Ezekiel 3:8 (YLT)

Passage

`Lo, I have made thy face strong against their face, and thy forehead strong against their forehead.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 3:6 not unto many peoples, deep of lip and heavy of tongue, whose words thou dost not understand. If I had not sent thee unto them--they, they do hearken unto thee,

Ezekiel 3:7 but the house of Israel are not willing to hearken unto thee, for they are not willing to hearken unto Me, for all the house of Israel are brazen-faced and strong-hearted.

Ezekiel 3:8 `Lo, I have made thy face strong against their face, and thy forehead strong against their forehead.

Ezekiel 3:9 As an adamant harder than a rock I have made thy forehead; thou dost not fear them, nor art thou affrighted before them, for a rebellious house <FI>are<Fi> they.'

Ezekiel 3:10 And He saith unto me, `Son of man, all My words, that I speak unto thee, receive with thy heart, and with thine ears hear;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "face", "strong", "against", and "forehead". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "face" and "strong", 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 are not..." into verse 9's "As an adamant harder than a rock...", so "face" and "strong" 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 "face" and "strong" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.