Ezekiel 20:2

Study note

Setting — God speaks to Ezekiel immediately after the elders of Israel arrive on the tenth day of the fifth month in the seventh year to inquire of Him. The narrative shifts from the elders' physical presence to the prophet's reception of a divine message.

The words — The Hebrew דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי (de.var-Yah.weh 'e.La/i) literally renders "the word of Yahweh to me." It is framed by וַיְהִי לֵ/אמֹר (va/y.Hi le./Mor), meaning "and it came to saying," which functions as a technical marker for the delivery of an oracle.

The thread — This formulaic introduction recurs in Jeremiah 1:4 and Hosea 1:1 to signal the transition from historical narrative to prophetic speech. It establishes the subsequent oracle as authoritative divine communication rather than human speculation.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to recognize the message's origin before evaluating its content. It sets up a direct confrontation between the elders' request and God's stated refusal to be consulted by them.

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.