Ezekiel 1:3

Translations

Modern

…the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.

Traditional

The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.

Literal

…the word of YHWH came directly to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar; And there the hand of YHWH was upon him.

Latin

…factum est verbum Domini ad Ezechielem filium Buzi sacerdotem, in terra Chaldæorum, secus flumen Chobar: et facta est super eum ibi manus Domini.

Original

Hebrew

English

…the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.

Notes

Ezekiel 1:3

Ezekiel was a priest by birth. He was also a prophet because the hand of the Lord was upon him. This means that God had chosen him and given him authority.

Priests offered sacrifices in the temple and taught God’s law to the people. Prophets delivered God’s messages of blessing or judgment. They also prayed to God on behalf of the people.

Ezekiel’s ministry included both of these roles. He served as a priest and as a prophet. Through this work, he represented God to the people and brought the people’s concerns before God.

Ezekiel 1:1–3

The opening verses show that the prophet began his ministry among the exiles from Judah. The Babylonians had taken these people away from their land and brought them to Babylon.

Ezekiel 1:1–3:27

Old Testament prophetic books often begin with a “call narrative.” A call narrative describes how God chose and sent a prophet to serve in this role (for example, Jeremiah 1:4–19).

This account showed that the prophet’s message was legitimate. It made clear that the prophet spoke as the Lord’s ambassador (a representative sent with authority). The call narrative also introduced important themes that the book would explain more fully later.

In Ezekiel, the call narrative focuses on the Lord’s coming judgment on his people.

Theme notes and profiles

God’s Glory with His People

Events

Prophecies of Ezekielc. 593 BC

Related verses

Ezekiel 3:22
And there the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.”
Ezekiel 3:14
So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
2 Kings 3:15
But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
1 Kings 18:46
And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Ezekiel 33:22
Now the evening before the fugitive arrived, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer mute.
Ezekiel 40:1
In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month—in the fourteenth year after Jerusalem had been struck down—on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He took me there.
Ezekiel 8:1
In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me.
Ezekiel 37:1
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones.
Joel 1:1
This is the word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel:
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
Hosea 1:1
This is the word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel.
Ezekiel 1:1
In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.

Parallels

Psalm 137:1–9

People

Buzi: Father of Ezekiel the prophet Ezekiel: Prophet during Babylonian exile; author of the Book of Ezekiel

Places

Chaldea: Ancient Mesopotamian empire; known for astrology and wisdom Chebar: River in Babylonia; location of Ezekiel's visions

Glossary

Buzi Ezekiel (Person) Ezekiel, Book of Kebar Prophet, Prophetess Wheel

Topics

Buzzi: Father of Ezekiel Chebar: A River of Mesopotamia Ezekiel: Time of his Prophecy Hand of God Prophets: Ezekiel Prophets: Inspiration of Rivers: Chebar Vision of Ezekiel of the Glory of God

Ezekiel 1:3

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Original?

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Events?

Related verses?

Parallels?

People

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Glossary?

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Translations

Original

Notes

Events

Related verses

Parallels

Glossary

Topics