Ezekiel 3 · Verse 17

Ezekiel 3:17

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
Ezekiel 3:17, King James Version

Ezekiel 3:17 in other translations

BSB“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
WEB“Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me.
ASVSon of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
YLTthat there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, a watchman I have given thee to the house of Israel, and thou hast heard from My mouth a word, and hast warned them from Me.
DARBYSon of man, I have appointed thee a watchman unto the house of Israel, and thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me.
BBESon of man, I have made you a watchman for the children of Israel: so give ear to the word of my mouth, and give them word from me of their danger.
WebsterSon of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

What does Ezekiel 3:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. watchman--Ezekiel alone, among the prophets, is called a "watchman," not merely to sympathize, but to give timely warning of danger to his people where none was suspected. Habakkuk (Ha 2:1) speaks of standing upon his "watch," but it was only in order to be on the lookout for the manifestation of God's power (so Is 52:8; 62:6); not as Ezekiel, to act as a watchman to others.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 I have made thee a watchman - The care and welfare of all this people I have laid on thee. Thou must watch for their safety, preach for their edification, and pray for their eternal welfare. And that thou mayest be successful, receive the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. God is particularly jealous lest any words but his own be taught for Divine doctrines. He will not have human creeds, no more than Traditions, taught instead of his own word. No word can be successful in the salvation of sinners but that which comes from God. Every minister of the Gospel should be familiar with his Maker by faith and prayer; God will then hold communion with his spirit; otherwise, what he preaches will be destitute of spirit and life, and his hackneyed texts and sermons, instead of being the bread from heaven, will be like the dry mouldy Gibeonitish crusts.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 3:12-21

This mission made the holy angels rejoice. All this was to convince Ezekiel, that the God who sent him had power to bear him out in his work. He was overwhelmed with grief for the sins and miseries of his people, and overpowered by the glory of the vision he had seen. And however retirement, meditation, and communion with God may be sweet, the servant of the Lord must prepare to serve his generation. The Lord told…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 3:12-21 →

Ezekiel 3:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בֶּן\־ben-O son ofH1121
אָדָ֕ם'a.DamhumankindH120
צֹפֶ֥הtzo.Peha watchmanH6822
נְתַתִּ֖יךָne.ta.Ti.khaI appoint youH5414
לְבֵ֣יתle.Veitfor [the] house ofH1004
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֤ve.sha.ma'.Taand you will hearH8085
מִפִּי֙mi.Pifrom mouth myH6310
דָּבָ֔רda.Vara wordH1697
וְהִזְהַרְתָּ֥ve.hiz.har.Taand you will warnH2094
אוֹתָ֖ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
מִמֶּֽנִּי\׃mi.Me.nifrom meH4480

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 3:17

  • Hebrews 13:17

    Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

  • 2 Chronicles 19:10

    And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass.

  • Isaiah 52:8

    Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

  • Colossians 1:28

    Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

  • Jeremiah 6:17

    Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

  • Isaiah 62:6

    I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,

  • 2 Corinthians 5:20

    Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

  • Isaiah 56:10

    His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:14

    I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

  • Isaiah 58:1

    Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:11

    Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

  • Ezekiel 33:2-9

    Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I have.
33:2-9; 1Co 12:28
a watchman.
So 3:3; 5:7; Isa 21:6,8,11,12; 52:8; 56:10; 62:6; Jer 6:17; 31:6
Ac 20:28-31; Heb 13:17
hear.
33:6-8; 2Ch 19:10; Isa 58:1; Jer 6:10; Hab 2:1; Mt 3:7; 1Co 4:14
2Co 5:11,20; Col 1:28; 1Th 5:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezekiel 3:16

    And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

  • Ezekiel 3:17

    Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

  • Ezekiel 3:18

    When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Read all of Ezekiel 3

Ezekiel 3:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Hijo del hombre, yo te he puesto por atalaya á la casa de Israel: oirás pues tú la palabra de mi boca, y amonestarlos has de mi parte.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Fils d’homme, je t’ai établi sentinelle pour la maison d’Israël; et tu entendras la parole de ma bouche, et tu les avertiras de ma part.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Menschensohn, ich habe dich dem Hause Israel zum Wächter gesetzt; und du sollst das Wort aus meinem Munde hören und sie von meinetwegen warnen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Fili hominis, speculatorem dedi te domui Israël, et audies de ore meo verbum, et annuntiabis eis ex me.