And he said to me …: The Hebrew text includes the name Yahweh as the speaker here (compare Good News Translation “and the LORD said to me”). This name should be retained to avoid confusion with the subject of verse 1, even though in the following quotation God refers to himself in the third person. However, translators can overcome this problem by saying “I, the LORD God of Israel” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened: God tells Ezekiel that the inner east gateway “will stay closed and will never be opened” (Good News Translation), that is, no one will ever open it again. As a result, no one shall enter by it, that is, no one will be allowed to go through it. Good News Translation says “No human being is allowed to use it,” and Contemporary English Version has “No one must ever use it.”

For the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it: The connector for introduces the reason why no one can use this gate. It is because Yahweh used it when he returned to the Temple (see 43.4). The LORD renders “Yahweh,” the name of God. Good News Translation provides a helpful model for this clause, saying “because I, the LORD God of Israel, have entered through it.”

Therefore it shall remain shut repeats the command that the gateway must stay closed and never be opened. Some translations omit the conjunction therefore (literally “and”), because repeating the command is enough to express this logical connection (so Good News Translation). Translators may feel free to do the same, or they may use a connector such as “This is the reason why.”

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 .