Say to them: God tells Ezekiel to explain the meaning of the symbolic actions to the people.

Thus says the Lord GOD: For this traditional prophetic formula, see Ezek 37.5.

For the emphatic word Behold, see the comments on Ezek 37.2. Here it highlights the following words of God.

I am about to take the stick of Joseph (which is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him …: In the explanation God promises to do in real life what he commanded Ezekiel to do in the symbolic actions. I am about to may be rendered “I will” (New Living Translation, New Century Version) or “I am going to” (New International Version). Apart from the description of the stick of Joseph, that is, the northern kingdom, most of the terms used here are the same as in verse 16 (see the comments there). Here the words in parentheses (which is in the hand of Ephraim) introduce a different picture. The stick is now a rod or scepter that a ruler carries as a sign of authority (see 19.11), and Ephraim holds it as a sign that it is the most powerful of the northern tribes. This parenthetical clause makes little sense in the context, and some translations omit it (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation). However, it is better for translators to retain this clause if possible; for example, it may be rendered “(This is the stick that belongs to Ephraim).” The tribes of Israel associated with him refers to the other nine tribes besides Ephraim that made up the northern kingdom of Israel. They all descended from Jacob. For those languages in which tribes refer to groups that speak different languages, terms such as “clans” or “families” are acceptable.

And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand: See the comments on verses 16-17.

A model for God’s words to Ezekiel’s fellow exiles in this verse is:

• You see, I am about to take the stick that represents Israel, the stick that belongs to Ephraim, and I will join it with the stick that represents Judah. I will make them one stick, and I will hold it in my hand.

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 .