And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

EZEKIEL 43:11KJV
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Ezekiel 43:11 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 43:11 mean?

Ezekiel 43:11 says that if the people of Israel are truly ashamed of their past actions, Ezekiel should show them the detailed design, structure, and rules of the new temple so they can follow them carefully. The verse emphasizes that these instructions should be written down in front of the people so they can observe and obey every part of them.

In this verse, God is speaking to Ezekiel, who is a prophet among the Israelites in exile. God is describing how, if the people show genuine regret for their wrongdoing, Ezekiel is to reveal the full plan for the temple—including its layout, entrances, regulations, and laws. The focus is on the importance of repentance and careful obedience to God’s instructions as part of restoring the relationship between God and His people.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 43:11

  • "ashamed" (בּוֹשׁ, bosh): This word means to feel shame or embarrassment. Here, it signals that real change starts with the people’s honest regret for their past.
  • "form" (תַּכְנִית, takhnit): This word refers to a detailed plan or blueprint. God is not just giving general ideas but specific, concrete instructions for the temple’s design.
  • "ordinances" (חֻקָּה, chuqqah): This word means statutes or fixed rules. It highlights that the temple is to be governed by set regulations, not left to personal interpretation.
  • "write" (כָּתַב, kathav): God tells Ezekiel to record these instructions in the people’s sight, stressing the importance of a public, lasting record so everyone knows and can follow the rules.

Why Ezekiel 43:11 matters

  • Ezekiel 43:11 clarifies that God’s forgiveness and restoration are tied to genuine repentance, not just outward ritual or rebuilding.
  • The verse shows that God cares about details—He wants His people to follow His instructions exactly, not just in spirit but in practice.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing that the new temple is not just a building, but a symbol of a renewed relationship between God and His people, built on obedience and respect for God’s ways.

Where else these words appear

“fashion” Hebrew H8498 · used in 2 verses

  • Nahum 2:9 Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.

“comings” Hebrew H4126 · used in 2 verses

  • 2 Samuel 3:25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.

“out” Hebrew H4161 · used in 26 verses

  • Numbers 30:12 But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.
  • 2 Chronicles 32:30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
  • Psalms 107:35 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

“ashamed” Hebrew H3637 · used in 38 verses

  • Numbers 12:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
  • Job 19:3 These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.
  • Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.