New King James Version
Ezekiel 3:27
27But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 3:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
- New International Version (NIV)But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels.
Context of Ezekiel 3:27
25And you, O son of man, surely they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. 26I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
Read all of Ezekiel 3Ezekiel 3:27 word by word
וּֽבְדַבְּרִ֤י אֽוֹתְךָ֙ אֶפְתַּ֣ח אֶת־פִּ֔יךָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֑ה הַשֹּׁמֵ֤עַ׀ יִשְׁמָע֙ וְהֶחָדֵ֣ל׀ יֶחְדָּ֔ל כִּ֛י בֵּ֥ית מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But when I speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- withאֵת'êth · withH854
- thee, I will openפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- thy mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- and thou shalt sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- He that hearethשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- and he that forbearethחָדֵלchâdêl · rejected/fleetingH2310
- let him forbearחָדַלchâdal · to ceaseH2308
- a rebelliousמְרִיmerîy · rebellionH4805
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
Cross-references for Ezekiel 3:27
- Ezekiel 11:25So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the Lord had shown me.
- Ezekiel 24:27On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you shall speak and no longer be mute. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”
- Ezekiel 29:21‘In that day I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”
- Ezekiel 33:32Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.
- Exodus 4:11So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?
- Luke 21:15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
- Ephesians 6:19and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
- Ezekiel 3:11And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”
- Ezekiel 2:5As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
- Matthew 11:15He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
- Matthew 13:9He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
- Revelation 22:10And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
- Ezekiel 3:9Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”
- Ezekiel 12:2“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 3:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27I will open thy mouth - When it is necessary to address them again, thou shalt sum up what thou hast said in this one speech: Thus saith the Lord, "He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear." Let him who feels obedience to the voice of God his interest, be steadfast. Let him who disregards the Divine monition go in his own way, and abide the consequences.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27He that heareth - The judicial blindness of which Ezekiel speaks had already fallen upon the great body of the nation (Ezekiel 14:4. Compare Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:11).Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-27Verses 22-27 Let us own ourselves for ever indebted to the mediation of Christ, for the blessed intercourse between God and man; and a true believer will say, I am never less alone than when thus alone. When the Lord opened Ezekiel's mouth, he was to deliver his message boldly, to place life and death, the blessing and the curse, before the people, and leave them to their choice.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-27God also controlled Ezekiel’s speech. It was as if his tongue were bound to the roof of his mouth. He could speak only when God allowed him to speak words of judgment. Ezekiel was not physically unable to talk. However, God limited what he could say. He could announce only the message of disaster that God gave him. He was not allowed to speak anything else. This made Ezekiel’s role different from that of most prophets. Many prophets could pray for the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. when I speak ... I will open thy mouth--opposed to the silence imposed on the prophet, to punish the people (Eze 3:26). After the interval of silence has awakened their attention to the cause of it, namely, their sins, they may then hearken to the prophecies which they would not do before. He that heareth, let him hear ... forbear--that is, thou hast done thy part, whether they hear or forbear. He who shall forbear to hear, it shall be at his own…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 3:27
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries