Ezekiel 33:24
in Ezekiel 33“Son of man, those living in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Son of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
KJV
Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
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This verse in Ezekiel 33
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Abraham was one . . . but we are many--If God gave the land for an inheritance to Abraham, who was but one (Isa 51:2), much more it is given to us, who, though reduced, are still many.
This site's exposition
the word of the LORD came to me
on Ezekiel 33:23-26
Those still living in the ruins argue from Abraham, “Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land”, and add, “we are many”. The Lord answers by naming their conduct: they eat meat with the blood, look to idols, shed blood and defile a neighbor's wife.
This site's exposition
Abraham was only one man
Isaiah 51:2 uses the same argument in hope, pointing the humble remnant to Abraham, called when he was one man. Here those living in the ruins of Israel turn it into a claim to possess the land. Their numbers became their title deed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
After Jerusalem was captured and the temple destroyed, the poor of the land, of whom Jeremiah writes, were left alone in Jerusalem to cultivate vineyards and fields and to dwell in the ruins of the burned city. And although they should have repented for the reasons for their captivity, they deceived themselves with empty hope, saying: Our father Abraham was one, and yet he possessed this land as an inheritance, not because he himself possessed it, but because his descendants received the land of promise. If, therefore, he alone was multiplied into so many peoples, we who are left behind in the land of Judea, and dwell in desolate and ruined cities, will certainly be multiplied much more, so that we may possess more than he possessed alone.
(Verse 23 onwards) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, those who dwell in these ruined places in the land of Israel speak, saying: Abraham was one, and he possessed the land; but we are many, the land has been given to us as a possession. Therefore, you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: You who eat with blood and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood, shall you inherit the land?
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He inherited - Our father had a right to all this land, when but one; we his children though diminished, are many, and the divine goodness will surely continue to us both right and possession. Is given - It was given by promise to us, the seed, as well as to our progenitor; nay more, 'tis given us in possession, whereas Abraham had not one foot of it.
Though the providence of God concerning them had been very humbling, and still was very threatening, yet they were intolerably haughty and secure, and promised themselves peace. He that brought the news to the prophet that Jerusalem was smitten could not tell him (it is likely) what these people said, but God tells him, They say, "The land is given us for inheritance,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
They had been followed with one judgment after another, but they had not profited by those means of grace as might be expected; they were still unreformed, and how could they expect that they should possess the land? "Shall you possess the land? What! such wicked people as you are?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Abraham was one - If he was called to inherit the land when he was alone, and had the whole to himself, why may we not expect to be established here, who are his posterity, and are many? They wished to remain in the land and be happy after the Chaldeans had carried the rest away captives.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן־ | ben- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֗ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| יֹ֠שְׁבֵי | yoshevei | [the] inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| הֶחֳרָב֨וֹת | hechoravot | the waste places | H2723 → | 42 times |
| הָאֵ֜לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אַדְמַ֤ת | ʾadmat | [the] land of | H127 → | 225 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֹמְרִ֣ים | ʾomerim | [are] saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶחָד֙ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| הָיָ֣ה | hayah | he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֔ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | |
| וַיִּירַ֖שׁ | vaiyirash | and he possessed | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ | vaanachnu | and we | H587 → | 120 times |
| רַבִּ֔ים | rabim | [are] many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| לָ֛נוּ | lanu | to us | ||
| נִתְּנָ֥ה | nitenah | it has been given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| לְמוֹרָשָֽׁה׃ ס | lemorashah | to a possession | H4181 → | 9 times |
בֶּן־O son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֗םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
יֹ֠שְׁבֵי[the] inhabitants of
yosheveiH3427 →1079 times
הֶחֳרָב֨וֹתthe waste places
hechoravotH2723 →42 times
הָאֵ֜לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אַדְמַ֤ת[the] land of
ʾadmatH127 →225 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֹמְרִ֣ים[are] saying
ʾomerimH559 →5305 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אֶחָד֙one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
הָיָ֣הhe was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
אַבְרָהָ֔םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →
וַיִּירַ֖שׁand he possessed
vaiyirashH3423 →231 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּand we
vaanachnuH587 →120 times
רַבִּ֔ים[are] many
rabimH7227 →454 times
לָ֛נוּto us
lanu
נִתְּנָ֥הit has been given
nitenahH5414 →2011 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
לְמוֹרָשָֽׁה׃ סto a possession
lemorashahH4181 →9 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
Acts 7:5He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a…
it leads to
- Genesis 17:8
And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
- Genesis 12:7
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- Genesis 17:8
Through
Isaiah 51:2Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:9–14
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
- Romans 4:1–5
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered?
- Hebrews 11:8–12
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.
- Genesis 18:11–13
And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
- Isaiah 29:22
Therefore the LORD who redeemed Abraham says of the house of Jacob: “No longer will Jacob be ashamed and no more will his face grow pale.
- Galatians 3:9–14
Through
Jeremiah 40:7When all the commanders and men of the armies in the field heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 39:10
But Nebuzaradan left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who had no property, and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
- Jeremiah 39:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.