Text -- Ezekiel 15:3-8 (NET)

15:3 Can wood be taken from it to make anything useful? Or can anyone make a peg from it to hang things on? 15:4 No! It is thrown in the fire for fuel; when the fire has burned up both ends of it and it is charred in the middle, will it be useful for anything? 15:5 Indeed! If it was not made into anything useful when it was whole, how much less can it be made into anything when the fire has burned it up and it is charred? 15:6 “Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Like the wood of the vine is among the trees of the forest which I have provided as fuel for the fire– so I will provide the residents of Jerusalem as fuel. 15:7 I will set my face against them– although they have escaped from the fire, the fire will still consume them! Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I set my face against them. 15:8 I will make the land desolate because they have acted unfaithfully, declares the sovereign Lord.”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Eze 15:4

¹ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws one’s attention to something. Sometimes it may be translated as a verb of perception; here it is treated as a particle that fits the context (so also in v. 5, but with a different English word).

NET Notes: Eze 15:6

¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

² tn The words “as fuel” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

NET Notes: Eze 15:7

¹ tn The word translated “set” is the same Hebrew word translated as “provide” in the previous verse.

² sn This escape refers to the exile of Ezekiel and others in 597 b.c. (Ezek 1:2; 2 Kgs 24:10-16).

NET Notes: Eze 15:8

¹ tn The word translated “make” is the same Hebrew word translated as “provide” in v. 6.