New English Translation
Ezekiel 20:3
3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, declares the sovereign Lord.’
Ezekiel 20:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.
- New International Version (NIV)“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you.” ’
Context of Ezekiel 20:3
1In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to seek the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 2The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, declares the sovereign Lord.’ 4“Are you willing to pronounce judgment? Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers, 5and say to them: “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore to them, “I am the Lord your God.”
Read all of Ezekiel 20Ezekiel 20:3 word by word
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶת־זִקְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הֲלִדְרֹ֥שׁ אֹתִ֖י אַתֶּ֣ם בָּאִ֑ים חַי־אָ֙נִי֙ אִם־אִדָּרֵ֣שׁ לָכֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- Are ye comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to enquireדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- I liveחַיchay · aliveH2416
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
Commentaries on Ezekiel 20:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3I will not be inquired of by you - I will not hear you. I will have nothing to do with you.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Enquire - As to the hope of deliverance from the Babylonians.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3In the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, five more years remained before Jerusalem's destruction. The leaders (literally elders) of Israel, who were the community's elders in exile, came to Ezekiel again, seeking a message from the Lord (compare Ezekiel 8:1; 14:1). Normally, it is good to seek a message from the Lord. But these leaders had already been judged because their motives were divided (see Ezekiel 14). They did not truly seek God with…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-323. The chapter falls into two great parts: Eze 20:1-32, the recital of the people's rebellions during five distinct periods: in Egypt, the wilderness, on the borders of Canaan when a new generation arose, in Canaan, and in the time of the prophet. I will not be inquired of by you--because their moral state precluded them from capability of knowing the will of God (Psa 66:18; Pr 28:9; Joh 7:17).Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 20:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 20
- 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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