Ezekiel 24:19

THE MESSAGE

The people came to me, saying, "Tell us why you're acting like this. What does it mean, anyway?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”

Hebrew Names Version
The people said to me, Won't you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?

King James Version
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

English Standard Version
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"

New American Standard Bible
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing?"

New Century Version
Then the people asked me, "Tell us, what do the things you are doing mean for us?"

Amplified Bible
The people said to me, "These things that you are doing—tell us, what do they mean for us?"

World English Bible
The people said to me, Won't you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the people said vnto me, Wilt thou not tell vs what these things meane towarde vs that thou doest so?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?"

Legacy Standard Bible
The people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?"

Berean Standard Bible
Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?"

Contemporary English Version
and when people saw me, they asked, "Why aren't you mourning for your wife?"

Complete Jewish Bible
The people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these actions of yours mean for us?"

Darby Translation
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, which thou doest?

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the people said to me, "Why are you doing this? What does it mean?"

George Lamsa Translation
And the people said to me, Will you not tell us the meaning of these strange things which you do?

Good News Translation
The people asked me, "Why are you acting like this?"

Lexham English Bible
And the people said to me, "Will you not make known to us what these things that you are doing mean for us?"

Literal Translation
And the people said to me, Will you not tell us what the things you are doing are to us?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye people sayde vnto me: wilt thou not tell vs, what that signifieth, which thou doest?

American Standard Version
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

Bible in Basic English
And the people said to me, Will you not make clear to us the sense of these things; is it for us you do them?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the people said unto me: 'Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?'

King James Version (1611)
And the people said vnto me; Wilt thou not tell vs what these things are to vs, that thou doest so?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the people sayd vnto me: Wilt thou not tell vs what this signifieth towarde vs, that thou doest so?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the people said to me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are that thou doest?

English Revised Version
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the puple seide to me, Whi schewist thou not to vs what these thingis signefien, whiche thou doist?

Update Bible Version
And the people said to me, Will you not tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the people said to me, Wilt thou not tell us what these [things are] to us, that thou doest [so]?

New English Translation
Then the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?"

New King James Version
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?"

New Living Translation
Then the people asked, "What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?"

New Life Bible
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?"

New Revised Standard
Then the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting this way?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said the people unto me: Wt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou shouldst be acting thus?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the people said to me: Why dost thou not tell us what these things mean that thou doest?

Revised Standard Version
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"

Young's Literal Translation
And the people say unto me, `Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to us, that thou art doing?'

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ God 's Message came to me: "Son of man, I'm about to take from you the delight of your life—a real blow, I know. But, please, no tears. Keep your grief to yourself. No public mourning. Get dressed as usual and go about your work—none of the usual funeral rituals." ¹⁸ I preached to the people in the morning. That evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I'd been told. ¹⁹ The people came to me, saying, "Tell us why you're acting like this. What does it mean, anyway?" ²⁰So I told them, " God 's Word came to me, saying, ‘Tell the family of Israel, This is what God , the Master, says: I will desecrate my Sanctuary, your proud impregnable fort, the delight of your life, your heart's desire. The children you left behind will be killed. ²²"‘Then you'll do exactly as I've done. You'll perform none of the usual funeral rituals. You'll get dressed as usual and go about your work. No tears. But your sins will eat away at you from within and you'll groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be your example. The way he did it is the way you'll do it. "‘When this happens you'll recognize that I am God , the Master.'" ²⁵"And you, son of man: The day I take away the people's refuge, their great joy, the delight of their life, what they've most longed for, along with all their children—on that very day a survivor will arrive and tell you what happened to the city. You'll break your silence and start talking again, talking to the survivor. Again, you'll be an example for them. And they'll recognize that I am God ."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ezekiel 12:9, Ezekiel 17:12, Ezekiel 20:49, Ezekiel 21:7, Ezekiel 37:18, Malachi 3:7, Malachi 3:8, Malachi 3:13

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 13:12 - and they shall John 13:12 - Know Acts 21:11 - he took

Cross-References

Genesis 24:45
"I had barely finished offering this prayer, when Rebekah arrived, her jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring and drew water and I said, ‘Please, can I have a drink?' She didn't hesitate. She held out her jug and said, ‘Drink; and when you're finished I'll also water your camels.' I drank, and she watered the camels. I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?' She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah.' I gave her a ring for her nose, bracelets for her arms, and bowed in worship to God . I praised God , the God of my master Abraham who had led me straight to the door of my master's family to get a wife for his son.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the people said unto me,.... Either seriously, as being desirous of knowing what was meant by all this; since they had reason to believe that it was not out of want of affection in Ezekiel to his wife that he so behaved; and therefore there must be some hidden meaning in it, which they should be glad to be informed of: or in a ludicrous manner, deriding the prophet for his conduct, and despising what he meant to instruct them in hereby:

wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? for they suspected it vas not on his own account, but to signify something to them, that these things were done; and laughing at him, they say, to what purpose are these things done? if you do not tell us for what reason they are done, instruct us by words, and not by actions; these were his fellow captives in Babylon.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The death of Ezekiel’s wife took place in the evening of the same day that he delivered the foregoing prophecy. This event was to signify to the people that the Lord would take from them all that was most dear to them; and - owing to the extraordinary nature of the times - quiet lamentation for the dead, according to the usual forms of mourning, would be impossible.

Ezekiel 24:17

The priest in general was to mourn for his dead (Leviticus 21:1 ff); but Ezekiel was to be an exception to the rule. The “tire” was the priest’s mitre.

Eat not the bread of men - Food supplied for the comfort of the mourners.

Ezekiel 24:23

Pine away - Compare Leviticus 26:39. The outward signs of grief were a certain consolation. Their absence would indicate a heart-consuming sorrow.

Ezekiel 24:27

Ezekiel had been employed four years in foretelling the calamities about to come to pass. He had been utterly disregarded by the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and received with apparent respect but with real incredulity by those in exile. Now until the city had been actually taken, the voice of prophecy should cease, so far as God’s people were concerned. Hence the intervening series of predictions relating to neighboring and foreign nations Ezek. 25–32. After which the prophet’s voice was again heard addressing his countrymen in their exile. This accounts for the apparently parenthetical character of the next eight chapters.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 24:19. Wilt thou not tell us — In the following verses he explains and applies the whole of what he had done and said.