complete verse (Ezekiel 2:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 2:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Ezekiel, listen to the words that I am saying. Do not also you go astray from me like that house/family that went astray from me. Open your mouth and eat what I am about to give you.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘But you (sing.) man, listen to what- I (am) -saying to you (sing.). You (sing.) do not rebel-against me like them. Open-[your (sing.)-]mouth and eat what- I (am) -giving you (sing.).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But human, you must pay attention to what I say. Do not be rebellious like they are. Now open your mouth and eat what I give to you.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 2:8

Yahweh continues to address Ezekiel with But you, thereby contrasting the rebellious people with Ezekiel. New American Bible begins this verse with “As for you,” which is also a good model.

Son of man: See the comments on Ezek 2.1. Here Contemporary English Version again uses “Ezekiel.”

Hear what I say to you: God commands Ezekiel to listen carefully to what he is about to tell him. The word hear has a strong connotation of “listen and obey.” What I say to you refers especially to God’s words in the rest of this verse.

Be not rebellious like that rebellious house: God tells Ezekiel not to be stubborn and disobedient like the Israelites have been. Again (for the third time in four verses), the Israelites are described as a rebellious house (see the comments on Ezek 2.5). Possible models for the first half of this verse are “But for your part, mortal, don’t disobey me like those rebellious people” and “But you, O man, don’t be like that group of rebels and disobey me.”

Open your mouth, and eat what I give you: God commands Ezekiel to eat whatever God gives him. Even though the action is symbolic, the words should be translated literally. Contemporary English Version says “And now, Ezekiel, open your mouth and eat what I am going to give you.”

The words of God finish here. Some languages will have to include a closing statement such as “That was God talking” or “This is where God stopped talking.” However, for most languages the context will not make that necessary.

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 .