Ezekiel 37:18

Revised Standard Version

And when your people say to you, 'Will you not show us what you mean by these?'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these things?’—

Hebrew Names Version
When the children of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these?

King James Version
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

English Standard Version
And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?'

New American Standard Bible
"And when the sons of your people speak to you, saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?'

New Century Version
"When your people say to you, ‘Explain to us what you mean by this,'

Amplified Bible
"When your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these?'

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the children of thy people shall speake vnto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shewe vs what thou meanest by these?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When the sons of your people speak to you saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?'

Legacy Standard Bible
And when the sons of your people speak to you saying, ‘Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?'

Berean Standard Bible
When your people ask you, 'Won't you explain to us what you mean by these?'

Contemporary English Version
And when your people ask you what this means,

Complete Jewish Bible
When your people ask you what all this means,

Darby Translation
And when the children of my people speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not declare unto us what thou meanest by these?

Easy-to-Read Version
"Your people will ask you to explain what that means.

George Lamsa Translation
And if your people should say to you, Will you not show us what is the meaning of these sticks?

Good News Translation
When your people ask you to tell them what this means,

Lexham English Bible
When your people say to you, saying, ‘Will you not inform us as to what these actions mean for you?'

Literal Translation
And when the sons of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not declare to us what these mean to you?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now yf the childre of thy people saye vnto the: wilt thou not shewe vs, what thou meanest by these?

American Standard Version
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?

Bible in Basic English
And when the children of your people say to you, Will you not make clear to us what these things have to do with us?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying: Wilt thou not tell us what thou meanest by these?

King James Version (1611)
And when the children of thy people shall speake vnto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew vs what thou meanest by these?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Now if the children of thy people speake vnto thee, saying: Wilt thou not shew vs what thou meanest by these?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass, when the children of thy people shall say to thee, Wilt thou not tell us what thou meanest by these things?

English Revised Version
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

World English Bible
When the children of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli whanne the sones of thi puple that speken, schulen seie to thee, Whether thou schewist not to vs, what thou wolt to thee in these thingis?

Update Bible Version
And when the sons of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these?

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the children of thy people shall speak to thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou [meanest] by these?

New English Translation
When your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean?'

New King James Version
"And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, "Will you not show us what you mean by these?'--

New Living Translation
When your people ask you what your actions mean,

New Life Bible
And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not let us know what you mean by these?'

New Revised Standard
And when your people say to you, "Will you not show us what you mean by these?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And when the sons of thy people speak unto thee I. saying,- Wt thou not tell us what these things are to thee?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the children of thy people shall speak to thee, saying: Wilt thou not tell us what thou meanest by this?

Young's Literal Translation
`And when sons of thy people speak unto thee, saying, Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to thee?

THE MESSAGE
"When your people ask you, ‘Are you going to tell us what you're doing?' tell them, ‘ God , the Master, says, Watch me! I'll take the Joseph stick that is in Ephraim's hand, with the tribes of Israel connected with him, and lay the Judah stick on it. I'll make them into one stick. I'm holding one stick.'

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ The word of the LORD came to me: ¹⁶ "Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the children of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write upon it, 'For Joseph (the stick of E'phraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him'; ¹⁷ and join them together into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. ¹⁸ And when your people say to you, 'Will you not show us what you mean by these?' ¹⁹ say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (which is in the hand of E'phraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him; and I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. ²⁰ When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, ²¹ then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all sides, and bring them to their own land; ²² and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. ²³ They shall not defile themselves any more with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. ²⁴ "My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Wilt: Ezekiel 12:9, Ezekiel 17:12, Ezekiel 20:49, Ezekiel 24:19

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 16:2 - What meanest Ezekiel 3:11 - the children

Cross-References

Genesis 37:14
So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers, and with the flock; and bring me word again." So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Genesis 37:15
And a man found him wandering in the fields; and the man asked him, "What are you seeking?"

1 Samuel 19:1
And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.

Psalms 31:13
Yea, I hear the whispering of many--terror on every side! --as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.

Psalms 37:12
The wicked plots against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him;

Psalms 37:32
The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him.

Psalms 94:21
They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death.

Psalms 105:25
He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.

Psalms 109:4
In return for my love they accuse me, even as I make prayer for them.

Matthew 21:38
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying,.... The children of Israel and Judah in captivity, of which people Ezekiel was and to whom he was sent as a prophet; who seeing him take two sticks, and write on them, and then join them together, would naturally put such a question to him:

wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these? for they concluded he had some meaning in it, and that it was not a mere childish diversion and amusement; and therefore would desire that he would let them know what it was: whether they would ask this seriously or in banter, out of curiosity or in contempt, as they sometimes did; it matters not, he was to give them an answer, as follows; though, by the manner of their putting the question, it looks as if they were doubtful whether he would or not; since they had treated him in a sneering way on such like occasions before.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A prophecy of the reunion of Israel and Judah, the incorporation of Israel under one Ruler, the kingdom of Messiah upon earth and in heaven.

Ezekiel 37:16

One stick - So in the marginal reference the names of the tribes had been written on rods or sticks.

For Judah ... - To the house of David had remained faithful, not only Judah, but also Benjamin, Levi, and part of Simeon, and individual members of various tribes 2 Chronicles 11:12-16. Compare the marginal references.

Joseph ... Ephraim - Compare Psalms 78:67; Hosea 5:5 ff “Joseph” is the general name here for the ten tribes, including “Ephraim,” the chief tribe, and his companions. Omit “for” before “all.” “All the house of Israel” is here the ten tribes.

Ezekiel 37:19

In the hand of Ephraim - Because Ephraim was the ruling tribe; the words are contrasted with “in mine hand.”

Ezekiel 37:20

This sign was literally enacted in the presence of the people, not, like some signs, merely in vision (see the Ezekiel 3:1 note).

Ezekiel 37:21

The gathering together of the children of Israel was to take effect in the first place in the return from Babylon, when the distinction of Israel and Judah should cease. The full completion concerns times still future, when all Israel shall come in to acknowledge the rule of Christ.

Ezekiel 37:22

One king - The restoration of Israel to their native soil will lead the way to the coming of the promised King, the Son of David, who will gather into His kingdom the true Israel, all who shall by faith be acknowledged as the Israel of God. The reign of the One King David is the reign of Christ in His kingdom, the Church.

Ezekiel 37:25, Ezekiel 37:26

An enlargement of the promises. The kingdom is to be “forever,” the covenant “everlasting.” This looks forward to the consummation of all God’s promises 1 Corinthians 15:24, 1 Corinthians 15:28.

Ezekiel 37:27

This gives a final blessing reserved for God’s accepted servants. The tabernacle and temple were outward symbols of His presence. The re-erection of the temple by Zerubbabel was the first step to a restoration of the presence of God. The second step was the presence of Christ, first in the flesh, then in His Church, and finally the eternal presence of God and of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem Revelation 21:0.