Ezekiel 4:7
New International Version
Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her.

New Living Translation
“Meanwhile, keep staring at the siege of Jerusalem. Lie there with your arm bared and prophesy her destruction.

English Standard Version
And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the city.

Berean Standard Bible
You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

King James Bible
Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.

New King James Version
“Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it.

New American Standard Bible
Then you shall direct your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

NASB 1995
“Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it.

NASB 1977
“Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then you shall establish your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it.

Amplified Bible
Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it.

Christian Standard Bible
Face the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

American Standard Version
And thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with thine arm uncovered; and thou shalt prophesy against it.

Contemporary English Version
The brick stands for Jerusalem, so attack it! Stare at it and shout angry warnings.

English Revised Version
And thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with thine arm uncovered; and thou shalt prophesy against it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Turn your face toward the blockaded Jerusalem. Shake your fist and prophesy against it.

Good News Translation
"Fix your eyes on the siege of Jerusalem. Shake your fist at the city and prophesy against it.

International Standard Version
After this, you are to turn toward the rampart of Jerusalem and oppose it with your bare arms, because I'm going to prophesy about it.

Majority Standard Bible
You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

NET Bible
You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it.

New Heart English Bible
You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered; and you shall prophesy against it.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore thou shalt set thy face towards the siege of Jerusalem, and thy arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.

World English Bible
You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered; and you shall prophesy against it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And to the siege of Jerusalem you prepare your face, and your arm [is] uncovered, and you have prophesied concerning it.

Young's Literal Translation
And unto the siege of Jerusalem thou dost prepare thy face, and thine arm is uncovered, and thou hast prophesied concerning it.

Smith's Literal Translation
And to the siege of Jerusalem thou shalt prepare thy face, and thine arm being uncovered and prophesy against her.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt turn thy face to the siege of Jerusalem, and thy arm shall be stretched out: and thou shalt prophesy against it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And you shall turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and your arm shall be extended. And you shall prophesy against it.

New American Bible
Turning your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with bared arm you shall prophesy against it.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and with your arm bared you shall prophesy against it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Therefore you shall set your face towards the siege of Jerusalem, and your arm shall prevail, and you shall prophesy against it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And for the siege of Jerusalem you shall prepare your face, and your arm will be strong, and you shall prophesy against it
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with thine arm uncovered; and thou shalt prophesy against it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So thou shalt set thy face to the siege of Jerusalem, and shalt strengthen thine arm, and shalt prophesy against it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Sign of Jerusalem's Siege
6When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned to you 40 days, a day for each year. 7You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it. 8Now behold, I will tie you up with ropes so you cannot turn from side to side until you have finished the days of your siege.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 21:2-10
“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.” / But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that / this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city. ...

2 Kings 25:1-3
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. / And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year. / By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.

Jeremiah 32:24
See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has happened, as You now see!

Jeremiah 34:1-2
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities. / The LORD, the God of Israel, told Jeremiah to go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.

Jeremiah 39:1
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to the city.

Jeremiah 52:4-5
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. / And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

Lamentations 2:17
The LORD has done what He planned; He has accomplished His decree, which He ordained in days of old; He has overthrown you without pity. He has let the enemy gloat over you and exalted the horn of your foes.

Daniel 9:12
You have carried out the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us a great disaster. For under all of heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 36:17-19
So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, / who carried off everything to Babylon—all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king and his officials. / Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value.

Isaiah 29:3
I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with towers and set up siege works against you.

Matthew 24:15-16
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), / then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Luke 21:20-22
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. / Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. / For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.

Mark 13:14
So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Revelation 11:2
But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Revelation 20:9
And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it.

set

Ezekiel 4:3
Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 6:2
Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,

and thine

Isaiah 52:10
The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

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Arm Bared City Face Jerusalem Prepare Prophesied Prophesy Prophet Shut Siege Towards Turn Turned Uncovered
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Ezekiel 4
1. Under type of a siege is shown the time from the defection of Jeroboam to captivity
9. By the provision of the siege, is shown the hardness of the famine














You are to turn your face
The phrase "turn your face" in Hebrew is "פָּנֶיךָ תָּשִׂים" (panecha tasim). This expression signifies a deliberate and focused attention. In the context of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry, it underscores the seriousness and intentionality of his actions. The act of turning one's face is symbolic of commitment and determination. Historically, prophets were often called to set their faces against cities or nations as a sign of impending judgment. This phrase reminds us of the resolute nature of God's messages through His prophets, emphasizing the importance of obedience and the gravity of divine warnings.

toward the siege of Jerusalem
The Hebrew word for "siege" is "מָצוֹר" (matsor), which refers to a military blockade or encirclement. The siege of Jerusalem was a significant event in biblical history, marking the culmination of Judah's disobedience and the fulfillment of prophetic warnings. This phrase highlights the impending judgment upon Jerusalem due to its persistent rebellion against God. Archaeological findings, such as the Babylonian chronicles, corroborate the historical reality of the siege, providing a backdrop for understanding the severity of the situation. Theologically, this serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's covenant.

with your arm bared
The phrase "with your arm bared" translates from the Hebrew "וּזְרוֹעֲךָ חֲשׂוּפָה" (uzeroacha chasufah). In ancient Near Eastern culture, baring the arm was a gesture of readiness for action or battle. It symbolizes strength, power, and the readiness to execute judgment. For Ezekiel, this act was a visual representation of God's might and determination to carry out His will. Scripturally, the "arm of the Lord" is often associated with divine intervention and deliverance, as seen in passages like Isaiah 53:1. Here, it serves as a powerful image of God's active role in the unfolding events.

and prophesy against it
The Hebrew word for "prophesy" is "וְהִנָּבֵיתָ" (vehinaveita), which means to speak forth or declare a message from God. Prophecy in the biblical sense is not merely foretelling the future but is a declaration of God's truth and intentions. Ezekiel's role as a prophet was to communicate God's impending judgment on Jerusalem, calling the people to repentance. The phrase "against it" indicates the adversarial nature of the message, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. This serves as a reminder of the prophet's duty to speak truth, even when it is difficult, and the necessity of heeding God's warnings to avoid judgment.

(7) Set thy face is a common Scriptural expression for any steadfast purpose. (See Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 20:5-6; Leviticus 26:17; 2Chronicles 20:3, marg., &c.) It is a particularly favourite phrase with Ezekiel (Ezekiel 15:7; Ezekiel 20:46, &c.). Here this steadfastness of purpose was to be exercised "toward the siege of Jerusalem;" there would be no relenting in this matter--God's purpose of judgment should surely be fulfilled. Further symbolism to the same effect is added, "Thine arm shall be uncovered," withdrawn from the loose sleeve of the Oriental robe, and made ready for battle. (Comp. Isaiah 52:10.) Withal he is to "prophesy against it," doubtless by words suited to his actions. . . . Verse 7. - Thine arm shall be uncovered. This, as in Isaiah 52:10, was the symbol of energetic action. The prophet was to be, as it were, no apathetic spectator of the siege which he was thus dramatizing, but is as the representative of the Divine commission to control and guide it. The picture of the prophet's attitude, not merely resting on his side and folding his hands, as a man at ease might do, but looking intently, with bare outstretched arm, at the scene portrayed by him, must, we may well imagine, have added to the startling effect of the whole procedure. We note the phrase, "set thy face," as specially characteristic of Ezekiel (here, and, though the Hebrew verb is not the same, Ezekiel 14:8; Ezekiel 15:7). The words "prophesy against it" may imply some spoken utterance of the nature of a "woe," like that of the son of Ananus (see above), but hardly, I think, a prolonged address.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must turn
תָּכִ֣ין (tā·ḵîn)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3559: To be erect

your face
פָּנֶ֔יךָ (pā·ne·ḵā)
Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

toward
וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the siege
מְצ֤וֹר (mə·ṣō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4692: Something hemming in, a mound, a siege, distress, a fastness

of Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

with your arm
וּֽזְרֹעֲךָ֖ (ū·zə·rō·‘ă·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2220: The arm, the foreleg, force

bared,
חֲשׂוּפָ֑ה (ḥă·śū·p̄āh)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 2834: To strip off, to make naked, to drain away, bail up

and prophesy
וְנִבֵּאתָ֖ (wə·nib·bê·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5012: To prophesy, speak, by inspiration

against it.
עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 4:7 You shall set your face toward (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 4:6
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