Ezekiel 6:2

6:2 “Son of man, turn toward ¹  the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them:

Ezekiel 20:46

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,

Ezekiel 21:2

21:2 “Son of man, turn toward ⁶  Jerusalem ⁷  and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel

Ezekiel 25:2

25:2 “Son of man, turn toward ⁸  the Ammonites ⁹  and prophesy against them.

Ezekiel 28:21-22

28:21 “Son of man, turn toward ¹⁰  Sidon ¹¹  and prophesy against it. 28:22 Say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against you, ¹²  Sidon,

and I will magnify myself in your midst.

Then they will know that I am the Lord

when I execute judgments on her

and reveal my sovereign power ¹³  in her.

[6:2]  ¹ tn Heb “set your face against.” The expression occurs at the beginning of Ezekiel’s prophetic oracles in Ezek 13:17; 20:46; 21:2; 25:2; 28:21; 29:2; 35:2; 38:2.

[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.

[21:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “set your face toward.”

[21:2]  ⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “set your face toward.”

[25:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “the sons of Ammon.” Ammon was located to the east of Israel.

[28:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “set your face against.”

[28:21]  ¹¹ sn Sidon was located 25 miles north of Tyre.

[28:22]  ¹² tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[28:22]  ¹³ tn Or “reveal my holiness.” God’s “holiness” is fundamentally his transcendence as sovereign ruler of the world. The revelation of his authority and power through judgment is in view in this context.