New International Version
Ezekiel 33:2
2“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,
Ezekiel 33:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman.
Context of Ezekiel 33:2
1The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.
Read all of Ezekiel 33Ezekiel 33:2 word by word
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־עַמְּךָ֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֶ֕רֶץ כִּֽי־אָבִ֥יא עָלֶ֖יהָ חָ֑רֶב וְלָקְח֨וּ עַם־הָאָ֜רֶץ אִ֤ישׁ אֶחָד֙ מִקְצֵיהֶ֔ם וְנָתְנ֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ לָהֶ֖ם לְצֹפֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- to the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, When I bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- upon a landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- aאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of their coastsקָצֶהqâtseh qêtseh · endH7097
- and setנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- him for their watchmanצָפָהtsâphâh · to watchH6822
Cross-references for Ezekiel 33:2
- Ezekiel 33:17“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just.
- Ezekiel 3:11Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.”
- Ezekiel 6:3and say: ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.
- Ezekiel 11:8You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.
- Ezekiel 14:17“Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals,
- Ezekiel 21:9“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “ ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—
- Leviticus 26:25And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.
- Jeremiah 12:12Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm, for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.
- Jeremiah 15:2And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “ ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’
- Jeremiah 25:31The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,’ ” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 47:6“ ‘Alas, sword of the Lord, how long till you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still.’
- Jeremiah 47:7But how can it rest when the Lord has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”
- Zechariah 13:7“Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
- Ezekiel 33:7“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
- 2 Samuel 18:24While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone.
- 2 Kings 9:17When the lookout standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, he called out, “I see some troops coming.” “Get a horseman,” Joram ordered. “Send him to meet them and ask, ‘Do you come in peace?’ ”
Commentaries on Ezekiel 33:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Son of man - if the people of the land take a man - The first ten verses of this chapter are the same with Ezekiel 3:17-22; and to what is said there on this most important and awful subject I must refer the reader. Here the People choose the watchman; there, the Lord appoints him. When God chooses, the people should approve.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-4watchman: See study note on Ezekiel 3:16219. The message about the watchman is part of Ezekiel’s public announcement, not a private task. It emphasizes that the listeners are responsible for acting on the watchman’s message. Before Jerusalem's destruction, people ignored the warning. After the exile, they struggled to believe the message of hope. In both situations, Ezekiel faced rejection and was tempted to stay silent. God warned him again that he could…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-33Heretofore his functions had been chiefly threatening; from this point, after the evil had got to its worst in the overthrow of Jerusalem, the consolatory element preponderates. 2. to the children of thy people--whom he had been forbidden to address from Eze 24:26, 27, till Jerusalem was overthrown, and the "escaped" came with tidings of the judgment being completed. So now, in Eze 33:21, the tidings of the fact having arrived, he opens his heretofore…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 33:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 33
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- 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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