New Living Translation
Ezekiel 11:3
3They say to the people, ‘Is it not a good time to build houses? This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside it like meat in a pot.’
Ezekiel 11:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
- New International Version (NIV)They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot, and we are the meat in it.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)who say, 'The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the meat.’
Context of Ezekiel 11:3
1Then the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the east gateway of the Lord’s Temple, where I saw twenty-five prominent men of the city. Among them were Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders among the people. 2The Spirit said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are planning evil and giving wicked counsel in this city. They say to the people, ‘Is it not a good time to build houses? This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside it like meat in a pot.’ 4Therefore, son of man, prophesy against them loudly and clearly.” 5Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and he told me to say, “This is what the Lord says to the people of Israel: I know what you are saying, for I know every thought that comes into your minds.
Read all of Ezekiel 11Ezekiel 11:3 word by word
הָאֹ֣מְרִ֔ים לֹ֥א בְקָר֖וֹב בְּנ֣וֹת בָּתִּ֑ים הִ֣יא הַסִּ֔יר וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ הַבָּשָֽׂר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ezekiel 11:3
- Ezekiel 7:7O people of Israel, the day of your destruction is dawning. The time has come; the day of trouble is near. Shouts of anguish will be heard on the mountains, not shouts of joy.
- Ezekiel 12:22“Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’
- Isaiah 5:19They even mock God and say, “Hurry up and do something! We want to see what you can do. Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan, for we want to know what it is.”
- Jeremiah 1:11Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
- Amos 6:5You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David.
- 2 Peter 3:4They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”
- Ezekiel 11:7“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: This city is an iron pot all right, but the pieces of meat are the victims of your injustice. As for you, I will soon drag you from this pot.
- Ezekiel 24:3Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign Lord: “Put a pot on the fire, and pour in some water.
- Jeremiah 1:13Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, “What do you see now?” And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.”
Commentaries on Ezekiel 11:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3It is not near - That is, the threatened invasion. This city is the caldron, and we be the flesh - See the vision of the seething pot, Jeremiah 1:13. These infidels seem to say: "We will run all risks, we will abide in the city. Though it be the caldron, and we the flesh, yet we will share its fate: if it perish, we will perish with it." Or they may allude to the above prediction of Jeremiah, in order to ridicule it: "We were to have been boiled long ago…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3It is not near - In contradiction to Ezekiel 7:2. Let us build houses - “To build houses” implies a sense of security. Jeremiah bade the exiles “build houses” in a foreign land because they would not soon quit it Jeremiah 29:5; Jeremiah 35:7. These false counselors promised to their countrymen a sure and permanent abode in the city which God had doomed to destruction. No need, they said, to go far for safety; you are perfectly safe at home. The Hebrew…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-11The Spirit showed Ezekiel God's view of Jerusalem, then let him hear the city's people. The wicked advisors claimed that although the Babylonian attack (the fire) was difficult (hot), the city's defenses (the pot) were strong enough to protect them (the meat). These advisors encouraged people to build houses on stolen land (see Ezekiel 11:15, 17), believing they would be safe. God, however, was determined to judge the wicked.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. It is not near--namely, the destruction of the city; therefore "let us build houses," as if there was no fear. But the Hebrew opposes English Version, which would require the infinitive absolute. Rather, "Not at hand is the building of houses." They sneer at Jeremiah's letter to the captives, among whom Ezekiel lived (Jr 29:5). "Build ye houses, and dwell in them," that is, do not fancy, as many persuade you, that your sojourn in Babylon is to be…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 11:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 11
- 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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