New English Translation
Ezekiel 14:4
4Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: When any one from the house of Israel erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet, I the Lord am determined to answer him personally according to the enormity of his idolatry.
Ezekiel 14:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,
Context of Ezekiel 14:4
2The word of the Lord came to me: 3“Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek me? Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: When any one from the house of Israel erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet, I the Lord am determined to answer him personally according to the enormity of his idolatry. 5I will do this in order to capture the hearts of the house of Israel, who have alienated themselves from me on account of all their idols.’ 6“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Return! Turn from your idols, and turn your faces away from your abominations.
Read all of Ezekiel 14Ezekiel 14:4 word by word
לָכֵ֣ן דַּבֵּר־א֠וֹתָם וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ יַעֲלֶ֨ה אֶת־גִּלּוּלָ֜יו אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ וּמִכְשׁ֤וֹל עֲוֹנוֹ֙ יָשִׂים֙ נֹ֣כַח פָּנָ֔יו וּבָ֖א אֶל־הַנָּבִ֑יא אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה נַעֲנֵ֧יתִי ל֦וֹ בָ֖א בְּרֹ֥ב גִּלּוּלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto them, and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- Every manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- that setteth upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
- his idolsגִּלּוּלgillûl gillûl · idolH1544
- in his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- and puttethשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- the stumblingblockמִכְשׁוֹלmikshôl mikshôl · stumblingH4383
- of his iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
- beforeנֹ֫כַחnôkach · beforeH5227
- his faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- and comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- I the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- will answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- according to the multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
Cross-references for Ezekiel 14:4
- Ezekiel 2:7You must speak my words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.
- Ezekiel 3:4He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.
- Ezekiel 14:7For when anyone from the house of Israel, or the foreigner who lives in Israel, separates himself from me and erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet to seek something from me, I the Lord am determined to answer him personally.
- 1 Kings 21:20When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
- 2 Kings 1:16Elijah said to the king, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You sent messengers to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron. You must think there is no God in Israel from whom you can seek an oracle! Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’”
- Isaiah 3:11Too bad for the wicked sinners! For they will get exactly what they deserve.
- Isaiah 66:4So I will choose severe punishment for them; I will bring on them what they dread, because I called, and no one responded, I spoke and they did not listen. They did evil before me; they chose to do what displeases me.”
Commentaries on Ezekiel 14:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4According to the multitude of his idols - I will treat him as an idolater, as a flagrant idolater.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Omit “that cometh.” According to the multitiude of his idols - i. e., I will give him an answer as delusive as the idols which he serves. Compare Micaiah‘s answer to Ahab 1 Kings 22:15.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5The exiles acted as if they were seeking the Lord. But they were only going through the motions. They performed the outward actions, yet their hearts had turned away from him. They were worshiping idols, which the Lord calls detestable (deeply hateful and unclean). It was easy for them to think that Babylon’s many military victories proved something. They could begin to believe that real power belonged to the Babylonian gods, not to the Lord.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. and cometh--and yet cometh, reigning himself to be a true worshipper of Jehovah. him that cometh--so the Hebrew Margin reads. But the Hebrew text reading is, "according to it, according to the multitude of his idols"; the anticipative clause with the pronoun not being pleonastic, but increasing the emphasis of the following clause with the noun. "I will answer," literally, reflexively, "I will Myself (or for Myself) answer him." according to…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 14:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 14
- 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
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