Ezekiel 3:8 (GNV)

Passage

Beholde, I haue made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead harde against their foreheads.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 3:6 Not to many people of an vnknowen tongue, or of an harde language, whose wordes thou canst not vnderstand: yet if I should sende thee to them, they would obey thee.

Ezekiel 3:7 But the house of Israel will not obey thee: for they will not obey me: yea, all the house of Israel are impudent and stiffe hearted.

Ezekiel 3:8 Beholde, I haue made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead harde against their foreheads.

Ezekiel 3:9 I haue made thy forehead as the adamant, and harder then the flint: feare them not therefore, neither be afraid at their lookes: for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 3:10 He said moreouer vnto me, Sonne of man, receiue in thine heart al my words that I speake vnto thee, and heare them with thine eares,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beholde", "haue", "face", "strong", "against", "faces", "forehead", and "harde". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beholde" and "haue", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "But the house of Israel will not..." into verse 9's "I haue made thy forehead as the...", so "beholde" and "haue" belong inside that flow. In Ezekiel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "beholde" and "haue" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.