36:8 So Baruch son of Neriah did exactly what the prophet Jeremiah had told him to do. He read what the Lord had said from the scroll in the temple of the Lord. 1
2:3 He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the house 2 of Israel, to rebellious nations 3 who have rebelled against me; both they and their fathers have revolted 4 against me to this very day. 2:4 The people 5 to whom I am sending you are obstinate and hard-hearted, 6 and you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says.’ 7 2:5 And as for them, 8 whether they listen 9 or not – for they are a rebellious 10 house 11 – they will know that a prophet has been among them. 2:6 But you, son of man, do not fear them, and do not fear their words – even though briers 12 and thorns 13 surround you and you live among scorpions – do not fear their words and do not be terrified of the looks they give you, 14 for they are a rebellious house! 2:7 You must speak my words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.
1 tn Heb “And Baruch son of Neriah did according to all that the prophet Jeremiah commanded him with regard to reading from the scroll the words of the
2 tc The Hebrew reads “sons of,” while the LXX reads “house,” implying the more common phrase in Ezekiel. Either could be abbreviated with the first letter ב (bet). In preparation for the characterization “house of rebellion,” in vv. 5, 6, and 8, “house” is preferred (L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:10 and W. Zimmerli, Ezekiel [Hermeneia], 2:564-65).
3 tc Heb “to the rebellious nations.” The phrase “to the rebellious nations” is omitted in the LXX. Elsewhere in Ezekiel the singular word “nation” is used for Israel (36:13-15; 37:22). Here “nations” may have the meaning of “tribes” or refer to the two nations of Israel and Judah.
4 tc This word is omitted from the LXX.
5 tn Heb “sons.” The word choice may reflect treaty idiom, where the relationship between an overlord and his subjects can be described as that of father and son.
6 tc Heb “stern of face and hard of heart.” The phrases “stern of face” and “hard of heart” are lacking in the LXX.
7 tn The phrase “thus says [the
8 tn Heb “they”; the phrase “And as for them” has been used in the translation for clarity.
9 tn The Hebrew word implies obedience rather than mere hearing or paying attention.
10 tn This Hebrew adjective is also used to describe the Israelites in Num 17:25 and Isa 30:9.
11 sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).
12 tn The Hebrew term occurs only here in the OT.
13 tn The Hebrew term is found elsewhere in the OT only in Ezek 28:24.
14 tn Heb “of their faces.”