Ezekiel 3:6
in Ezekiel 3not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee.
KJV
Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
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This verse in Ezekiel 3
Commentary
7 notes on this verse"And if you were sent to them, they would listen to you." The obedience of the Gentiles is clearly declared, who would one day follow the voices of the preachers without delay. But the unknown tongue of the Gentiles caused no delay in obeying, although it was foreign to the speech of the law.
This site's exposition
speak My words to them
on Ezekiel 3:4-6
The Lord sends Ezekiel: “go now to the house of Israel.” He goes to his own people, who share his speech, and the text sets them against “the many peoples of unfamiliar speech.” The Lord adds, “Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.”
This site's exposition
they would have listened to you
God says that foreign peoples, whose words Ezekiel could not understand, would have listened to him. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown compare Matthew 11:21 and 23, where Jesus says Tyre, Sidon and Sodom would have repented. They also see a hint of the apostles to come.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 5, 6.) For you are not being sent to the people of deep and difficult (unknown in the Vulgate) language, to the house of Israel, nor to many people of unknown language, whose language you cannot understand. And if I were to send you to them, they would listen to you. Because they do not want to come to you, you go to them. For they do not have a need for a healthy doctor, but for ones who are sick (Luke 5:31 ).
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
To many people - To various nations using diverse languages. Surely - The thought is that expressed by our Saviour Himself (margin reference). Some render it: “but I have sent thee unto these; they can hearken” etc.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The after mission of the apostles to many peoples, and the gift of tongues for that end, are foreshadowed (compare 1Co 14:21 with Isa 28:11). had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened-- (Mt 11:21, 23).
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹ֣א׀ | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַמִּ֣ים | ʾamim | peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| רַבִּ֗ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| עִמְקֵ֤י | ʾimkei | deep of | H6012 → | |
| שָׂפָה֙ | safah | lip | H8193 → | 176 times |
| וְכִבְדֵ֣י | vekhivdei | and heavy of | H3515 → | |
| לָשׁ֔וֹן | lashon | tongue | H3956 → | 117 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִשְׁמַ֖ע | tishma' | you will understand | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| דִּבְרֵיהֶ֑ם | divreihem | words their | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶם֙ | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שְׁלַחְתִּ֔יךָ | shelachtikha | I had sent you | H7971 → | 845 times |
| הֵ֖מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| יִשְׁמְע֥וּ | yishmeu | they will listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
לֹ֣א׀not
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עַמִּ֣יםpeoples
ʾamimH5971 →1873 times
רַבִּ֗יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
עִמְקֵ֤יdeep of
ʾimkeiH6012 →
שָׂפָה֙lip
safahH8193 →176 times
וְכִבְדֵ֣יand heavy of
vekhivdeiH3515 →
לָשׁ֔וֹןtongue
lashonH3956 →117 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִשְׁמַ֖עyou will understand
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
דִּבְרֵיהֶ֑םwords their
divreihemH1697 →1440 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אֲלֵיהֶם֙to them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
שְׁלַחְתִּ֔יךָI had sent you
shelachtikhaH7971 →845 times
הֵ֖מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
יִשְׁמְע֥וּthey will listen
yishmeuH8085 →1159 times
אֵלֶֽיךָ׃to you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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); Gregory the Dialogist, Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 10; 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 John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.