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Ezekiel 2
Ezekiel 2:1
General Information:
Ezekiel continues to tell about the vision that he saw.
He said to me
If your language has to identify the one speaking, it would be best to identify the speaker as the "one who looked like a man" (Ezekiel 1:26). It was not "the Spirit."
Son of man
"Son of a human being" or "Son of humanity." God calls Ezekiel this to emphasize that Ezekiel is only a human being. God is eternal and powerful, but humans are not. Alternate translation: "Mortal person" or "Human"
Ezekiel 2:2
the Spirit
Other possible meanings are 1) "a spirit" or 2) "a wind."
Ezekiel 2:3
up to this very day
"even now" or "even today." This means that the people of Israel were continuing to disobey God.
Ezekiel 2:4
General Information:
God continues to speak to Ezekiel.
Their descendants
the descendants of the past generations of Israel who had rebelled against God, referring to the people living in Israel at the time Ezekiel writes
have stubborn faces
"have expression on their faces that show that they are stubborn"
stubborn faces and hard hearts
The words "stubborn faces" refer to the way they act on the outside, and the words "hard hearts" refer to the way they think and feel. Together they emphasize that the people of Israel would not change how they lived in order to obey God. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-doublet)
stubborn
This describes a person who refuses to change what he thinks or what he is doing.
hard hearts
Rocks never change and become soft, and these people never change and become sorry when they do evil things. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Ezekiel 2:5
house
This is a metonym for the family that lives in the house, in this case the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob over many years. Alternate translation: "people group" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
a prophet has been among them
"the one whom they have refused to listen to was a prophet"
Ezekiel 2:6
General Information:
God continues to speak to Ezekiel
son of man
"son of a human being" or "son of humanity." God calls Ezekiel this to emphasize that Ezekiel is only a human being. God is eternal and powerful, but humans are not. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 2:1. Alternate translation: "mortal person" or "human"
briers and thorns and ... scorpions
These words describe the people of Israel who will not treat Ezekiel kindly when he tells them what God says. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
briers and thorns
Briers are bushes with sharp points on the branches. The sharp points on the branches are called thorns.
scorpions
A scorpion is a small animal with two front claws, six legs, and a large tail with a poisonous stinger. Its sting is very painful.
Do not fear their words
"Do not be afraid of what they say."
be dismayed by their faces
The words "their faces" are a metonym for the message the people express with their faces. Alternate translation: "lose your desire to serve me because of the way they look at you" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Ezekiel 2:7
General Information:
God continues to speak to Ezekiel.
are most rebellious
"are very rebellious" or "totally rebel against me"
Ezekiel 2:8
house
This is a metonym for the family that lives in the house, in this case the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob over many years. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 2:5. Alternate translation: "people group" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Ezekiel 2:9
a hand was extended out to me
It was as if 1) a person in the heavens had extended his hand out toward Ezekiel and all Ezekiel could see was from the hand to the elbow or shoulder or 2) the "one who looked like a man" (Ezekiel 1:26) extended his hand.
a written scroll
"a scroll that had writing on it"
Ezekiel 2:10
He spread it out
The word "He" refers to the "one who looked like a man" (Ezekiel 1:26).
it had been written on both its front and back
This can be translated in active form. Alternate translation: "someone had written on both its front and its back" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
written on it were lamentations, mourning, and woe
This can be restated to remove the abstract nouns "lamentations," "mourning," and "woe." Alternate translation: "someone had written on it that these people would lament, be sad the way they would be if someone they loved had died, and have bad things happen to them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)