33:7 “As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman 2 for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf.
33:30 “But as for you, son of man, your people 3 (who are talking about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses) say to one another, 4 ‘Come hear the word that comes 5 from the Lord.’ 33:31 They come to you in crowds, 6 and they sit in front of you as 7 my people. They hear your words, but do not obey 8 them. For they talk lustfully, 9 and their heart is set on 10 their own advantage. 11
1 tn The literal role of a watchman is described in 2 Sam 18:24; 2 Kgs 9:17.
2 sn Jeremiah (Jer 6:17) and Habakkuk (Hab 2:1) also served in the role of a watchman.
3 tn Heb “sons of your people.”
4 tn Heb “one to one, a man to his brother.”
5 tn Heb “comes out.”
6 tn Heb “as people come.” Apparently this is an idiom indicating that they come in crowds. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:264.
7 tn The word “as” is supplied in the translation.
8 tn Heb “do.”
9 tn Heb “They do lust with their mouths.”
10 tn Heb “goes after.”
11 tn The present translation understands the term often used for “unjust gain” in a wider sense, following M. Greenberg, who also notes that the LXX uses a term which can describe either sexual or ritual pollution. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:687.