For Son of man, see 2.1. This is the normal way in which God addresses Ezekiel. It highlights the fact that he is a mortal human being. International Children’s Bible says “Human being.”

I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel: I have made you is more naturally rendered “I am making you” (Good News Translation) in some languages. A watchman (Good News Translation “lookout”) is a person who stands in a place where he or she can see if there is any danger coming. They were normally used in times of war to warn people when an enemy army was approaching. But they could also be used in peacetime, for example, to warn people when a river was rising quickly because of flooding, or to warn people who were fishing or swimming that sharks or crocodiles were around. The noun watchman may be expressed as a verb; for example, Contemporary English Version renders this clause as “I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel.” Another possible model is “I am making you the person who will warn the people of Israel of danger.” For the house of Israel, that is, the Israelites, see Ezek 3.1. Good News Translation has “the nation of Israel.”

Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, that is, whenever God speaks to Ezekiel a word of warning for the people of Israel. This clause may be rendered “so hear the word I speak” (New International Version) or “So listen to what I say” (Contemporary English Version).

You shall give them warning from me may be translated “You will pass on to them the warnings I give you” (Good News Translation) or “then warn them for me [that is, on my behalf]” (Contemporary English Version; similarly New Century Version). Another model for this clause and the previous one is “You must warn them for me whenever I tell you to.” To warn someone is to tell them of some danger that they are in, so that they might move or change to get out of the danger. In Ezekiel’s case he had to tell the Israelites about their sin and that God would punish them soon. When he warned them, they should have repented so that God would not punish them. The following verses describe these warnings in detail.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .