Ezekiel 3:6

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Ezekiel 3:6

4He said to me, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel, and speak my words to them. 5I am not sending you to people whose language is hard to understand or difficult to speak. I am sending you to Israel. I am not sending you to nations whose language is hard to understand, difficult to speak, or whose words you cannot understand. If I send you to those nations, they will certainly listen to you. 7But the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me. All the people of Israel are very stubborn and hardheaded. 8Yet, I will make you as stubborn and as hardheaded as they are.

Ezekiel 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 3:5The people of Nineveh believed God. They decided to fast, and everyone, from the most important to the least important, dressed in sackcloth.
• Matthew 11:20Then Jesus denounced the cities where he had worked most of his miracles because they had not changed the way they thought and acted.
• Matthew 12:41The men of Nineveh will stand up with you at the time of judgment and will condemn you, because they turned to God and changed the way they thought and acted when Jonah spoke his message. But look, someone greater than Jonah is here!
• Luke 11:20But if I force out demons with the help of God’s power, then God’s kingdom has come to you.
• Acts 27:28So they threw a line with a weight on it into the water. It sank 120 feet. They waited a little while and did the same thing again. This time the line sank 90 feet.
• Romans 9:30So what can we say? We can say that non-Jewish people who were not trying to gain God’s approval won his approval, an approval based on 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

• Impenitence

In the dictionaries

• Hard
• Living creatures
• Warning
• Agabus
• Creature

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