Ezekiel 2:7
in Ezekiel 2But speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious.
KJV
And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
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This verse in Ezekiel 2
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Vers. 7, 8.) And you shall speak my words to them: if perhaps they will hear, and be afraid, or be quiet, since they are provokers. But you, son of man, hear what I speak to you. Therefore, you must not cease, although they are wicked to whom we speak; indeed, according to the Apostle (II Tim. IV), we must preach the word of God opportune and importune, because it is possible that even a stubborn person may be corrected to gentleness, and someone who is obedient, with a change of will, may not hear.
This site's exposition
briers and thorns surround you
on Ezekiel 2:6-7
The command “do not be afraid” comes three times in one verse, set against “briers and thorns” and a dwelling “among scorpions.” The danger is named as the people themselves, their words and their presence. The duty is then narrowed to one charge, “But speak My words to them.”
This site's exposition
speak My words to them
The prophet is to speak God's own words to the people. The charge holds whether they listen or refuse to listen. Matthew Henry calls it the honour of prophets to be trusted with God's words, and their duty to keep close to them.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistHomilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 9 · Written before 604.
proposed
"Therefore you shall speak my words to them, if perhaps they may hear and be still, because they are provokers." Everyone who sins, what else does he do but provoke the wrath of his Creator against himself? And we know that as often as we transgress in deed, as often in word, as often in thought, we provoke God against us just as many times. But nevertheless He endures, and mercifully waits, offering patience through Himself, but through His preachers He extends to us the word of exhortation. Moreover, everyone who preaches what is right, if he is heard, appeases the wrath of the provoked Creator over the transgressing people. Hence it is necessary that he himself ought not to do evil, which is accustomed to provoke the fury of his Creator among the people.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And thou shall speak my words unto them,.... Not his own words, but those the Lord should put into his mouth. The Targum is, "and thou shall prophesy the words of my prophecy unto them:'' whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; See Gill on Eze 2:5; for they are most rebellious; or "rebellion" (c) itself; as the carnal mind is said to be "enmity" itself against God, Rom 8:7; which aggravates their character and state. (c) מרי המה "rebellio ipsi", Montanus, Polanus, Starckius; "inobedientia sunt", Cocceius.
4 For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord G OD . 5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:93%@v4-5
He must be faithful to Christ who sent him: Thou shalt speak my words unto them. Note, As it is the honour of prophets that they are entrusted to speak God's words, so it is their duty to cleave closely to them and to speak nothing but what is agreeable to the words of God.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Whether they will hear - Whether they receive the message, or persecute thee for it, declare it to them, that they may be without excuse.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְדִבַּרְתָּ֤ | vedibarta | and you will speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבָרַי֙ | devarai | words my | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִֽם־ | ʾim- | whether | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יִשְׁמְע֖וּ | yishmeu | they will listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and or | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יֶחְדָּ֑לוּ | yechdalu | they will refrain | H2308 → | 58 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מְרִ֖י | meri | [are] rebellious | H4805 → | 23 times |
| הֵֽמָּה׃ פ | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
וְדִבַּרְתָּ֤and you will speak
vedibartaH1696 →1141 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבָרַי֙words my
devaraiH1697 →1440 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֔םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
אִֽם־whether
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יִשְׁמְע֖וּthey will listen
yishmeuH8085 →1159 times
וְאִם־and or
veim-H518 →1069 times
יֶחְדָּ֑לוּthey will refrain
yechdaluH2308 →58 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מְרִ֖י[are] rebellious
meriH4805 →23 times
הֵֽמָּה׃ פthey
hemahH1992 →553 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
Jeremiah 1:7But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 3:27
But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 16:15–16
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
- Ezekiel 3:27
Through
Ezekiel 2:5And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 33:33
So when it comes to pass—and surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
- Matthew 10:12–15
As you enter the home, greet its occupants.
- Ezekiel 33:33
Through
Ezekiel 3:10“Son of man,” He added, “listen carefully to all the words I speak to you, and take them to heart.
it leads to
- Psalms 119:11
I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
- Job 22:22
Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
- Luke 8:15
But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.
- Psalms 119:11
Through
Jeremiah 23:28Let the prophet who has a dream retell it, but let him who has My word speak it truthfully. For what is straw compared to grain?” declares the LORD.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 3:12–13
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
- 1 Corinthians 3:12–13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory the Dialogist, Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 9; Jamieson, Fausset and 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.