Ezekiel 12:23
in Ezekiel 12Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will put an end to this proverb, and in Israel they will no longer recite it.’ But say to them: ‘The days are at hand when every vision will be fulfilled.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the fulfilment of every vision.
KJV
Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
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This verse in Ezekiel 12
Commentary
10 notes on this verseIt is said, it is sworn, that delay shall be no longer ( Rev. x. 6 ); the year of God's patience has now just expired, and he will no longer defer the execution of the sentence.
This site's exposition
the word of the LORD came to me
on Ezekiel 12:21-25
A new oracle answers a proverb, “The days go by, and every vision fails,” a saying that made every delay a reason to ignore prophecy. Keil sets this saying beside the sour grapes proverb of chapter 18.
This site's exposition
every vision will be fulfilled
The LORD ends the proverb with a new saying of His own. Now the days are near when every vision comes true. Adam Clarke notes that time was running out and the threatened ruin was at the door.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 21 and following) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying: The days are prolonged, and every vision fails? Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will make this proverb to cease, and it shall be used no more in Israel. Speak to them, and say: The days are at hand, and every vision shall be fulfilled. For there shall no longer be any false vision, nor ambiguous divination in the midst of the children of Israel.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
); it shall not return void, but every sign shall be answered by the thing signified." Those that see the visions of the Almighty do not see vain visions; God confirms the word of his servants by performing it. (3.) It shall be accomplished very shortly: " The days are at hand when you shall see the effect of every vision,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Tell them therefore,....
Faith comes by hearing that word of prophecy which is more sure than vision. We may keep up our communion with God without raptures and ecstasies. In these verses the prophet is directed, I.
How they flattered themselves with hopes that the judgments should be delayed. One saying they had, which had become proverbial in the land of Israel,
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
effect--literally, "the word," namely, fulfilled; that is, the effective fulfilment of whatever the prophets have spoken is at hand.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The days are at hand - Far from failing or being prolonged, time is posting on, and the destruction threatened is at the door.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֞ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| אֱמֹ֣ר | ʾemor | say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַר֮ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִה֒ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| הִשְׁבַּ֙תִּי֙ | hishbati | I will make to cease | H7673 → | 71 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמָּשָׁ֣ל | hamashal | the proverb | H4912 → | 39 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִמְשְׁל֥וּ | yimshelu | people will use as a proverb | H4911 → | 16 times |
| אֹת֛וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| ע֖וֹד | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כִּ֚י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| דַּבֵּ֣ר | daber | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| קָֽרְבוּ֙ | karevu | they have drawn near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| הַיָּמִ֔ים | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וּדְבַ֖ר | udevar | and [the] matter of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חָזֽוֹן׃ | chazon | vision | H2377 → | 35 times |
לָכֵ֞ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
אֱמֹ֣רsay
ʾemorH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֗םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַר֮he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִה֒Yahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
הִשְׁבַּ֙תִּי֙I will make to cease
hishbatiH7673 →71 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמָּשָׁ֣לthe proverb
hamashalH4912 →39 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִמְשְׁל֥וּpeople will use as a proverb
yimsheluH4911 →16 times
אֹת֛וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
ע֖וֹדagain
odH5750 →490 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לin Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
כִּ֚יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
דַּבֵּ֣רspeak
daberH1696 →1141 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֔םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
קָֽרְבוּ֙they have drawn near
karevuH7126 →280 times
הַיָּמִ֔יםthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
וּדְבַ֖רand [the] matter of
udevarH1697 →1440 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חָזֽוֹן׃vision
chazonH2377 →35 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 24:34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
it leads to
- Mark 13:30–31
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
- Luke 21:32–33
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
- Matthew 16:28
Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
- Matthew 23:36
Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
- Mark 13:30–31
Through
Joel 2:1Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near—
it leads to
- Joel 2:15
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.
- Joel 1:15
Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
- 1 Peter 4:7
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.
- Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of…
- Joel 2:15
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.