Ezekiel 14:7
in Ezekiel 14For when any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling in Israel separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I the LORD will answer him Myself.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Jehovah will answer him by myself:
KJV
For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself:
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This verse in Ezekiel 14
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The stranger - They who sojourned among Israel, though they were not of Israel, were bound to abstain from idol-worship Lev 17:10; Lev 20:2. By myself - Or, as in Eze 14:4, “according to” Myself. He who comes to inquire with a heart full of idolatry shall have his answer, (1) “according to the multitude of his idols” - in delusion, (2) “according to the holiness of God” - in punishment.
This site's exposition
Repent and turn away from your idols
on Ezekiel 14:6-8
“Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.” The warning covers “any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling in Israel,” one standard for native and resident alike. The man who refuses is made “a sign and a proverb”.
This site's exposition
any foreigner dwelling in Israel
Barnes notes that the law already bound resident foreigners to shun idols, at Leviticus 17:10 and 20:2. The LORD answers such a man Himself, with no prophet between them. The reply is judgment.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Those dissatisfied with any facet of your creation are unsound in mind, as I was when many things that you made displeased me. Because my soul did not dare to be dissatisfied with my God, it would not identify as yours whatever dissatisfied it. In this way it had strayed into a belief in two substances, and it got no rest but recounted the opinions of others. Recoiling from that error, it had made for itself a god inhabiting the boundless area of all space, and it had considered that god to be you, and had "set it in its heart" and had become again the shrine of its idol, deserving of your loathing. But after you stroked my ignorant head and closed my eyes so that they should not see vanity, I retired from myself a little, and my madness was lulled to sleep. I awoke in you and saw you infinite in a different way, and that vision was not with the eyes of the flesh.
(Chapter 14, Verse 1 onwards) And the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I be consulted by them?
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For everyone of the house of Israel,....
The same thing is repeated, which intimates God's just displeasure against hypocrites, who mock him with the shows and forms of devotion, while their hearts are estranged from him and at war with him.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
FAIRBAIRN translates, as it is the same Hebrew as in the previous clause, "concerning Me," it is natural that God should use the same expression in His reply as was used in the consultation of Him.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And cometh to a prophet - Generally supposed to mean a false prophet. I the Lord will answer him by myself - I shall discover to him, by my own true prophet, what shall be the fruit of his ways. So, while their false prophets were assuring them of peace and prosperity, God’s prophets were predicting the calamities that afterwards fell upon them. Yet they believed the false prophets in preference to the true. Ahab, about to engage with the Syrians, who had possession of Ramoth-Gilead, asked Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord, concerning the event; who told him he should lose the battle. He then inquired of Zedekiah, a false prophet, who promised him a glorious victory. Ahab believed the latter, marched against the enemy, was routed, and slain in the battle, 1Ki 22:10, etc.
The words behind it
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אִ֜ישׁ | ʾish | a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִבֵּ֣ית | mibeit | from [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וּמֵהַגֵּר֮ | umehager | and from the sojourner | H1616 → | 92 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָג֣וּר | yagur | he sojourns | H1481 → | 97 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒ | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְיִנָּזֵ֣ר | veyinazer | so he may separate himself | H5144 → | |
| מֵֽאַחֲרַ֗י | meacharai | from after me | H310 → | 715 times |
| וְיַ֤עַל | veyaal | and he will bring up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| גִּלּוּלָיו֙ | gilulav | idols his | H1544 → | 48 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לִבּ֔וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וּמִכְשׁ֣וֹל | umikhshol | and [the] stumbling block of | H4383 → | 14 times |
| עֲוֹנ֔וֹ | avono | iniquity his | H5771 → | 233 times |
| יָשִׂ֖ים | yasim | he will put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| נֹ֣כַח | nokhach | before | H5227 → | 25 times |
| פָּנָ֑יו | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וּבָ֤א | uva' | and he will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַנָּבִיא֙ | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| לִדְרָשׁ־ | lidrosh- | to consult | H1875 → | 164 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| בִ֔י | vi | <in> <the> me | ||
| אֲנִ֣י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| נַֽעֲנֶה־ | naaneh- | [will] let myself give an answer | H6030 → | |
| לּ֖וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| בִּֽי׃ | bi | by <the> myself |
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִ֨ישׁa person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אִ֜ישׁa person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִבֵּ֣יתfrom [the] house of
mibeitH1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וּמֵהַגֵּר֮and from the sojourner
umehagerH1616 →92 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יָג֣וּרhe sojourns
yagurH1481 →97 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒in Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְיִנָּזֵ֣רso he may separate himself
veyinazerH5144 →
מֵֽאַחֲרַ֗יfrom after me
meacharaiH310 →715 times
וְיַ֤עַלand he will bring up
veyaalH5927 →890 times
גִּלּוּלָיו֙idols his
gilulavH1544 →48 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
לִבּ֔וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
וּמִכְשׁ֣וֹלand [the] stumbling block of
umikhsholH4383 →14 times
עֲוֹנ֔וֹiniquity his
avonoH5771 →233 times
יָשִׂ֖יםhe will put
yasimH7760 →584 times
נֹ֣כַחbefore
nokhachH5227 →25 times
פָּנָ֑יוface his
panavH6440 →2123 times
וּבָ֤אand he will go
uva'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַנָּבִיא֙the prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 times
לִדְרָשׁ־to consult
lidrosh-H1875 →164 times
ל֣וֹto <the> him
lo
בִ֔י<in> <the> me
vi
אֲנִ֣יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
נַֽעֲנֶה־[will] let myself give an answer
naaneh-H6030 →
לּ֖וֹto <the> him
lo
בִּֽי׃by <the> myself
bi
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
Exodus 12:48If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover, all the males in the household must be circumcised; then he may come near to celebrate it, and he shall be…
it leads to
- Numbers 9:14
If a foreigner dwelling among you wants to observe the Passover to the LORD, he is to do so according to the Passover statute and its ordinances. You are to apply the same statute…
- Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
- Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- Numbers 15:15–16
The assembly is to have the same statute both for you and for the foreign resident; it is a permanent statute for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same…
- Exodus 12:19
For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation…
- Numbers 9:14
Through
Leviticus 20:2“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.
it leads to
- Leviticus 24:23
Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. So the Israelites did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
- Leviticus 24:14
“Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him.
- Deuteronomy 21:21
Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.
- Leviticus 24:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Augustine of Hippo, Confessions 7.14.20; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.