Ezekiel 14:7

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.

Ezekiel 14:7 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 14:7

For everyone of the house of Israel
King and subjects, princes and people, high and low, rich and poor, of every rank, sex, and age: or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel;
the proselytes; whether of righteousness, such as were circumcised, and embraced the Jewish religion; or of the gate, who were only inhabitants with them; one as another were obliged to worship the God of Israel, and abstain from idolatry; there was but one law to the Israelite and to the stranger, respecting this matter: which separateth himself from me;
from the worship of God, and so from communion with him; turns his back on him, and becomes an apostate from him, by joining himself with idols: and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block
of his iniquity before his face;
these things are repeated, partly to observe the heinousness of the sin they were guilty of; and partly to show the stupidity of this people, which required things to be said over and over, before they could take them in, and be convinced of their evil: and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me;
this explains what such persons would come to a prophet for, ( Ezekiel 14:4 ) ; and exposes their hypocrisy: I the Lord will answer him by myself;
not by the prophet to whom he comes, but by himself: or, "in my word", as the Targum; yet not by words, but by blows; not in mercy, but in wrath; and in such manner, that it shall appear to come from the Lord, and to be according to truth and justice.

Ezekiel 14:7 In-Context

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.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "a man, a man" or "each one, each one"
• [b] Literally "from behind me"
• [c] Literally "he puts beside his face"
• [d] Or "iniquity"
• [e] Or "am answering"