· Translation: KJV

Ezekiel 14:3Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?

The setting

Tel Aviv, Babylon (modern-day Iraq), ~592 BC. God exposes the elders' hidden idolatry while they sit seeking prophetic guidance...

The emotion here: grieved disappointment at persistent human unfaithfulness

The original word

gillûlîm (גִּלּוּלִים) — idols, literally 'dung pellets' — God's disgusted term for false gods

Why it matters

Babylonian exile didn't cure Israel's idolatry — they secretly worshipped both Yahweh and pagan gods

Read with care

What most readers miss in Ezekiel 14:3

God asks 'should I be inquired of AT ALL?' — He's considering complete silence as judgment

Common misconceptionPeople think idols are only carved statues, but God calls anything that captures your heart's devotion an idol — including good things like family or career when they replace Him as ultimate priority.

Bible Genome reading

Ezekiel 14:3 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerGod
EraExile
Primary emotiongrieving
Literary typeprophecy
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability70%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance70%
Standalone60%
Themes:idolatryspiritual deception

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Ezekiel 14

Ezekiel 14:3 comes from the book of Ezekiel, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include idolatry, spiritual deception. Notable phrases: taken their idols into their heart; stumbling block of their iniquity. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

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