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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears.

Context of Ezekiel 24:16

14I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God." 15The word of the Lord came to me: "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. 17Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men." 18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did 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 24:18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
• Proverbs 5:19a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.
• Job 36:18Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
• Ezekiel 24:21'Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.
• Leviticus 10:2And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
• Jeremiah 22:10Weep not for him who is dead, nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
• Jeremiah 9:1Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
• Jeremiah 13:17But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock has been taken captive.
• Lamentations 2:18Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears stream down like a torrent day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite!

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