ezekiel 24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• 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