Ezekiel 33:31
in Ezekiel 33So 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 gain.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain.
KJV
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
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This verse in Ezekiel 33
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAs the people cometh - As they are accustomed to come on public days, Sabbaths, etc. With their mouth they show much love - They respected the prophet, but would not bend themselves to follow his precepts. They loved earthly things, and did not relish those of heaven.
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”.
This site's exposition
their hearts pursue dishonest gain
The word for love in their mouths shares a root with the love songs of verse 32. Isaiah 29:13 names the same fault, honour with the lips while the heart is far away, and Jesus quotes it at Matthew 15:8. Greed ruled underneath.
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 Awakening2 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.
And they come unto thee as the people cometh,.... As the people of God, who came to the prophets's house to hear him preach the word, and explain it for their spiritual profit and edification these came when they did, and as early and constantly, and with seeming pleasure: and they sit before thee as my people; with great decency and reverence, and very gravely and demurely, and with seeming devotion, and stay the time out till the whole service is over; as scholars sit at the feet of their masters, to hear and learn their doctrines.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
as the people cometh--that is, in crowds, as disciples flock to their teacher. sit before thee--on lower seats at thy feet, according to the Jewish custom of pupils (De 33:3; Ac 22:3). as my people--though they are not. hear . . . not do-- (Mt 13:20, 21; Jas 1:23, 24). they show much love--literally, "make love," that is, act the part of lovers.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיָב֣וֹאוּ | veyavou | so they may come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵ֠לֶיךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כִּמְבוֹא־ | kimvo'- | like [the] coming of | H3996 → | 22 times |
| עָ֞ם | ʾam | a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְיֵשְׁב֤וּ | veyeshevu | so they may sit | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| עַמִּ֔י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְשָֽׁמְעוּ֙ | veshameu | and they hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבָרֶ֔יךָ | devareikha | words your | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| וְאוֹתָ֖ם | veotam | and <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַֽעֲשׂ֑וּ | yaasu | they do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עֲגָבִ֤ים | ʾagavim | lustful desires | H5690 → | |
| בְּפִיהֶם֙ | befihem | in mouth their | H6310 → | 498 times |
| הֵ֣מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| עֹשִׂ֔ים | ʾosim | [are] doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֥י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| בִצְעָ֖ם | vitzam | unjust gain their | H1215 → | 23 times |
| לִבָּ֥ם | libam | heart their | H3820 → | 595 times |
| הֹלֵֽךְ׃ | holekh | [is] going | H1980 → | 1546 times |
וְיָב֣וֹאוּso they may come
veyavouH935 →2568 times
אֵ֠לֶיךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
כִּמְבוֹא־like [the] coming of
kimvo'-H3996 →22 times
עָ֞םa people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
וְיֵשְׁב֤וּso they may sit
veyeshevuH3427 →1079 times
לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
עַמִּ֔יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
וְשָֽׁמְעוּ֙and they hear
veshameuH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבָרֶ֔יךָwords your
devareikhaH1697 →1440 times
וְאוֹתָ֖םand <obj.> them
veotamH853 →10935 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יַֽעֲשׂ֑וּthey do
yaasuH6213 →2628 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עֲגָבִ֤יםlustful desires
ʾagavimH5690 →
בְּפִיהֶם֙in mouth their
befihemH6310 →498 times
הֵ֣מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
עֹשִׂ֔ים[are] doing
ʾosimH6213 →2628 times
אַחֲרֵ֥יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
בִצְעָ֖םunjust gain their
vitzamH1215 →23 times
לִבָּ֥םheart their
libamH3820 →595 times
הֹלֵֽךְ׃[is] going
holekhH1980 →1546 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
Luke 11:28But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
it leads to
- Luke 6:47–48
I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them:
- Luke 8:21
But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”
- Psalms 112:1
Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.
- James 1:21–25
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
- John 13:17
If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
- Luke 6:47–48
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.
- 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.
- 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.