Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

EZEKIEL 17:2KJV
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Ezekiel 17:2 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 17:2 mean?

Ezekiel 17:2 records God telling Ezekiel to present a riddle and a parable to the people of Israel. This means Ezekiel is to use a story with hidden meaning to communicate a message from God to the nation.

In this verse, God addresses Ezekiel as "son of man" and instructs him to speak to the "house of Israel," which refers to the people of Israel as a whole. The setting is during the Babylonian exile, and God often uses symbolic stories—riddles and parables—to make people think deeply about their situation and His message. This verse introduces a section where Ezekiel will use imagery to explain what is happening to Israel.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 17:2

  • "Riddle" (חִידָה, ḥidah): This word means a puzzle or a saying with a hidden meaning. God is asking Ezekiel to present a message that requires thought to understand, not something obvious.
  • "Parable" (מָשָׁל, mashal): This word refers to a story or comparison meant to illustrate a point. In the context of Ezekiel, a mashal often uses vivid images to make a spiritual or moral point clear to those willing to listen.
  • "House" (בַּיִת, bayit): Used here for "house of Israel," this word often means a household or family, but in prophetic books, it refers to the entire nation.

Why Ezekiel 17:2 matters

  • This verse signals that what follows will not be a straightforward prophecy but a symbolic story, inviting the listeners to engage their minds and hearts to grasp God's message.
  • Understanding that God uses riddles and parables helps the reader approach the next section of Ezekiel with the right expectations—looking for deeper meaning behind the images.
  • The verse highlights God’s desire to reach Israel in a way that prompts reflection, showing that even in judgment, God seeks to teach and correct His people rather than simply condemn.

Where else these words appear

“forth” Hebrew H2330 · used in 4 verses

  • Judges 14:12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
  • Judges 14:13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
  • Judges 14:16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?

“speak” Hebrew H4911 · used in 15 verses

  • Numbers 21:27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
  • Psalms 49:20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
  • Ezekiel 16:44 Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.

“riddle” Hebrew H2420 · used in 17 verses

  • Numbers 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
  • Judges 14:16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
  • 2 Chronicles 9:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

“parable” Hebrew H4912 · used in 39 verses

  • Numbers 23:7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
  • 2 Chronicles 7:20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
  • Proverbs 26:9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.