Ezekiel 33:30
in Ezekiel 33As for you, son of man, your people are talking about you near the city walls and in the doorways of their houses. One speaks to another, each saying to his brother, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD!’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as for thee, son of man, the children of thy people talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from Jehovah.
KJV
Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord.
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This verse in Ezekiel 33
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe people still are talking against thee - בך bach should be rather translated, “concerning thee,” than “against thee;” for the following verses show that the prophet was much respected. The Vulgate translates, de te; the Septuagint, περι σου, “concerning thee,” both right. Talking by the walls and in the doors of the houses is not a custom peculiar to the Copts, mentioned by Bp. Pococke, it is a practice among idle people, and among those who are resting from their work, in every country, when the weather permits.
This site's exposition
your people are talking about you
on Ezekiel 33:30-33
The people gather to hear the prophet as an audience gathers for entertainment. Verse 32 names the comparison, “you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice”. The closing verse makes the city's fall the proof that “a prophet has been among them”.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 30 onwards) And you, son of man, the children of your people speak of you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses, and they say to one another, each to his brother, 'Come, and hear what is the word that comes forth from the Lord.' And they come to you as the people usually come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them, for they show my words of their mouth in song, and their heart follows their covetousness.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
But now that Jerusalem is taken, two years after, he is appointed again to direct his speech to them; and there his commission is renewed. If God had abandoned them quite, he would not have sent prophets to them; nor, if he had not had mercy in store for them, would he have shown them such things as these.
), or talking of thee, no good, I doubt. Note, Public persons are a common theme or subject of discourse; every one takes a liberty to censure them at pleasure. Faithful ministers know not how much ill is said of them every day; it is well that they do not; for, if they did, it might prove a discouragement to them in their work not to be easily got over.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Also, thou son of man,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Their talking was not directly "against" Ezekiel, for they professed to like his ministrations; but God's word speaks of things as they really are, not as they appear. by the walls--in the public haunts.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַתָּ֣ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֔ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַמְּךָ֗ | ʾamekha | people your | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַנִּדְבָּרִ֤ים | hanidbarim | who are speaking together | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| בְּךָ֙ | bekha | in you | ||
| אֵ֣צֶל | ʾetzel | beside | H681 → | 61 times |
| הַקִּיר֔וֹת | hakirot | the walls | H7023 → | 75 times |
| וּבְפִתְחֵ֖י | uvefitchei | and in [the] doorways of | H6607 → | 164 times |
| הַבָּתִּ֑ים | habatim | the houses | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְדִבֶּר־ | vediber- | and he speaks | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| חַ֣ד | chad | one | H2297 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| אַחַ֗ד | ʾachad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| אִ֤ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| אָחִיו֙ | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בֹּֽאוּ־ | bou- | come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| נָ֣א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| וְשִׁמְע֔וּ | veshimu | and hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| מָ֣ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| הַדָּבָ֔ר | hadavar | [is] the word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַיּוֹצֵ֖א | haiyotze' | that is coming out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מֵאֵ֥ת | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְאַתָּ֣הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
בֶן־O son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֔םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] children of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
עַמְּךָ֗people your
ʾamekhaH5971 →1873 times
הַנִּדְבָּרִ֤יםwho are speaking together
hanidbarimH1696 →1141 times
בְּךָ֙in you
bekha
אֵ֣צֶלbeside
ʾetzelH681 →61 times
הַקִּיר֔וֹתthe walls
hakirotH7023 →75 times
וּבְפִתְחֵ֖יand in [the] doorways of
uvefitcheiH6607 →164 times
הַבָּתִּ֑יםthe houses
habatimH1004 →2046 times
וְדִבֶּר־and he speaks
vediber-H1696 →1141 times
חַ֣דone
chadH2297 →
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
אַחַ֗דone
ʾachadH259 →971 times
אִ֤ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
אָחִיו֙brother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
בֹּֽאוּ־come
bou-H935 →2568 times
נָ֣אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
וְשִׁמְע֔וּand hear
veshimuH8085 →1159 times
מָ֣הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
הַדָּבָ֔ר[is] the word
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַיּוֹצֵ֖אthat is coming out
haiyotze'H3318 →1067 times
מֵאֵ֥תfrom with
meetH854 →929 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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 15:8‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
it leads to
- Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 33:31
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest…
- Acts 8:21
You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
- 1 Peter 3:10
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
- Isaiah 29:13
Through
Isaiah 29:13Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 12:2
You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 33:31–33
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest…
- Mark 7:2–13
and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.
- Matthew 15:2–9
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
- Jeremiah 12:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.