Hesekiel 3:5

5 Denn ich sende dich ja nicht zu einem Volk, das eine fremde Rede und unbekannte Sprache hat, sondern zum Hause Israel;

Hesekiel 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.

Hesekiel 3:5 In-Context

3 und sprach zu mir: Du Menschenkind, du mußt diesen Brief, den ich dir gebe, in deinen Leib essen und deinen Bauch damit füllen. Da aß ich ihn, und er war in meinem Munde so süß wie Honig.

4 Und er sprach zu mir: Du Menschenkind, gehe hin zum Hause Israel und predige ihnen meine Worte. {~}

5 Denn ich sende dich ja nicht zu einem Volk, das eine fremde Rede und unbekannte Sprache hat, sondern zum Hause Israel;

6 ja, freilich nicht zu großen Völkern, die fremde Rede und unbekannte Sprache haben, welcher Worte du nicht verstehen könntest. Und wenn ich dich gleich zu denselben sendete, würden sie dich doch gern hören.

7 Aber das Haus Israel will dich nicht hören, denn sie wollen mich selbst nicht hören; denn das ganze Haus Israel hat harte Stirnen und verstockte Herzen.