Ezekiel 12:6

And as they watch, lift your bags to your shoulder and take them out at dusk; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God commands Ezekiel to perform a symbolic departure while the people watch. This occurs during the Babylonian siege as the prophet enacts the coming judgment on Jerusalem.

The words — The Hebrew phrase לְ/עֵ֨ינֵי/הֶ֜ם (le./'Ei.nei./Hem) literally means "to/eyes/their," establishing the public visibility of the act. The verb תְכַסֶּ֔ה (te.kha.Seh) translates as "you will cover," describing the instruction to veil Ezekiel's face.

The thread — The text states Ezekiel becomes a sign to the house of Israel, a role repeated in Ezekiel 24:24 and Isaiah 8:18. The watchful, public nature of the act parallels the symbolic barriers and turned faces in Ezekiel 4:3.

Why it lands — The text declares the exile is a direct divine judgment rather than a political accident. Readers are asked to recognize that prophetic acts function as visible warnings meant to provoke awareness of God's coming action.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

לְעֵ֨ינֵיהֶ֜םle./'Ei.nei./Hemto/ eyes/ their עַל־'al-on כָּתֵ֤ףka.Tefa shoulder תִּשָּׂא֙ti.Sa'you will lift [it] up בָּעֲלָטָ֣הba./'a.la.Tahin the/ darkness תוֹצִ֔יאto.Tzi'you will bring [it] out פָּנֶ֣יךָpa.Nei./khaface/ your תְכַסֶּ֔הte.kha.Sehyou will cover וְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ not תִרְאֶ֖הtir.'Ehyou will see אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאָ֑רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land כִּֽי־ki-for מוֹפֵ֥תmo.Feta sign נְתַתִּ֖יךָne.ta.Ti./khaI have made/ you לְבֵ֥יתle./Veitto/ [the] house of יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Yis.ra.'ElIsrael

King James Version

In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 4:3 Then take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Turn your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.
Isaiah 8:18 Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Ezekiel 24:24 ‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’
1 Samuel 28:8 So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.”
Ezekiel 12:11 You are to say, ‘I am a sign to you.’ Just as it happened here, so will it be done to them; they will go into exile as captives.
2 Samuel 15:30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
Job 24:17 For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!
Isaiah 20:2 the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.” And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot.