Bible Strands
Ezekiel 20:46
“Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Lord addresses Ezekiel immediately after the oracle in Ezekiel 20:45, commanding him to orient his physical posture toward a specific geographical region.
The words — The directive employs שׂים (sim) for "set" and פָּנֶיךָ (pa.Nei.kha) for "your face," pairing physical orientation with the verbal act of prophesying against the forest of the Negev.
The thread — This prophetic posture recurs in Ezekiel 21:2, where God again commands the prophet to set his face against a specific target, while Amos 7:16 records a prohibition against prophesying and Jeremiah 13:19 declares the exile of Judah without issuing a new command.
Why it lands — The text demands that the prophet physically and verbally align with God’s declared judgment, acting as a direct conduit for the announced destruction.
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
Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 21:2 “Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
- Amos 7:16 Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.’
- Jeremiah 13:19 The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.
- Deuteronomy 32:2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my speech settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass, like showers on tender plants.
- Job 29:22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
- Isaiah 30:6 This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.
- Jeremiah 22:7 I will appoint destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut down the choicest of your cedars and throw them into the fire.
- Ezekiel 4:7 You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.
- Ezekiel 6:2 “Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.
- Micah 2:6 “Do not preach,” they preach. “Do not preach these things; disgrace will not overtake us.”