Ezekiel 12:9
in Ezekiel 12“Son of man, hasn’t the rebellious house of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?
KJV
Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?
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This verse in Ezekiel 12
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
in the morning the word of the LORD came to me
on Ezekiel 12:8-11
The explanation comes the next morning. The Lord names the target: “This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are there.” Ezekiel is to say, “I am a sign to you,” his own actions a small enactment of the exile to come.
This site's exposition
What are you doing?
The acted sign works, and the rebellious house asks Ezekiel what he is doing. Matthew Henry notes that the strange act was chosen to draw such a question. Their asking opens the way for the answer of the LORD.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 9) And the word of the Lord came to me in the morning, saying: Son of man, did not the house of Israel, the house of rebellion, say to you, 'What are you doing?' Say to them: Thus says the Lord God. If the rebellious house, they say, asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' Or even if they do not ask, you go, so that they may know why you have done these things. Say to them: Thus says the Lord God.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Though they are a rebellious house, yet they are inquisitive concerning the mind of God," as those ( Isa. lviii. 2 ) who sought God daily. Therefore the prophet must do such a strange uncouth thing, that they might enquire what it meant; and then, it may be hoped, people will take notice of what is told them, and profit by it, when it comes to them in answer to their enquiries.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
[Concerning] the prince is this burden Concerning King Zedekiah, I am showing this מַשָּׂא, burden, an expression denoting prophecy.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Say to them, 'Thus said Hashem Elokim: This burden of nevuah is upon the prince in Yerushalayim, and all the house of Yisrael who are among them.'
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן־ | ben- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֕ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| הֲלֹ֨א | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָמְר֥וּ | ʾameru | have they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֶ֛יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַמֶּ֑רִי | hameri | <the> rebellion | H4805 → | 23 times |
| מָ֖ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אַתָּ֥ה | ʾatah | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עֹשֶֽׂה׃ | ʾoseh | doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
בֶּן־O son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֕םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
הֲלֹ֨א¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
אָמְר֥וּhave they said
ʾameruH559 →5305 times
אֵלֶ֛יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
הַמֶּ֑רִי<the> rebellion
hameriH4805 →23 times
מָ֖הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
אַתָּ֥ה[are] you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
עֹשֶֽׂה׃doing
ʾosehH6213 →2628 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
Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”
it leads to
- John 16:25
I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father.
- Matthew 13:13–14
This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
- John 16:25
Through
Ezekiel 17:12“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 24:19
Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”
- Ezekiel 17:3
and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top…
- Ezekiel 1:2
On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—
- Ezekiel 2:3–5
“Son of man,” He said to me, “I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. To this very day they and their fathers have rebelled against…
- Luke 9:45
But they did not understand this statement. It was veiled from them so that they could not comprehend it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
- Ezekiel 24:19
Through
Ezekiel 24:19Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?”
it leads to
- Ezekiel 37:18
When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these?’
- Ezekiel 37:18
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.