Ezekiel 3:11 (WEB)

Passage

Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh;’ whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 3:9 I have made your forehead as a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

Ezekiel 3:10 Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you.

Ezekiel 3:11 Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh;’ whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.

Ezekiel 3:12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, “Blessed be Yahweh’s glory from his place.”

Ezekiel 3:13 I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "captivity", "children", "people", "speak", "tell", "thus", "says", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "captivity" and "children", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Moreover he said to me Son of..." into verse 12's "Then the Spirit lifted me up and...", so "captivity" and "children" 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 "captivity" and "children" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.