Ezekiel 15:3
in Ezekiel 15Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can one make from it a peg on which to hang utensils?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Shall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
KJV
Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
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This verse in Ezekiel 15
Commentary
3 notes on this verseShall wood be taken thereof to do any work?.... The carpenter and joiner, the house or ship builder, are employed in; as to build houses of, make beams, rafters, floors, &c. build ships with, make masts of, &c. or any vessel or utensil for the use of man? it never is; it is not fit for any such purpose.
This site's exposition
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
on Ezekiel 15:1-3
The parable opens with a question that already carries its own answer: the vine is not valued for its wood, unlike forest trees which yield beams or pins to hang a vessel on, because a vine's whole worth is in its fruit. Henry reads the comparison as deliberately unflattering to a nation that prided itself on being God's own planting, since a fruitless vine has less practical use than a common forest branch. Gill notes the question form forces the hearer to supply the humbling answer before the application ever arrives.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Among the plants, the roots of some, the seeds or fruits of others, the leaves of others, and of some the stalks, are most serviceable to us; so, among trees, some are strong and not fruitful, as the oaks and cedars; others are weak but very fruitful, as the vine, which is unsightly, low, and depending, yet of great use.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
what will become of the vine tree out of all [other] trees How will its end be different from that of all other trees?
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Behold, [if] it were given to the fire to be consumed Adevorer in Old French, to be devoured, consumed. Behold I asked you about a whole one, which is not fit for anything.
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. 5 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
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲיֻקַּ֤ח | hayukach | ¿ is it taken | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ | mimenu | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| עֵ֔ץ | ʾetz | wood | H6086 → | 328 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת | laasot | to make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִמְלָאכָ֑ה | limlakhah | into a product | H4399 → | 167 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | or? | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יִקְח֤וּ | yikchu | do people take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ | mimenu | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| יָתֵ֔ד | yated | a peg | H3489 → | |
| לִתְל֥וֹת | litlot | to hang | H8518 → | 27 times |
| עָלָ֖יו | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| כֶּֽלִי׃ | keli | vessel | H3627 → | 325 times |
הֲיֻקַּ֤ח¿ is it taken
hayukachH3947 →966 times
מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙from it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
עֵ֔ץwood
ʾetzH6086 →328 times
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹתto make
laasotH6213 →2628 times
לִמְלָאכָ֑הinto a product
limlakhahH4399 →167 times
אִם־or?
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יִקְח֤וּdo people take
yikchuH3947 →966 times
מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙from it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
יָתֵ֔דa peg
yatedH3489 →
לִתְל֥וֹתto hang
litlotH8518 →27 times
עָלָ֖יוon it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
כֶּֽלִי׃vessel
keliH3627 →325 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 5:13You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and…
it leads to
- Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 14:34–35
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?
- Mark 9:49–50
For everyone will be salted with fire.
- Leviticus 2:13
And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering; you are to add salt to…
- Hebrews 6:4–6
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- Colossians 4:6
Through
Mark 9:50Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
it leads to
- Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and…
- Romans 12:18
If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.
- Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- Matthew 5:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.