Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land: As the Revised Standard Version footnote states, the meaning of the Hebrew word rendered doom is uncertain. The word is used only three times in the Bible—twice in this chapter (also verse 10) and once in Isa 28.5. It seems to be connected with an Arabic word meaning “plait” or “weave.” In Isa 28.5 it means a plaited garland or crown, but that meaning does not fit here. In this context most translations assume that it must mean “doom” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible), “end” (Good News Translation, International Children’s Bible), “climax” (New American Bible), or a “turn [to be punished]” (New Jerusalem Bible). King James Version has “morning,” which apparently confuses the Hebrew word here with an Aramaic word meaning “dawn.” In view of the uncertainty concerning this word, it is best to follow Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation, which are in line with the majority of the translations. However, other good models for Your doom has come to you are “it’s your turn [to be punished]” (Parole de Vie) and “The cycle has come around for you” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Although the Hebrew pronoun for you is singular, it refers to the people who live in the land of Israel, so translators may use a plural pronoun here. God’s judgment in this part of the prophecy is addressed, not against the land itself, but against the inhabitant of the land, that is, the people who live there. In some languages it is not possible to say that disaster or doom is coming to people. If so, translators may render this sentence as “All you who live in the land will soon experience disaster,” “You inhabitants of the land are doomed,” or “People of the land, you will soon be ruined.”

The time has come, the day is near: God uses these two different expressions to convey the same message. The time refers the time of the end, the time of doom and destruction for Israel, and the day refers to the day of LORD when he will punish his sinful people and bring their history to an end (compare Isa 2.2–4.6; Amos 5.18-20). Even with these new words, the forceful style of this prophecy is maintained.

The coming destruction will be a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting upon the mountains. The Hebrew word for tumult refers to noise and “confusion,” like that of a large crowd of people. Here the focus is on the noise because the last phrase contrasts it with joyful shouting. It is the noise of agitated, frightened people who know that a calamity is coming, and they are going to die. Therefore some translations have rendered tumult as “panic” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant). “Shouts of fear” is another acceptable model and makes a good contrast with joyful shouting. The Hebrew word translated joyful shouting is used only here in the Bible, and some scholars think it refers to the cheerful shouts that echoed through the mountains during harvest time. This is possible, but more likely it refers to the shouting and celebrations of the people who worshiped their false gods upon the mountains, that is, in the shrines they built on the hills and mountains (see 6.3-6). This makes a stark contrast that is consistent with the theme of this part of Ezekiel’s prophecy: the shouts and celebrations of those worshiping false gods in their mountain shrines will change to shouts of fear and despair as enemy soldiers attack and kill them. The last sentence of this verse may be rendered “It’s time. The day is near when people will be shouting in panic [or, fear], not shouting joyfully at the shrines on the mountaintops.”

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 .