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Ezekiel 3:5

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 3:5 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;
Ezekiel 3:5 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 3

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
2So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the roll.
3And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
4And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
5For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;
6not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee.
7But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are of hard forehead and of a stiff heart.
8Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“For thou [art] not sent to a people of a strange speech, &c.] “Deep of lip”f55, or “speech”; difficult to be got at and understood: and of a hard language: or “heavy of tongue”f56 of a barbarous and unknown language, whom he could not understand, nor they him; and so would have been barbarians to one another; and consequently it could not be thought his prophesying among them, could have been of any use. This may be considered, either by way of encouragement to the prophet to go on his errand to such a people; since as he could understand them, and they him he might hope to meet with success; or, however he could deliver his message so as to be understood: or as an aggravation of the impiety…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“See Margin, Hebrew, "deep of lip, and heavy of tongue," that is, men speaking an obscure and unintelligible tongue. Even they would have listened to the prophet; but the Jews, though addressed in their own tongue, will not hear him.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“thou: Jon 1:2, Jon 3:2-4; Act 26:17, Act 26:18 of a strange speech and of an hard language: Heb. deep of lip and heavy of tongue, and so, Eze 3:6; Psa 81:5; Isa 33:19 Ezekiel 3:6”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 3 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification