Ezekiel 20:49
in Ezekiel 20Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! they say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?
KJV
Then said I, Ah Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
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This verse in Ezekiel 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThen said I, ah Lord God!.... The Septuagint version is, "by no means, Lord, Lord"; that is, let me not be sent on such an errand; at least, let it not be delivered in such figurative terms; or let not such a general calamity befall the people.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 45 onwards) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop your word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field. And say to the forest of the south: Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The occasion of the message which we have in this chapter. That sermon which we had ch. xviii. was occasioned by their presumptuous reflections upon God; this was occasioned by their hypocritical enquiries after him. This prophecy is exactly dated, in the seventh year of the captivity, about two years after Ezekiel began to prophesy.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Ah Lord God - O my God, consider my situation; who will believe what I shall say? They put the evil day far from them. Doth he not speak parables? - הלא ממשל משלים הוא halo memashshel meshalim hu, “Is not he a maker of parables?” Is it not his custom to deal in enigmas? His figures are not to be understood; we should not trouble ourselves with them.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Ezekiel complains that by this parabolic form of prophecy he only makes himself and it a jest to his countrymen. God therefore in Eze 21:1-32 permits him to express the same prophecy more plainly.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֹמַ֕ר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲהָ֖הּ | ʾahah | alas! | H162 → | 15 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | O Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| הֵ֚מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| אֹמְרִ֣ים | ʾomerim | [are] saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִ֔י | li | of me | ||
| הֲלֹ֛א | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מְמַשֵּׁ֥ל | memashel | making a parable | H4911 → | 16 times |
| מְשָׁלִ֖ים | meshalim | parables | H4912 → | 39 times |
| הֽוּא׃ פ | hu' | [is] he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וָאֹמַ֕רand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
אֲהָ֖הּalas!
ʾahahH162 →15 times
אֲדֹנָ֣יO Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
הֵ֚מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
אֹמְרִ֣ים[are] saying
ʾomerimH559 →5305 times
לִ֔יof me
li
הֲלֹ֛א¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
מְמַשֵּׁ֥לmaking a parable
memashelH4911 →16 times
מְשָׁלִ֖יםparables
meshalimH4912 →39 times
הֽוּא׃ פ[is] he
hu'H1931 →1879 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
John 16:25I 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.
it leads to
- John 16:12
I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it.
- John 16:28–29
I came from the Father and entered the world. In turn, I will leave the world and go to the Father.”
- Mark 4:13
Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
- Matthew 13:34–35
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.
- John 10:6
Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.
- John 16:12
Through
Acts 17:18Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:20–21
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
- 1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- Acts 4:2
greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
- 1 Corinthians 1:20–21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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.