Ezekiel 3:5

5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;

Ezekiel 3:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 3:5

For thou [art] not sent to a people of a strange speech
"Deep of lip" ^F7, or "speech"; difficult to be got at and understood: and of a hard language:
or "heavy of tongue" ^F8 of a barbarous and unknown language, whom he could not understand, nor they him; and so would have been barbarians to one another; and consequently it could not be thought his prophesying among them, could have been of any use. This may be considered, either by way of encouragement to the prophet to go on his errand to such a people; since as he could understand them, and they him he might hope to meet with success; or, however he could deliver his message so as to be understood: or as an aggravation of the impiety perverseness and stupidity of the Israelites; that though the prophet spoke to them in their own language, yet they would not hear nor receive his words: [but] to the house of Israel;
who were a people of the same speech and language with the prophet; all spoke and understood the language of Canaan; nor were the things he delivered such as they were altogether strangers to being the same, for substance, which Moses, and the other prophets, had ever taught.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (hpv yqme) "profundi labii", Vatablus; "profundorum labio", Polanus, Cocceius; "profundi sermonis", Starkius.
F8 (Nwvl ydbk) "graves linguae", Montanus; "gravium lingua", Polanus.

Ezekiel 3:5 In-Context

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;

6 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.

7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are of hard forehead and of a stiff heart.