Ezekiel 33 · Verse 24

Ezekiel 33:24

Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
Ezekiel 33:24, King James Version

Ezekiel 33:24 in other translations

BSB“Son of man, those living in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’
WEB“Son of man, those who inhabit the waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many. The land is given us for inheritance.’
ASVSon of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
YLT‘Son of man, the inhabitants of these wastes on the ground of Israel are speaking, saying: Alone hath been Abraham--and he possesseth the land, and we are many--to us hath the land been given for a possession.
DARBYSon of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited this land, and we are many: the land is given us for a possession.
BBESon of man, those who are living in these waste places in the land of Israel say, Abraham was but one, and he had land for his heritage: but we are a great number; the land is given to us for our heritage.
WebsterSon of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given to us for inheritance.

What does Ezekiel 33:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
24. they that inhabit ... wastes of ... Israel--marking the blindness of the fraction of Jews under Gedaliah who, though dwelling amidst regions laid waste by the foe, still cherished hopes of deliverance, and this without repentance. Abraham was one ... but we are many--If God gave the land for an inheritance to Abraham, who was but one (Is 51:2), much more it is given to us, who, though reduced, are still many. If he, with 318 servants, was able to defend himself amid so many foes, much more shall we, so much more numerous, retain our own. The grant of the land was not for his sole use, but for his numerous posterity. inherited the land--not actually possessed it (Ac 7:5), but had the right of dwelling and pasturing his flocks in it [Grotius]. The Jews boasted similarly of their Abrahamic descent in Mt 3:9 and Joh 8:39.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 Abraham was one - If he was called to inherit the land when he was alone, and had the whole to himself, why may we not expect to be established here, who are his posterity, and are many? They wished to remain in the land and be happy after the Chaldeans had carried the rest away captives.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 33:21-29

Those are unteachable indeed, who do not learn their dependence upon God, when all creature-comforts fail. Many claim an interest in the peculiar blessings to true believers, while their conduct proves them enemies of God. They call this groundless presumption strong faith, when God's testimony declares them entitled to his threatenings, and nothing else.

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 33:21-29 →

Ezekiel 33:24 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
אָדָ֗ם'a.DamhumankindH120
יֹ֠שְׁבֵיYo.she.vei[the] inhabitants ofH3427
הֶחֳרָב֨וֹתhe.cho.ra.Votthe waste placesH2723
הָאֵ֜לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
עַל\־'al-onH5921
אַדְמַ֤ת'ad.Mat[the] land ofH127
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
אֹמְרִ֣ים'o.me.Rim[are] sayingH559
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
אֶחָד֙'e.ChadoneH259
הָיָ֣הha.Yahhe wasH1961
אַבְרָהָ֔ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
וַיִּירַ֖שׁvai.yi.Rashand he possessedH3423
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּva.'a.Nach.nuand weH587
רַבִּ֔יםra.Bim[are] manyH7227
לָ֛נוּLa.nuto us
נִתְּנָ֥הni.te.Nahit has been givenH5414
הָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
לְמוֹרָשָֽׁה\׃\ \סle.mo.ra.Shahto a possessionH4181

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

Cross references for Ezekiel 33:24

  • Isaiah 51:2

    Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

  • Ezekiel 33:27

    Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

  • Acts 7:5

    And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

  • Jeremiah 40:7

    Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;

  • Ezekiel 36:4

    Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;

  • Luke 3:8

    Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

  • Romans 4:12

    And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

  • Jeremiah 39:10

    But Nebuzar–adan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

  • Matthew 3:9

    And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

  • Ezekiel 5:3-4

    Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts. Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.

  • Micah 3:11

    The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.

  • John 8:39

    They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they that.The small remnant which continued in the land under Gedaliah, after the desolation of Jerusalem, flattered themselves, notwithstanding all their crimes, that they should inherit the whole land.
27; 5:3,4; 34:2; Jer 39:10; 40:7
wastes.
27; 36:4
Abraham.
Isa 51:2; Ac 7:5
but we.
Mic 3:11; Mt 3:9; Lu 3:8; Joh 8:33,39; Ro 4:12; 9:7; 1Th 5:3

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

Context

  • Ezekiel 33:23

    Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

  • Ezekiel 33:24

    Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.

  • Ezekiel 33:25

    Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?

Read all of Ezekiel 33

Ezekiel 33:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Hijo del hombre, los que habitan aquellos desiertos en la tierra de Israel, hablando dicen: Abraham era uno, y poseyó la tierra: pues nosotros somos muchos; á nosotros es dada la tierra en posesión.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Fils d’homme, les habitants de ces lieux désolés, sur la terre d’Israël, parlent, disant: Abraham était un seul, et il a hérité le pays; et nous sommes plusieurs, le pays nous est donné pour héritage.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Menschensohn, die Bewohner jener Trümmer im Lande Israel sprechen und sagen: Abraham war ein einzelner, und er erhielt das Land zum Besitztum; wir aber sind viele, uns ist das Land zum Besitztum gegeben!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Fili hominis, qui habitant in ruinosis his super humum Israël, loquentes aiunt: Unus erat Abraham, et hæreditate possedit terram: nos autem multi sumus: nobis data est terra in possessionem.