Ezekiel 24:16

Ezekiel 24:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
• New International Version (NIV)“Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down.

Context of Ezekiel 24:16

14I, Adonai, have spoken —it is coming. I will do it, I will not let go, not pity, not relent —according to your ways and according to your deeds they will judge you.’” It is a declaration of Adonai. 15The word of Adonai came to me saying: “Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a single blow. But do not lament, do not weep or allow any tears to flow. 17Sigh silently, do not observe mourning for the dead, keep your turban fastened, and keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your upper lip or eat the bread of mourners.” 18So I spoke to the people in the morning and my wife died in the evening. In the morning I did just as I was commanded.

Ezekiel 24:16 word by word

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנְנִ֨י לֹקֵ֧חַ מִמְּךָ֛ אֶת־מַחְמַ֥ד עֵינֶ֖יךָ בְּמַגֵּפָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תִסְפֹּד֙ וְלֹ֣א תִבְכֶּ֔ה וְל֥וֹא תָב֖וֹא דִּמְעָתֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• behold, I take awayלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• from thee the desireמַחְמָדmachmâd · desireH4261
• of thine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• with a strokeמַגֵּפָהmaggêphâh · plagueH4046
• yet neither shalt thou mournסָפַדsâphad · to mournH5594
• nor weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• neither shall thy tearsדִּמְעָהdim‛âh · tearsH1832
• run downבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935

Cross-references for Ezekiel 24:16

• Ezekiel 24:18So I spoke to the people in the morning and my wife died in the evening. In the morning I did just as I was commanded.
• Proverbs 5:19A lovely hind, a graceful doe— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you always be captivated by her love.
• Job 36:18Beware lest wrath entice you with riches; or a large bribe turn you aside.
• Ezekiel 24:21speak to the house of Israel, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I will profane My Sanctuary, the pride of your might, the desire of your eyes and the longing of your soul. Your sons and your daughters that you have left behind will fall by the sword.
• Leviticus 10:2So fire came out from the presence of Adonai and consumed them. So they died before Adonai.
• Jeremiah 22:10Weep not for the dead or bemoan him. Weep bitterly for him who departs, for he will never return, or see his native country again.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest who have no hope.
• Jeremiah 9:1If only I had a travelers’ lodging place in the wilderness, then I might leave my people and get away from them! For they are all adulterers, a bunch of traitors.
• Jeremiah 13:17But if you will not listen, my soul will sob in secret before such pride, and my eyes will weep bitterly and overflow with tears, for Adonai’s flock will be taken captive.
• Lamentations 2:18Their heart cried out to the Lord: O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 24:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes - Here is an intimation that the stroke he was to suffer was to be above all grief; that it would be so great as to prevent the relief of tears. Curae leves loquuntur, graviores silent, is a well-accredited maxim in such cases. Superficial griefs affect the more easily moved passions; great ones affect the soul itself, in its powers of reasoning, reflecting, comparing, recollecting, etc., when the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-27Verses 16-27 The death of Ezekiel‘s wife took place in the evening of the same day that he delivered the foregoing prophecy. This event was to signify to the people that the Lord would take from them all that was most dear to them; and - owing to the extraordinary nature of the times - quiet lamentation for the dead, according to the usual forms of mourning, would be impossible. Ezekiel 24:17 The priest in general was to mourn for his dead (Leviticus 21:1…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-27Verses 15-27 Though mourning for the dead is a duty, yet it must be kept under by religion and right reason: we must not sorrow as men that have no hope. Believers must not copy the language and expressions of those who know not God. The people asked the meaning of the sign. God takes from them all that was dearest to them. And as Ezekiel wept not for his affliction, so neither should they weep for theirs. Blessed be God, we need not pine away under our…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17Nowhere do we see a prophet so deeply involved in his message as in this event. God took the life of Ezekiel’s wife. Yet Ezekiel was not allowed to mourn her openly, even though she was very precious to him. Ezekiel was a priest (Ezekiel 1:3). Priests had strict rules about mourning. When people mourned, they often tore their clothes and left their hair uncombed. These public signs of grief made a person ceremonially unclean (not fit for worship). Priests…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. desire of ... eyes--his wife: representing the sanctuary (Eze 24:21) in which the Jews so much gloried. The energy and subordination of Ezekiel's whole life to his prophetic office is strikingly displayed in this narrative of his wife's death. It is the only memorable event of his personal history which he records, and this only in reference to his soul-absorbing work. His natural tenderness is shown by that graphic touch, "the desire of thine eyes."…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 24:16

• Bereavement
• Ezekiel
• Instruction
• Minister, Christian
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• Son of man
• Pine
• Profane
• Set
• Tell
• Tire
• Ezekiel

Commentaries on Ezekiel 24

• 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