Ezekiel 20:45-46

Prophecy Against the South

20:45 (21:1) ¹  The word of the Lord came to me: 20:46 “Son of man, turn toward ²  the south, ³  and speak out against the south. ⁴  Prophesy against the open scrub ⁵  land of the Negev,

[20:45]  ¹ sn Beginning with 20:45, the verse numbers through 21:32 in the English Bible differ by five from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 20:45 ET = 21:1 HT, 20:46 ET = 21:2 HT, 21:1 ET = 21:6 HT etc., through 21:32 ET = 21:37 HT. Beginning with 22:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[20:46]  ² tn Heb “set your face toward.” This expression occurs as well in Ezek 6:2; 13:17.

[20:46]  ³ tn Or “the way toward the south,” or “the way toward Teman.” Teman is in the south and may be a location or the direction.

[20:46]  ⁴ tn Or “toward Darom.” Darom may mean the south or a region just north of southern city of Beer Sheba. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:417-18.

[20:46]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew term can also mean “forest,” but a meaning of uncultivated wasteland fits the Negev region far better. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:418.