Ezekiel 20:49
New International Version
Then I said, “Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’”

New Living Translation
Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, ‘He only talks in riddles!’”

English Standard Version
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of parables?’”

Berean Standard Bible
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”

King James Bible
Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

New King James Version
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak parables?’ ”

New American Standard Bible
Then I said, “Oh, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking in riddles?’”

NASB 1995
Then I said, “Ah Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking parables?’”

NASB 1977
Then I said, “Ah Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking parables?’”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking parables?’”

Amplified Bible
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not [just] speaking in parables and making allegories?’”

Christian Standard Bible
Then I said, “Oh, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just composing parables? ’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then I said, “Oh, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just posing riddles?”

American Standard Version
Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! they say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?

Contemporary English Version
But I complained, "LORD God, I don't want to do that! People already say I confuse them with my messages."

English Revised Version
Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then I said, "Oh no! Almighty LORD, no! The people already say that I'm only telling stories."

Good News Translation
But I protested, "Sovereign LORD, don't make me do it! Everyone is already complaining that I always speak in riddles."

International Standard Version
Then I said, "O Lord GOD! They're saying about me, 'Isn't he one to propound parables?'"

Majority Standard Bible
Then I said, ?Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ?Is he not just telling parables???

NET Bible
Then I said, "O sovereign LORD! They are saying of me, 'Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?'"

New Heart English Bible
Then I said, "Ah Lord GOD. They say of me, 'Isn't he a speaker of parables?'"

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

World English Bible
Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, "" They are saying of me, "" Is he not using allegories?”

Young's Literal Translation
And I say, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, They are saying of me, Is he not using similes?

Smith's Literal Translation
And saying, Ah, Lord Jehovah, they say to me, Does he not use parables?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said: Ah, ah, ah, O Lord God: they say of me: Doth not this man speak by parables?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! They are saying about me: ‘Does this man not speak except through parables?’ ”

New American Bible
But I said, “Ah! Lord GOD, they are saying about me, ‘Is not this the one who is forever spinning parables?’ ”

New Revised Standard Version
Then I said, “Ah Lord GOD! they are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of allegories?’”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then said I, Ah LORD God! Behold, they will say to me, You speak in parables.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I said: Oh, LORD OF LORDS, behold they say to me, ‘You speak parables!’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then said I: 'Ah Lord GOD! they say of me: Is he not a maker of parables?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I said, Not so, O Lord God! they say to me, Is not this that is spoken a parable?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prophecy Against the South
48Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.” 49Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”

Cross References
Matthew 13:13-15
This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ / In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Isaiah 6:9-10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Mark 4:11-12
He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, / so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”

Luke 8:10
He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

John 12:37-41
Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him. / This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” / For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says: ...

Acts 28:25-27
They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: / ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

2 Corinthians 3:14-16
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed. / And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. / But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Hebrews 5:11
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.

2 Peter 3:16
He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Isaiah 30:10
They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.

Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Jeremiah 6:10
To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

Jeremiah 20:7-9
You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. / For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long. / If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

Hosea 12:10
I spoke through the prophets and multiplied their visions; I gave parables through the prophets.


Treasury of Scripture

Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Does he not speak parables?

Doth.

Matthew 13:13,14
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand…

John 16:25
These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

Acts 17:18
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

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Ezekiel 20
1. God refuses to be consulted by the elders of Israel
4. He shows the story of their rebellions in Egypt
19. in the desert
27. and in the land
33. He promises to gather them by the Gospel
45. Under the name of a forest he shows the destruction of Jerusalem














Then I said
This phrase indicates a direct response from the prophet Ezekiel. The Hebrew word for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which is often used to denote a declaration or proclamation. In this context, it reflects Ezekiel's immediate reaction to the situation he faces. It is a moment of personal expression, showing the prophet's human side and his engagement with God in a conversational manner. This highlights the intimate relationship between God and His prophets, where dialogue is open and honest.

Ah, Lord GOD!
The exclamation "Ah" is a transliteration of the Hebrew "אֲהָהּ" (ahhah), an expression of distress or lament. It conveys a deep emotional response, often used in moments of despair or frustration. "Lord GOD" is a translation of "אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה" (Adonai Yahweh), a title that emphasizes God's sovereignty and covenantal relationship with Israel. This phrase underscores Ezekiel's reverence and recognition of God's ultimate authority, even amidst his personal struggles and the people's skepticism.

They are saying of me
This phrase reveals the perception and reaction of the people towards Ezekiel. The Hebrew root "אָמַר" (amar) is again used here, indicating the people's ongoing commentary or gossip about the prophet. It reflects a communal attitude of doubt or dismissal towards Ezekiel's messages. This highlights the challenge prophets often faced: delivering God's truth to a resistant or unbelieving audience.

Is he not just telling parables?
The word "parables" is translated from the Hebrew "מָשָׁל" (mashal), which can mean a proverb, parable, or allegory. Parables were a common teaching tool in ancient times, used to convey deeper truths through simple accounts or analogies. However, the people's question implies skepticism or trivialization of Ezekiel's messages, suggesting they view his prophecies as mere accounts without real significance or divine authority. This reflects a broader theme in scripture where God's messages are often misunderstood or dismissed by those who are spiritually blind or hard-hearted.

(49) Doth he not speak parables?--Or enigmas--things that we cannot understand. This the prophet did designedly, as he had done in other cases, to awaken the attention of the people to the explanation he was about to give.

Verse 49. - Doth he not speak parables? We can scarcely wonder that Ezekiel's enigmatic words here, as in ch. 15, 16, and 17, should have called forth some such expression from his hearers; but he obviously records the whisper which he thus heard, in a tone of sorrow and indignation. It was to him a proof, as a like question was to the Christ (Matthew 15:16; Matthew 16:9; Mark 8:21) proof that those hearers were yet without understanding. The question was, for those who asked it, an excuse for hardening their hearts against remonstrances which needed no explanation. The indignation was followed by another interval of silence, during which he brooded over their stubbornness, and at last, in Ezekiel 21:1, the word of the Lord comes to him, and he speaks "no more in proverbs," but interprets the latest parable even in its details.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then I said,
וָאֹמַ֕ר (wā·’ō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Ah,
אֲהָ֖הּ (’ă·hāh)
Interjection
Strong's 162: Alas!

Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD,
יְהוִ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

they
הֵ֚מָּה (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

are saying
אֹמְרִ֣ים (’ō·mə·rîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

of me,
לִ֔י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

‘Is he
הֽוּא׃ (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

not
הֲלֹ֛א (hă·lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

[just] telling
מְמַשֵּׁ֥ל (mə·maš·šêl)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 4911: To liken, to use, language, in, to resemble

parables?’”
מְשָׁלִ֖ים (mə·šā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4912: A pithy maxim, a simile


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 20:49 Then said I Ah Lord Yahweh! (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 20:48
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