English Standard Version
Ezekiel 3:6
6not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you.
Ezekiel 3:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
- New International Version (NIV)not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
- New Living Translation (NLT)No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen!
Context of Ezekiel 3:6
4And he said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. 5For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
Read all of Ezekiel 3Ezekiel 3:6 word by word
לֹ֣א׀ אֶל־עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים עִמְקֵ֤י שָׂפָה֙ וְכִבְדֵ֣י לָשׁ֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תִשְׁמַ֖ע דִּבְרֵיהֶ֑ם אִם־לֹ֤א אֲלֵיהֶם֙ שְׁלַחְתִּ֔יךָ הֵ֖מָּה יִשְׁמְע֥וּ אֵלֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Not to manyרַבrab · manyH7227
- peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- of a strangeעָמֵק‛âmêq · unfathomableH6012
- speechשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: wordsH8193
- and of an hardכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
- languageלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongue: languageH3956
- whose wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- thou canst not understandשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: understandH8085
- Surely, had I sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- thee to them, they would have hearkenedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
Cross-references for Ezekiel 3:6
- Jonah 3:5And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
- Matthew 11:20Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.
- Matthew 12:41The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
- Luke 11:20But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- Acts 27:28So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.
- Romans 9:30What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
Commentaries on Ezekiel 3:6
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6To many people - To various nations using diverse languages. Surely - The thought is that expressed by our Saviour Himself (margin reference). Some render it: “but I have sent thee unto these; they can hearken” etc.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-7Ezekiel was sent to the people of Israel, who were expected to eagerly listen to the Lord. However, it would have been easier for the prophet if he had been sent to people with a strange and difficult language who could not understand him. This stubborn community refused to obey the Lord.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. many people--It would have increased the difficulty had he been sent, not merely to one, but to "many people" differing in tongues, so that the missionary would have needed to acquire a new tongue for addressing each. The after mission of the apostles to many peoples, and the gift of tongues for that end, are foreshadowed (compare 1Co 14:21 with Is 28:11). had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened--(Mt 11:21, 23).Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 3:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 3
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries