Ezekiel 20:46

⁴⁴ And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

⁴⁵ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;

⁴⁷ And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

⁴⁸ And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.
KJV: Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
WEB: “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the south.
ASV: Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop [thy word] toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South;
DARBY: Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop [words] against the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
BLB: “Son of man, set your face [to] the way of Teman, and preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest of the land of the Negev.

ÅB: Menneskesønn! Vend ditt åsyn mot syd og prek mot Syden og spå mot skoglandet i syd[^1]!
OTB: "Menneskesønn, vend ditt ansikt mot sør; forkynn mot sør og profeter mot skoglandet i Negev.
B1930: Menneskesønn! Vend ditt åsyn mot syd og prek mot Syden og spå mot skoglandet i syd! / < d.e. mot Jerusalem og Juda (ESK 21, 2), som for profeten i Kaldea lå mot syd.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ezekiel 21:2
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
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Amos 7:16
Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.
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Jeremiah 13:19
The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.
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Jeremiah 22:7
And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.
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Micah 2:6
Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
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Ezekiel 4:7
Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.
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Ezekiel 6:2
Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
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Isaiah 30:6
The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.
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