The Meaning of Ezekiel 3:1 Explained

Ezekiel 3:1

KJV: Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

YLT: And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, that which thou findest eat, eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel.'

Darby: And he said unto me, Son of man, eat what thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel.

ASV: And he said unto me, Son of man, eat that which thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Moreover he said  unto me, Son  of man,  eat  that thou findest;  eat  this roll,  and go  speak  unto the house  of Israel. 

What does Ezekiel 3:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezekiel 3:1-11 - A Hard Commission
The people were impudent and stiff-hearted; their words as briars and thorns; their speech like the poison of scorpions; but the prophet was commissioned to go on with his divine mission, undeterred by their opposition. Under such circumstances we must be sure of a Thus saith the Lord. But no man can stand against the continual opposition of his fellows, unless his strength is renewed, as Ezekiel's was, by eating that which God gives. Open thy mouth, and eat that which I give thee, Ezekiel 2:8. Let us specially consider the divine denunciations of sin, that our words may be sharper than any two-edged sword. Nothing makes us so strong as feeding perpetually upon the roll of the Book, and especially on the Word within the words. We must eat the flesh and drink in the life of the Son of man, if we can deal aright with the needs of the sons of men. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 3

1  Ezekiel eats the scroll
4  God encourages him
15  God shows him the rule of prophecy
22  God shuts and opens the prophet's mouth

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 3:1 mean?

Moreover He said to me Son of man - what you find eat eat - scroll this and go speak to the house of Israel
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־ אָדָ֕ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־ תִּמְצָ֖א אֱכ֑וֹל אֱכוֹל֙ אֶת־ הַמְּגִלָּ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלֵ֥ךְ דַּבֵּ֖ר אֶל־ בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  Moreover  He  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַ֔י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֕ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
אֵ֥ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תִּמְצָ֖א  you  find 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
אֱכ֑וֹל  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֱכוֹל֙  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמְּגִלָּ֣ה  scroll 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְגִלָּה  
Sense: roll, book, writing.
הַזֹּ֔את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
וְלֵ֥ךְ  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
דַּבֵּ֖ר  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בֵּ֥ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.