The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

EZEKIEL 1:3KJV
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Ezekiel 1:3 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 1:3 mean?

Ezekiel 1:3 states that God’s message came directly to Ezekiel, who was a priest and the son of Buzi, while he was living among the exiles in Babylon by the river Chebar, and that God’s power was upon him there. This verse marks the beginning of Ezekiel’s prophetic calling and sets the scene for his visions.

Ezekiel 1:3 introduces Ezekiel as both a priest and a prophet, highlighting his background and authority. The verse places him geographically “in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar,” which means he was among the Jewish exiles in Babylon. The phrase “the hand of the LORD was there upon him” signals that Ezekiel is about to receive a special message or vision from God.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 1:3

  • word (דָּבָר, davar): This word means “message” or “word,” and here it emphasizes that what Ezekiel is about to share comes directly from God, not from himself.
  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, underscoring that the message is from Israel’s covenant God, not a generic deity.
  • priest (כֹּהֵן, kohen): Identifying Ezekiel as a priest shows he had a background in temple service and religious law, which shapes how he understands and delivers God’s message.
  • hand (יָד, yad): The phrase “the hand of the LORD” is often used to describe God’s powerful influence or guidance on a person, indicating that Ezekiel’s actions and words are directed by God’s authority.

Why Ezekiel 1:3 matters

  • Ezekiel 1:3 clarifies that Ezekiel’s authority as a prophet comes from a direct encounter with God, not from personal ambition or tradition.
  • The verse connects Ezekiel’s priestly background with his prophetic mission, which helps explain the strong focus on temple imagery and worship in his later messages.
  • By noting the location “in the land of the Chaldeans,” the verse shows that God’s presence and communication are not limited to Jerusalem or the temple; God speaks to His people even in exile.

Where else these words appear

“Ezekiel” Hebrew H3168 · used in 3 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 24:16 The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,
  • Ezekiel 24:24 Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

“Chebar” Hebrew H3529 · used in 8 verses

  • Ezekiel 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
  • Ezekiel 3:23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.
  • Ezekiel 10:20 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

“Chaldeans” Hebrew H3778 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
  • Jeremiah 32:4 And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;
  • Jeremiah 43:3 But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.

“river” Hebrew H5104 · used in 109 verses

  • Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
  • Ezra 8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
  • Isaiah 42:15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.