In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

EZEKIEL 24:27KJV
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Ezekiel 24:27 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 24:27 mean?

Ezekiel 24:27 says that on a certain day, Ezekiel’s ability to speak will be restored so he can talk to a survivor, and he will no longer be silent; this will serve as a sign to the people, showing them that the LORD is truly God. The verse marks a turning point when Ezekiel’s enforced silence ends, and his words become a clear message from God.

In this verse, God is speaking to Ezekiel, a prophet living among the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Earlier, God had made Ezekiel mute except when delivering specific messages. Here, God promises that when someone escapes Jerusalem’s destruction and comes to Ezekiel, his mouth will be "opened" and he will speak freely again. This event will act as a sign (not just a prediction) to the exiles that God’s warnings were real and that the LORD is the true God.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 24:27

  • "Mouth" (פֶּה, peh): This word points to Ezekiel’s ability to speak, which had been restricted by God. The restoration of his "mouth" signals a new phase in his prophetic role.
  • "Opened" (פָּתַח, pathach): This verb means to open, often used for physical openings or the opening of speech. Here, it emphasizes that Ezekiel’s silence was not natural but divinely imposed and will be divinely ended.
  • "Escaped" (פָּלִיט, palit): Refers to the survivor who escapes Jerusalem’s destruction and brings news to the exiles. This person’s arrival is the trigger for Ezekiel’s restored speech.
  • "Sign" (מוֹפֵת, mopheth): This word means a wonder or sign, something meant to catch attention and prove a point. Ezekiel’s restored speech is not just communication but a visible sign of God’s action.

Why Ezekiel 24:27 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Ezekiel’s silence was a sign from God, not a personal choice or a physical problem, and its ending marks a significant prophetic moment.
  • It connects Ezekiel’s personal experience to the larger story of Jerusalem’s fall, showing that his life and actions are meant to communicate God’s message to the exiles.
  • The verse highlights that when God’s warnings come true, the people will recognize His authority and reality, reinforcing the purpose of prophecy in the book.

Where else these words appear

“dumb” Hebrew H481 · used in 9 verses

  • Genesis 37:7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
  • Psalms 39:2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
  • Ezekiel 3:26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.

“escaped” Hebrew H6412 · used in 21 verses

  • Genesis 14:13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
  • Isaiah 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
  • Ezekiel 6:9 And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.

“sign” Hebrew H4159 · used in 35 verses

  • Exodus 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
  • Deuteronomy 28:46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
  • Psalms 105:5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

“opened” Hebrew H6605 · used in 133 verses

  • Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
  • Nehemiah 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
  • Isaiah 5:27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: