New Living Translation
Ezekiel 33:3
3When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people.
Ezekiel 33:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
- New International Version (NIV)and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people,
- English Standard Version (ESV)and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people,
- New King James Version (NKJV)when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
Context of Ezekiel 33:3
1Once again a message came to me from the Lord: 2“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. When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. 4Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. 5They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives.
Read all of Ezekiel 33Ezekiel 33:3 word by word
וְרָאָ֥ה אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב בָּאָ֣ה עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְתָקַ֥ע בַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר וְהִזְהִ֥יר אֶת־הָעָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If when he seethרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- upon the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- he blowתָּקַעtâqa‛ · to blowH8628
- the trumpetשֹׁפָרshôphâr shôphâr · trumpetH7782
- and warnזָהַרzâhar · to warnH2094
- the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
Cross-references for Ezekiel 33:3
- Ezekiel 33:8If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.
- Nehemiah 4:18All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.
- Isaiah 58:1“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins!
- Jeremiah 4:5“Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem! Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land: ‘Run for your lives! Flee to the fortified cities!’
- Jeremiah 6:1“Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem! Sound the alarm in Tekoa! Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem! A powerful army is coming from the north, coming with disaster and destruction.
- Jeremiah 51:27Raise a signal flag to the nations. Sound the battle cry! Mobilize them all against Babylon. Prepare them to fight against her! Bring out the armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander, and bring a multitude of horses like swarming locusts!
- Hosea 8:1“Sound the alarm! The enemy descends like an eagle on the people of the Lord, for they have broken my covenant and revolted against my law.
- Joel 2:1Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us.
- Amos 3:6When the ram’s horn blows a warning, shouldn’t the people be alarmed? Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has planned it?
- 1 Corinthians 14:8And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?
Commentaries on Ezekiel 33:3
- 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. 33. the sword--invaders. An appropriate illustration at the time of the invasion of Judea by Nebuchadnezzar.Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 33:3
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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