Tree of Life Version
Ezekiel 24:17
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.”
Ezekiel 24:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.
- New International Version (NIV)Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat man’s bread of sorrow.”
Context of Ezekiel 24:17
15The word of Adonai came to me saying: 16“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. Sigh 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. 19The people said to me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”
Read all of Ezekiel 24Ezekiel 24:17 word by word
הֵאָנֵ֣ק׀ דֹּ֗ם מֵתִים֙ אֵ֣בֶל לֹֽא־תַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה פְאֵֽרְךָ֙ חֲב֣וֹשׁ עָלֶ֔יךָ וּנְעָלֶ֖יךָ תָּשִׂ֣ים בְּרַגְלֶ֑יךָ וְלֹ֤א תַעְטֶה֙ עַל־שָׂפָ֔ם וְלֶ֥חֶם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forbearדָּמַםdâmam · to silence: silentH1826
- to cryאָנַק'ânaq · to groanH602
- makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- no mourningאֵ֫בֶל'êbel · mourningH60
- for the deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- bindחָבַשׁchâbash · to saddle/tieH2280
- the tire of thine headפְּאֵרpe'êr · headdressH6287
- upon thee, and put onשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- thy shoesנַ֫עַלna‛al na‛ălâh · sandalH5275
- upon thy feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- and coverעָטָה‛âţâh · to enwrapH5844
- lipsשָׂפָםώâphâm · mustacheH8222
- and eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- not the breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- of menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
Cross-references for Ezekiel 24:17
- Psalms 37:7Be still before Adonai and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret over one prospering in his way, over one carrying out wicked schemes.
- Psalms 39:9Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of a fool.
- Psalms 46:10He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns chariots with fire.
- Amos 8:3The songs of the palace will become howls in that day.” It is a declaration of my Lord Adonai. “So many corpses flung everywhere! Hush!
- Habakkuk 2:20But Adonai is in His holy Temple. Let all the land be silent before Him.
- Jeremiah 16:4They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be lamented or buried, but will be like dung on the surface of the ground. They will be consumed by the sword and famine, and their carcasses will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.
- Ezekiel 24:23Your turbans will remain on your heads and your shoes on your feet—you will not lament or weep. But you will pine away in your iniquities and groan to each other.
- Leviticus 10:6Then Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons: “Do not uncover your heads or tear your clothes, so you may not die and He will not be angry with the entire congregation. But let your kinsmen—the whole house of Israel—mourn over the burning that Adonai has kindled.
- Leviticus 21:10“He who is the kohen gadol among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured and is consecrated to put on the garments, is not to let the hair of his head hang loose or tear his clothes,
- 2 Samuel 15:30Then David continued to go up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he ascended. He had his head covered and was walking barefoot. So all the people with him each covered his head as they went up, weeping as they ascended.
- Ezekiel 24:22You will do just as I have done: you will not cover your upper lips or eat the bread of mourners.
- Leviticus 13:45“The one with tza'arat who has the plague-mark shall wear torn clothes, the hair of his head is to hang loose, he is to cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
- Micah 3:7So the seers will be ashamed and the diviners will be abashed. Indeed all of them will cover their lips, for there will be no answer from God.
- Hosea 9:4They will pour no wine-offerings to Adonai— they would not be pleasing to Him. Their sacrifices will be like the bread of mourners for them. All that eat it will be defiled, for their bread is for their appetite, not coming into the House of Adonai.
- Jeremiah 16:7No one will break bread for them in mourning, to give comfort for the dead. Nor will anyone offer a cup of consolation to drink for anyone’s father or for his mother.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 24:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Make no mourning - As a priest, he could make no public mourning, Leviticus 21:1, etc. Bind the tire of thine head - This seems to refer to the high priest's bonnet; or perhaps, one worn by the ordinary priests: it might have been a black veil to cover the head. Put on thy shoes upon thy feet - Walking barefoot was a sign of grief. Cover not thy lips - Mourners covered the under part of the face, from the nose to the bottom of the chin. Eat not the bread…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. 1717. Forbear to cry--or, "Lament in silence"; not forbidding sorrow, but the loud expression of it [Grotius]. no mourning--typical of the universality of the ruin of Jerusalem, which would preclude mourning, such as is usual where calamity is but partial. "The dead" is purposely put in the plural, as referring ultimately to the dead who should perish at the taking of Jerusalem; though the singular might have been expected, as Ezekiel's wife was the…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 24:17
In the dictionaries
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
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