Ezekiel 3:3

3:3 He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving to you.” So I ate it, ¹  and it was sweet like honey in my mouth.

Ezekiel 23:25

23:25 I will direct ²  my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in rage. They will cut off your nose and your ears, ³  and your survivors will die ⁴  by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your survivors will be consumed by fire.

Ezekiel 24:17

24:17 Groan in silence for the dead, ⁵  but do not perform mourning rites. ⁶  Bind on your turban ⁷  and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lip ⁸  and do not eat food brought by others.” ⁹ 

[3:3]  ¹ tc Heb “I ate,” a first common singular preterite plus paragogic he (ה). The ancient versions read “I ate it,” which is certainly the meaning in the context, and indicates they read the he as a third feminine singular pronominal suffix. The Masoretes typically wrote a mappiq in the he for the pronominal suffix but apparently missed this one.

[23:25]  ² tn Heb “give.”

[23:25]  ³ tn Heb “they will remove.”

[23:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “fall.”

[24:17]  ³ tn Or “Groan silently. As to the dead….” Cf. M. Greenberg’s suggestion that דֹּם מֵתִים (dom metim) be taken together and דֹּם be derived from ָדּמַם (damam, “to moan, murmur”). See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:508.

[24:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “(For) the dead mourning you shall not conduct.” In the Hebrew text the word translated “dead” is plural, indicating that mourning rites are in view. Such rites would involve outward demonstrations of one’s sorrow, including wailing and weeping.

[24:17]  ⁵ sn The turban would normally be removed for mourning (Josh 7:6; 1 Sam 4:12).

[24:17]  ⁶ sn Mourning rites included covering the lower part of the face. See Lev 13:45.

[24:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “the bread of men.” The translation follows the suggestion accepted by M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 2:509) that this refers to a meal brought by comforters to the one mourning. Some repoint the consonantal text to read “the bread of despair” (see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:56), while others, with support from the Targum and Vulgate, emend the consonantal text to read “the bread of mourners” (see D. I. Block, Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:784).