Ezekiel 14:1-11

Condemnation of Israel’s Idolatrous Elders

1 And men from the elders of Israel came to me, and they sat {before me}.

2 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},

3 "Son of man, these men took up their idols into their heart and {they placed before themselves} a stumbling block of their guilt. {Should I really let myself be consulted by them}?

4 Therefore speak with them, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Every person from the house of Israel who brings up his idols into his heart and {places before himself} a stumbling block of his guilt and [yet] he comes to the prophet, I Yahweh, I will respond to him through this act with [respect to] the multitude of his idols,

5 so that [I may] take hold of the house of Israel by their heart, [those] who are estranged from me, all of them, through their idols.'

6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Return, and turn away from your idols and from all of your detestable things! Turn away your faces!" '

7 For {each person} from the house of Israel, and from the alien who dwells as an alien in Israel, who separates himself {from following me} and brings up his idols into his heart and {places before himself} a stumbling block of his guilt, and [yet] he comes to the prophet to consult him concerning me, I Yahweh will answer him myself.

8 And I will set my face against that person, and I will make him to [be] a sign and [make him] into [the subject of] proverbs; and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and you will know I [am] Yahweh.

9 And the prophet, if he is deceived and he speaks a word, I Yahweh, I have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

10 And they will bear their guilt, like the guilt of the inquirer so the guilt of the prophet will be,

11 so that the house of Israel will not go astray again {from me}, and they will not make themselves unclean again with all of their transgressions, and they will be for me a people, and I will be for them as God," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

Ezekiel 14:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 14

In this chapter are contained the displeasure of God at hypocritical idolaters that sought unto him, and at the false prophets; the judgments that should come upon them, and which should not be averted by the intercession of the best of men; and yet a promise that a remnant should be saved. The elders of Israel are said to sit before the prophet, Eze 14:1; to whom the Lord gives an account of them, Eze 14:2,3; and orders the prophet what he should say to them, that the Lord would answer them himself, Eze 14:4,5; and that he should bid the house of Israel repent and turn from their idols, or else the Lord would set his face against them, and cut them off, both them and the false prophets they sought unto; and this is threatened in order to reform them, and continue them his covenant people, Eze 14:6-11; and then the judgment of famine is particularly threatened; to avert which, the prayers of the best of men would be of no effect, Eze 14:12-14; and next the judgment of noisome beasts, with the same intimation, Eze 14:15,16; likewise the sword, Eze 14:17,18; and also the pestilence, Eze 14:19,20; and much less when they should be all sent together, Eze 14:21; and the chapter is concluded with a promise that a remnant should be saved; which would be a comfort to the captives of Babylon, and accounts for what the Lord had done, or would do, in Jerusalem, Eze 14:22,23.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "to the face of me"
• [b]. Literally "was"
• [c]. Literally "to say"
• [d]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [e]. Literally "they gave before their faces"
• [f]. Or "iniquity"
• [g]. Literally "Surely I will let me be consulted by them?"
• [h]. Literally "they gave before their faces"
• [i]. Or "iniquity"
• [j]. Hebrew "it"
• [k]. According to the Kethib; the Qere reads "I will respond to him, he who comes with the multitude of his idols"
• [l]. Or "Repent"
• [m]. Literally "a man, a man" or "each one, each one"
• [n]. Literally "from behind me"
• [o]. Literally "he puts beside his face"
• [p]. Or "iniquity"
• [q]. Or "am answering"
• [r]. Or "as"
• [s]. Hebrew "to"
• [t]. Or "as"
• [u]. Or "like"
• [v]. Literally "from behind me"
• [w]. Literally "declaration of"