New International Version
Ezekiel 14:4
4Therefore 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.
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;
- 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,
- New Living Translation (NLT)Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves.
Context of Ezekiel 14:4
2Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 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. 5I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ 6“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
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 fail to listen, for they are rebellious.
- Ezekiel 3:4He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.
- Ezekiel 14:7“ ‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself.
- 1 Kings 21:20Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.
- 2 Kings 1:16He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”
- Isaiah 3:11Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.
- Isaiah 66:4so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose 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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries