translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: EZK

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “men from the elders.”


text: See the note at 14:3 .


text: Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”


text: Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment.


text: Heb “I lifted up my hand.”


text: Heb “seed.”


text: Heb “I lifted up my hand to them.”


text: Or “searched out.” The Hebrew word is used to describe the activity of the spies in “spying out” the land of Canaan ( Num 13-14 ); cf. KJV “I had espied for them.”


text: Heb “each one, the detestable things of his eyes, throw away.” The Pentateuch does not refer to the Israelites worshiping idols in Egypt, but Josh 24:14 appears to suggest that they did so.


text: Heb “each one, the detestable things of their eyes did not throw away.”


text: Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”


text: Heb “for the sake of my name.”


text: Heb “before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were.”


text: Heb “to whom I made myself known before their eyes to bring them out from the land of Egypt.” The translation understands the infinitive construct (“to bring them out”) as indicating manner. God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt was an act of self-revelation in that it displayed his power and his commitment to his promises.


text: Heb “the man.”


text: Heb “does.”


text: The wording and the concept is contained in Lev 18:5 and Deut 30:15-19 .


text: Heb “to become a sign between me and them.”


text: Or “set them apart.” The last phrase of verse 12 appears to be a citation of Exod 31:13 .


text: Heb “to bring them to an end.”


text: The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 15-16 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.


text: Heb “for after their idols their heart was going.” The use of the active participle (“was going”) in the Hebrew text draws attention to the ongoing nature of their idolatrous behavior.


text: Heb “my eye pitied.”


text: Heb “sons,” reflecting the patriarchal idiom of the culture.


text: Or “standard of justice.” See Ezek 7:27 .


text: Or “set apart my Sabbaths.”


text: Heb “and they will become a sign between me and you.”


text: Heb “sons.”


text: Or “carries them out.”


text: Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”


text: Heb “drew my hand back.” This idiom also occurs in Lam 2:8 and Ps 74:11 .


text: Heb “I lifted up my hand.”


text: The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 23-24 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.


text: Or “they worshiped” (NCV, TEV, CEV); Heb “their eyes were on” or “were after” (cf. v. 16 ).


text: Or “permitted.” sn The content of the verse is shocking: that God would “give” bad decrees. This probably does not refer to the Mosaic law but to the practices of the Canaanites who were left in the land in order to test Israel. See Judg 2:20-23 , the note on “decrees” in v. 25 , and the note on “pass through the fire” in v. 26 .


text: The Hebrew term חֻקּוֹת ( khuqot ; translated “statutes” elsewhere in this chapter) is normally feminine. Here Ezekiel changes the form to masculine: חֻקִּים ( khuqim ). Further, they are not called “my decrees” as vv. 11 and 13 refer to “my statutes.” The change is a signal that Ezekiel is not talking about the same statutes in vv. 11 and 13 , which lead to life.


text: Or “gifts.”


text: Heb “which I lifted up my hand.”


text: The Hebrew word (“Bamah”) means “high place.”


text: Heb “in the way of your fathers.”


text: Or “Will I reveal myself to you?”


text: Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”


text: Heb “what comes upon your mind.”


text: The Hebrew could also read: “Let us be.”


text: Heb “serving wood and stone.” sn This verse echoes the content of 1 Sam 8:20 .


text: This is the same Hebrew verb used to describe the passing of the children through the fire.


text: See the note at 2:3 .


text: Heb “and after, if you will not listen to me.” The translation leaves out “and after” for smoothness. The text is difficult. M. Greenberg ( Ezekiel [AB], 1:374) suggests that it may mean “but afterwards, if you will not listen to me…” with an unspoken threat.


text: Heb “all of it.”


text: Heb “I lifted up my hand.”


text: Heb “ways.”


text: Heb “loathe yourselves in your faces.”


text: Heb “set your face toward.” This expression occurs as well in Ezek 6:2; 13:17 .


text: Or “the way toward the south,” or “the way toward Teman.” Teman is in the south and may be a location or the direction.


text: Or “toward Darom.” Darom may mean the south or a region just north of southern city of Beer Sheba. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:417-18.


text: The Hebrew term can also mean “forest,” but a meaning of uncultivated wasteland fits the Negev region far better. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:418.


text: The word הִנֵּה ( hinneh , traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.


text: Fire also appears as a form of judgment in Ezek 15:4-7; 19:12, 14 .


text: Heb “all flesh.”