'Son of Man' in the Bible
He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak with you.”
He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebellious pagans who have rebelled against Me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against Me to this day.
“But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words, though briers and thorns are beside you and you live among scorpions. Don’t be afraid of their words or be discouraged by the look on their faces, for they are a rebellious house.
“And you, son of man, listen to what I tell you: Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”
He said to me: “Son of man, eat what you find here. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel.”
“Son of man,” He said to me, “eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you.” So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them.
Next He said to me: “Son of man, listen carefully to all My words that I speak to you and take them to heart.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
And you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so you cannot go out among them.
“Now you, son of man, take a brick, set it in front of you, and draw the city of Jerusalem on it.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight and in dread drink water by measure.
“Now you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as you would a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.
“Son of man, turn your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.
“Son of man, this is what the Lord God says to the land of Israel:An end! The end has comeon the four corners of the land.
The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” I looked to the north, and there was this offensive statue north of the altar gate, at the entrance.
He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing here, more detestable things that the house of Israel is committing, so that I must depart from My sanctuary? You will see even more detestable things.”
He said to me, “Son of man, dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and there was a doorway.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his idol? For they are saying, ‘The Lord does not see us. The Lord has abandoned the land.’”
And He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even more detestable things than these.”
And He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the detestable things they are practicing here, that they must also fill the land with violence and repeatedly provoke Me to anger, even putting the branch to their nose?
The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plan evil and give wicked advice in this city.
Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!”
“Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem you, and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are those that the residents of Jerusalem have said this to, ‘Stay away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’
“Son of man, you are living among a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.
“Son of man, get your bags ready for exile and go into exile in their sight during the day. You will go into exile from your place to another place while they watch; perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.
“Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, that rebellious house, asked you, ‘What are you doing?’
“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with shaking and anxiety.
“Son of man, what is this proverb you people have about the land of Israel, which goes:The days keep passing by,and every vision fails?
“Son of man, notice that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees concerns many years from now; he prophesies about distant times.’
“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the word of the Lord!
“Now, son of man, turn toward the women of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them
“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put sinful stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I be consulted by them at all?
“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of bread, to send famine through it, and to wipe out both man and animal from it,
“Son of man, how does the wood of the vine, that branch among the trees of the forest, compare to any other wood?
“Son of man, explain Jerusalem’s detestable practices to her.
“Son of man, pose a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.
“Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel and tell them: This is what the Lord God says: Are you coming to consult Me? As I live, I will not be consulted by you.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.
“Will you pass judgment against them, will you pass judgment, son of man? Explain the detestable practices of their fathers to them.
“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them: This is what the Lord God says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by committing treachery against Me:
“Son of man, face the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest land in the Negev,
“Son of man, turn your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel,
“But you, son of man, groan! Groan bitterly with a broken heart right before their eyes.
“Son of man, prophesy: This is what the Lord says! You are to proclaim:A sword! A sword is sharpenedand also polished.
Cry out and wail, son of man,for it is against My people.It is against all the princes of Israel!They are given over to the sword with My people.Therefore strike your thigh in grief.
Therefore, son of man, prophesyand clap your hands together.Let the sword strike two times, even three.It is a sword for massacre,a sword for great massacre—it surrounds them!
“Now you, son of man, mark out two roads that the sword of Babylon’s king can take. Both of them should originate from the same land. And make a signpost at the fork in the road to each city.
“Now prophesy, son of man, and say: This is what the Lord God says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt. You are to proclaim:A sword! A swordis drawn for slaughter,polished to consume, to flash like lightning.
“As for you, son of man, will you pass judgment? Will you pass judgment against the city of blood? Then explain all her detestable practices to her.
“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me. All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace; they are the dross of silver.
“Son of man, say to her: You are a land that has not been cleansed, that has not received rain in the day of indignation.
“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,
Then the Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare their detestable practices to them.
“Son of man, write down today’s date, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
“Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow.
“‘Son of man, know that on the day I take their stronghold from them, their pride and joy, the delight of their eyes and the longing of their hearts, as well as their sons and daughters,
“Son of man, turn your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them.
“Son of man, because Tyre said about Jerusalem, ‘Good! The gateway to the peoples is shattered. She has been turned over to me. I will be filled now that she lies in ruins,’
“Now, son of man, lament for Tyre.
“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre: This is what the Lord God says:Your heart is proud,and you have said, ‘I am a god;I sit in the seat of godsin the heart of the sea.’Yet you are a man and not a god,though you have regarded your heartas that of a god.
“Son of man, lament for the king of Tyre and say to him: This is what the Lord God says:You were the seal of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
“Son of man, turn your face toward Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all of Egypt.
“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor strenuously against Tyre. Every head was made bald and every shoulder chafed, but he and his army received no compensation from Tyre for the labor he expended against it.
“Son of man, prophesy and say: This is what the Lord God says:Wail: Woe for the day!
“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Look, it has not been bandaged—no medicine has been applied and no splint put on to bandage it so that it can grow strong enough to handle a sword.
“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:Who are you like in your greatness?
“Son of man, lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:You compare yourself to a lion of the nations,but you are like a monster in the seas.You thrash about in your rivers,churn up the waters with your feet,and muddy the rivers.”
“Son of man, wail over the hordes of Egypt and bring Egypt and the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld, to be with those who descend to the Pit:
“Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman,
“As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
“Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel: You have said this, ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy on us, and we are wasting away because of them! How then can we survive?’
“Now, son of man, say to your people: The righteousness of the righteous person will not save him on the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked person cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. The righteous person won’t be able to survive by his righteousness on the day he sins.
“Son of man, those who live in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one person, yet he received possession of the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.’
“Now, son of man, your people are talking about you near the city walls and in the doorways of their houses. One person speaks to another, each saying to his brother, ‘Come and hear what the message is that comes from the Lord!’
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them: This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock?
“Son of man, turn your face toward Mount Seir and prophesy against it.
“Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.
“Son of man, while the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it with their conduct and actions. Their behavior before Me was like menstrual impurity.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”I replied, “Lord God, only You know.”
He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!”
Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look how they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’
“Son of man, take a single stick and write on it: Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel associated with him.
“Son of man, turn your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him
“Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: This is what the Lord God says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know this
“As for you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
“Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: Tell every kind of bird and all the wild animals: Assemble and come! Gather from all around to My sacrificial feast that I am slaughtering for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel; you will eat flesh and drink blood.
He spoke to me: “Son of man, look with your eyes, listen with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you. Report everything you see to the house of Israel.”
He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel and their kings will no longer defile My holy name by their religious prostitution and by the corpses of their kings at their high places.
“As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities. Let them measure its pattern,
Then He said to me: “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings may be sacrificed on it and blood may be sprinkled on it:
The Lord said to me: “Son of man, pay attention; look with your eyes and listen with your ears to everything I tell you about all the statutes and laws of the Lord’s temple. Take careful note of the entrance of the temple along with all the exits of the sanctuary.
He asked me, “Do you see this, son of man?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river.