God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 3:27
27But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth. You will tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says.’ Some will listen, and some will refuse to listen. They are rebellious people.”
Ezekiel 3:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
- New International Version (NIV)But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
Context of Ezekiel 3:27
25People will tie you up with ropes, son of man, so that you can’t go outside. 26I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you can’t talk or criticize them, even though they are rebellious people. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth. You will tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says.’ Some will listen, and some will refuse to listen. They are rebellious people.”
Read all of Ezekiel 3Ezekiel 3:27 word by word
וּֽבְדַבְּרִ֤י אֽוֹתְךָ֙ אֶפְתַּ֣ח אֶת־פִּ֔יךָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֑ה הַשֹּׁמֵ֤עַ׀ יִשְׁמָע֙ וְהֶחָדֵ֣ל׀ יֶחְדָּ֔ל כִּ֛י בֵּ֥ית מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But when I speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- withאֵת'êth · withH854
- thee, I will openפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- thy mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- and thou shalt sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- He that hearethשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- and he that forbearethחָדֵלchâdêl · rejected/fleetingH2310
- let him forbearחָדַלchâdal · to ceaseH2308
- a rebelliousמְרִיmerîy · rebellionH4805
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
Cross-references for Ezekiel 3:27
- Ezekiel 11:25I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.
- Ezekiel 24:27On that very day your mouth will be opened, and you will talk to the refugee. You will speak and not be silent anymore. You will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
- Ezekiel 29:21“On that day I will make the people of Israel strong again, and I will give you, Ezekiel, something to say among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
- Ezekiel 33:32To them you are nothing more than a singer with a beautiful voice who sings love songs or a musician who plays an instrument. They listen to your words, but they don’t do them.
- Exodus 4:11The Lord asked him, “Who gave humans their mouths? Who makes humans unable to talk or hear? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? It is I, the Lord!
- Luke 21:15I will give you words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to oppose or prove wrong.
- Ephesians 6:19Also pray that God will give me the right words to say. Then I will speak boldly when I reveal the mystery of the Good News.
- Ezekiel 3:11Go to the exiles, to your people. Whether they listen or not, tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says.’ ”
- Ezekiel 2:5Whether these rebellious people listen or not, they will realize that a prophet has been among them.
- Matthew 11:15Let the person who has ears listen!
- Matthew 13:9Let the person who has ears listen!”
- Revelation 22:10Then the angel said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book because the time is near.
- Ezekiel 3:9I will make you as hard as a diamond, harder than stone. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be terrified in their presence, even though they are rebellious people.”
- Ezekiel 12:2“Son of man, you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but they can’t see. They have ears, but they can’t hear because they are rebellious people.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 3:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27I will open thy mouth - When it is necessary to address them again, thou shalt sum up what thou hast said in this one speech: Thus saith the Lord, "He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear." Let him who feels obedience to the voice of God his interest, be steadfast. Let him who disregards the Divine monition go in his own way, and abide the consequences.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27He that heareth - The judicial blindness of which Ezekiel speaks had already fallen upon the great body of the nation (Ezekiel 14:4. Compare Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:11).Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-27Verses 22-27 Let us own ourselves for ever indebted to the mediation of Christ, for the blessed intercourse between God and man; and a true believer will say, I am never less alone than when thus alone. When the Lord opened Ezekiel's mouth, he was to deliver his message boldly, to place life and death, the blessing and the curse, before the people, and leave them to their choice.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-27God also controlled Ezekiel’s speech. It was as if his tongue were bound to the roof of his mouth. He could speak only when God allowed him to speak words of judgment. Ezekiel was not physically unable to talk. However, God limited what he could say. He could announce only the message of disaster that God gave him. He was not allowed to speak anything else. This made Ezekiel’s role different from that of most prophets. Many prophets could pray for the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. when I speak ... I will open thy mouth--opposed to the silence imposed on the prophet, to punish the people (Eze 3:26). After the interval of silence has awakened their attention to the cause of it, namely, their sins, they may then hearken to the prophecies which they would not do before. He that heareth, let him hear ... forbear--that is, thou hast done thy part, whether they hear or forbear. He who shall forbear to hear, it shall be at his own…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 3:27
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries