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Selected Verse: Ezekiel 20:45 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Eze 20:45	Strong Concordance	Moreover the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] came unto me, saying [0559],
	King James	Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
An introductory brief description in enigma of the destruction by fire and sword, detailed more explicitly in Eze. 21:1-32.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

An introductory brief description in enigma of the destruction by fire and sword, detailed more explicitly in Eze. 21:1-32.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
This paragraph is in the Hebrew text, Septuagint and Vulgate the beginning of Ezek. 21 to which it belongs, as it contains a prophecy delivered in a form which is there explained. It may, however, be regarded as a link between the foregoing and following prophecies, being a general introduction to seven words of judgment about to be pronounced in development of that which has just been delivered. Eze 20:46 In this verse occur three Hebrew synonyms for "south," denoting: (1) the region on the right, Teman Sa1 23:24; (2) the region of dryness, Negeb Jos 15:4; (3) the region of brightness, Darom Deu 33:23. The variety of terms helps the force of the application. Chebar is in the north of Babylonia; from the north the Chaldaeans came upon Judaea (see the Eze 1:4 note). Eze 20:47 Forest of the south - The land of Israel. See Eze 21:1-2. Eze 20:49 Parables - Compare Eze 17:2. The meaning of the prophet was clear enough, if those whom he addressed had chosen to understand.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The Burning Forest Eze 20:45. And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Eze 20:46. Son of man, direct thy face toward the south, and trickle down towards the south, and prophesy concerning the forest of the field in the south land; Eze 20:47. And say to the forest of the south land, Hear the word of Jehovah; Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I kindle a fire in thee, which will consume in thee every green tree, and every dry tree: the blazing flame will not be extinguished, and all faces from the south to the north will be burned thereby. Eze 20:48. And all flesh shall see that I, Jehovah, have kindled it: it shall not be extinguished. Eze 20:49. And I said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! they say of me, Does he not speak in parables? - The prophet is to turn his face toward the south, and prophesy concerning the forest of the field there. הטּיף is used for prophesying, as in Amo 7:16 and Mic 2:6, Mic 2:11. The distinction between the three epithets applied to the south is the following: תּימן is literally that which lies on the right hand, hence the south is a particular quarter of the heavens; דּרום, which only occurs in Ezekiel and Ecclesiastes, with the exception of Deu 33:23 and Job 37:17, is derived from דּרר, to shine or emit streams of light, and probably signifies the brilliant quarter; נגב, the dry, parched land, is a standing epithet for the southern district of Palestine and the land of Judah (see the comm. on Jos 15:21). - The forest of the field in the south is a figure denoting the kingdom of Judah (נגב is in apposition to השּׂדה, and is appended to it as a more precise definition). שׂדה is not used here for a field, as distinguished from a city or a garden; but for the fields in the sense of country or territory, as in Gen 14:7 and Gen 32:3. In Eze 20:47, יער , forest of the south land, is the expression applied to the same object (הנגב, with the article, is a geographical term for the southern portion of Palestine). The forest is a figure signifying the population, or the mass of people. Individual men are trees. The green tree is a figurative representation of the righteous man, and the dry tree of the ungodly (Eze 21:3, compare Luk 23:31). The fire which Jehovah kindles is the fire of war. The combination of the synonyms להבת שׁלהבת, flame of the flaming brightness, serves to strengthen the expression, and is equivalent to the strongest possible flame, the blazing fire. כּל־פּנים, all faces are not human faces or persons, in which case the prophet would have dropped the figure; but pânim denotes generally the outside of things, which is the first to feel the force of the flame. "All the faces" of the forest are every single thing in the forest, which is caught at once by the flame. In Eze 21:4, kŏl-pânim (all faces) is interpreted by kŏl̇-bâsar (all flesh). From south to north, i.e., through the whole length of the land. From the terrible fierceness of the fire, which cannot be extinguished, every one will know that God has kindled it, that it has been sent in judgment. The words of the prophet himself, in Eze 20:49, presuppose that he has uttered these parabolic words in the hearing of the people, and that they have ridiculed them as obscure (mâshâl is used here in the sense of obscure language, words difficult to understand, as παραβολή also is in Mat 13:10). At the same time, it contains within itself request that they may be explained. This request is granted; and the simile is first of all interpreted in Eze 21:1-7, and then still further expanded in Eze 21:8.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The Burning Forest

Eze 20:45. And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Eze 20:46. Son of man, direct thy face toward the south, and trickle down towards the south, and prophesy concerning the forest of the field in the south land; Eze 20:47. And say to the forest of the south land, Hear the word of Jehovah; Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I kindle a fire in thee, which will consume in thee every green tree, and every dry tree: the blazing flame will not be extinguished, and all faces from the south to the north will be burned thereby. Eze 20:48. And all flesh shall see that I, Jehovah, have kindled it: it shall not be extinguished. Eze 20:49. And I said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! they say of me, Does he not speak in parables? - The prophet is to turn his face toward the south, and prophesy concerning the forest of the field there. הטּיף is used for prophesying, as in Amo 7:16 and Mic 2:6, Mic 2:11. The distinction between the three epithets applied to the south is the following: תּימן is literally that which lies on the right hand, hence the south is a particular quarter of the heavens; דּרום, which only occurs in Ezekiel and Ecclesiastes, with the exception of Deu 33:23 and Job 37:17, is derived from דּרר, to shine or emit streams of light, and probably signifies the brilliant quarter; נגב, the dry, parched land, is a standing epithet for the southern district of Palestine and the land of Judah (see the comm. on Jos 15:21). - The forest of the field in the south is a figure denoting the kingdom of Judah (נגב is in apposition to השּׂדה, and is appended to it as a more precise definition). שׂדה is not used here for a field, as distinguished from a city or a garden; but for the fields in the sense of country or territory, as in Gen 14:7 and Gen 32:3. In Eze 20:47, יער , forest of the south land, is the expression applied to the same object (הנגב, with the article, is a geographical term for the southern portion of Palestine). The forest is a figure signifying the population, or the mass of people. Individual men are trees. The green tree is a figurative representation of the righteous man, and the dry tree of the ungodly (Eze 21:3, compare Luk 23:31). The fire which Jehovah kindles is the fire of war. The combination of the synonyms להבת שׁלהבת, flame of the flaming brightness, serves to strengthen the expression, and is equivalent to the strongest possible flame, the blazing fire. כּל־פּנים, all faces are not human faces or persons, in which case the prophet would have dropped the figure; but pânim denotes generally the outside of things, which is the first to feel the force of the flame. "All the faces" of the forest are every single thing in the forest, which is caught at once by the flame. In Eze 21:4, kŏl-pânim (all faces) is interpreted by kŏl̇-bâsar (all flesh). From south to north, i.e., through the whole length of the land. From the terrible fierceness of the fire, which cannot be extinguished, every one will know that God has kindled it, that it has been sent in judgment. The words of the prophet himself, in Eze 20:49, presuppose that he has uttered these parabolic words in the hearing of the people, and that they have ridiculed them as obscure (mâshâl is used here in the sense of obscure language, words difficult to understand, as παραβολή also is in Mat 13:10). At the same time, it contains within itself request that they may be explained. This request is granted; and the simile is first of all interpreted in Eze 21:1-7, and then still further expanded in Eze 21:8.

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² Son [01121] of man [0120], put forth [02330] a riddle [02420], and speak [04911] a parable [04912] unto the house [01004] of Israel [03478];

⁴⁹ Then said [0559] I, Ah [0162] Lord [0136] GOD [03069]! they say [0559] of me, Doth he not speak [04911] parables [04912]?

⁴⁷ And say [0559] to the forest [03293] of the south [05045], Hear [08085] the word [01697] of the LORD [03068]; Thus saith [0559] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069]; Behold, I will kindle [03341] a fire [0784] in thee, and it shall devour [0398] every green [03892] tree [06086] in thee, and every dry [03002] tree [06086]: the flaming [03852] flame [07957] shall not be quenched [03518], and all faces [06440] from the south [05045] to the north [06828] shall be burned [06866] therein.

⁴ And I looked [07200], and, behold, a whirlwind [07307] [05591] came [0935] out of the north [06828], a great [01419] cloud [06051], and a fire [0784] infolding [03947] itself, and a brightness [05051] was about [05439] it, and out of the midst [08432] thereof as the colour [05869] of amber [02830], out of the midst [08432] of the fire [0784].

²³ And of Naphtali [05321] he said [0559], O Naphtali [05321], satisfied [07649] with favour [07522], and full [04392] with the blessing [01293] of the LORD [03068]: possess [03423] thou the west [03220] and the south [01864].

⁴ From thence it passed [05674] toward Azmon [06111], and went out [03318] unto the river [05158] of Egypt [04714]; and the goings out [08444] of that coast [01366] were at the sea [03220]: this shall be your south [05045] coast [01366].

²⁴ And they arose [06965], and went [03212] to Ziph [02128] before [06440] Saul [07586]: but David [01732] and his men [0582] were in the wilderness [04057] of Maon [04584], in the plain [06160] on the south [03225] of Jeshimon [03452].

⁴⁶ Son [01121] of man [0120], set [07760] thy face [06440] toward [01870] the south [08486], and drop [05197] thy word toward the south [01864], and prophesy [05012] against the forest [03293] of the south [05045] field [07704];

⁸ Again the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] came unto me, saying [0559],

¹ And the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] came unto me, saying [0559],
² Son [01121] of man [0120], set [07760] thy face [06440] toward Jerusalem [03389], and drop [05197] thy word toward the holy places [04720], and prophesy [05012] against the land [0127] of Israel [03478],
³ And say [0559] to the land [0127] of Israel [03478], Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068]; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth [03318] my sword [02719] out of his sheath [08593], and will cut off [03772] from thee the righteous [06662] and the wicked [07563].
⁴ Seeing [03282] then that I will cut off [03772] from thee the righteous [06662] and the wicked [07563], therefore shall my sword [02719] go forth [03318] out of his sheath [08593] against all flesh [01320] from the south [05045] to the north [06828]:
⁵ That all flesh [01320] may know [03045] that I the LORD [03068] have drawn forth [03318] my sword [02719] out of his sheath [08593]: it shall not return [07725] any more.
⁶ Sigh [0584] therefore, thou son [01121] of man [0120], with the breaking [07670] of thy loins [04975]; and with bitterness [04814] sigh [0584] before their eyes [05869].
⁷ And it shall be, when they say [0559] unto thee, Wherefore sighest [0584] thou? that thou shalt answer [0559], For the tidings [08052]; because it cometh [0935]: and every heart [03820] shall melt [04549], and all hands [03027] shall be feeble [07503], and every spirit [07307] shall faint [03543], and all knees [01290] shall be weak [03212] as water [04325]: behold, it cometh [0935], and shall be brought to pass [01961], saith [05002] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069].

¹⁰ And [2532] the disciples [3101] came [4334], and said [2036] unto him [846], Why [1302] speakest thou [2980] unto them [846] in [1722] parables [3850]?

⁴⁹ Then said [0559] I, Ah [0162] Lord [0136] GOD [03069]! they say [0559] of me, Doth he not speak [04911] parables [04912]?

⁴ Seeing [03282] then that I will cut off [03772] from thee the righteous [06662] and the wicked [07563], therefore shall my sword [02719] go forth [03318] out of his sheath [08593] against all flesh [01320] from the south [05045] to the north [06828]:

³¹ For [3754] if [1487] they do [4160] these things [5023] in [1722] a green [5200] tree [3586], what [5101] shall be done [1096] in [1722] the dry [3584]?

³ And say [0559] to the land [0127] of Israel [03478], Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068]; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth [03318] my sword [02719] out of his sheath [08593], and will cut off [03772] from thee the righteous [06662] and the wicked [07563].

³ And Jacob [03290] sent [07971] messengers [04397] before him [06440] to Esau [06215] his brother [0251] unto the land [0776] of Seir [08165], the country [07704] of Edom [0123].

⁷ And they returned [07725], and came [0935] to [0413] Enmishpat [05880], which is Kadesh [06946], and smote [05221] all the country [07704] of the Amalekites [06003], and also the Amorites [0567], that dwelt [03427] in Hazezontamar [02688].

²¹ And the uttermost [07097] cities [05892] of the tribe [04294] of the children [01121] of Judah [03063] toward the coast [01366] of Edom [0123] southward [05045] were Kabzeel [06909], and Eder [05740], and Jagur [03017],

¹⁷ How thy garments [0899] are warm [02525], when he quieteth [08252] the earth [0776] by the south [01864] wind?

¹¹ If [03863] a man [0376] walking [01980] in the spirit [07307] and falsehood [08267] do lie [03576], saying, I will prophesy [05197] unto thee of wine [03196] and of strong drink [07941]; he shall even be the prophet [05197] of this people [05971].

⁶ Prophesy [05197] ye not, say they to them that prophesy [05197]: they shall not prophesy [05197] to them, that they shall not take [05253] shame [03639].

¹⁶ Now therefore hear [08085] thou the word [01697] of the LORD [03068]: Thou sayest [0559], Prophesy [05012] not against Israel [03478], and drop [05197] not thy word against the house [01004] of Isaac [03446].

⁴⁹ Then said [0559] I, Ah [0162] Lord [0136] GOD [03069]! they say [0559] of me, Doth he not speak [04911] parables [04912]?

⁴⁸ And all flesh [01320] shall see [07200] that I the LORD [03068] have kindled [01197] it: it shall not be quenched [03518].

⁴⁵ Moreover the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] came unto me, saying [0559],