Ezekiel 3:9 (YLT)

Passage

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.'

Nearby Context

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;

Ezekiel 3:11 and go, enter in unto the Removed, unto the sons of thy people, and thou hast spoken unto them, and hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: whether they hear, or whether they forbear.'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "adamant", "harder", "than", "rock", "forehead", "thou", "dost", and "fear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "adamant" and "harder", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Lo I have made thy face strong..." into verse 10's "And He saith unto me Son of...", so "adamant" and "harder" 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 "adamant" and "harder" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.