Bible Strands
Ezekiel 2:6
But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns surround you, and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their presence, though they are a rebellious house.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses Ezekiel as "son of man" during his initial prophetic commissioning to the exiled community. This occurs immediately after God establishes that the audience is a rebellious house regardless of whether they heed his message.
The words — The phrase אַל־ תִּירָא (al- tir'a) appears three times in the verse, literally translating to "may not you be afraid." It is coupled with וּ/מִ/דִּבְרֵי/הֶ֣ם (u./mi./div.rei./Hem), meaning "and from words their," to command the prophet not to fear the people's speech.
The thread — This command to reject fear of hostile audiences runs through Jeremiah 1:8, where God promises presence to replace fear, and Isaiah 51:12, which contrasts divine comfort with the futility of fearing mortal men. The pattern continues in 1 Peter 3:14, which instructs believers not to fear what their opponents fear.
Why it lands — The text demands that the prophet separate his obedience from the audience's reaction, treating their rebellion as a fixed condition rather than a deterrent. A reader must recognize that delivering the message requires ignoring the surrounding hostility and focusing solely on the command to speak.
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
King James Version
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 1:8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Isaiah 51:12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?
- 1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”
- Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.
- 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
- Jeremiah 1:17 Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.
- Micah 7:4 The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion.
- Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Ezekiel 3:8 Behold, I will make your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
- Jeremiah 18:18 Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”