What Does Ezekiel 12:27 Mean in the King James?
Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The hearer can concede that the vision is real while using distance to keep it from the present.
THE MEANING
This verse names a way of making a present word feel remote: the vision is placed among “many days” and “far-off times.” The vision remains acknowledged, but its claim is kept away from now. It speaks whenever a truth is treated as real yet safely distant.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
A warning can be ignored because its consequences belong to some remote future.
THE ROOT
רְחוֹקוֹת
rĕḥōqōt
GROWS FROM
רחק
r-ḥ-q
To be far or distant; in a causative form, to put something far away.
“far off” in this verse is rĕḥōqōt. This root can describe both being far and putting something far away. The vision remains seen, yet the hearers place it beyond their present.
ALSO GROWS
rāḥōq: Far, distant.
רָחוֹק
It names the distance the hearers assign to the vision.
hirḥîq: To put at a distance, remove far away.
הִרְחִיק
It shows how distance can be made: the vision is framed as beyond the present.
merḥāq: Distance, a remote place.
מֶרְחָק
It makes clear that “far off” carries the sense of remoteness, not only a date on a calendar.
חָזוֹן
ḥāzôn
GROWS FROM
חזה
ḥ-z-h
To see, behold, or perceive.
English separates “vision” from “seeth” into a thing and an action, while Hebrew repeats the same seeing-root in both forms. The verse centers on a vision that is truly seen; the dispute is over when its significance arrives.
ALSO GROWS
ḥāzâ: To see, behold.
חָזָה
This is the seeing action echoed by “he seeth.”
ḥōzeh: A seer, one who sees.
חֹזֶה
It describes the person who receives or bears the vision through the same root of seeing.
THE PATTERN
When truth or consequence seems delayed, people can turn that distance into permission to defer its claim.
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.THE THREAD
Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.The next verse directly answers the claim of distance: the LORD’s words will not be prolonged further, and what is spoken will be done. It turns the report of postponement into its correction.
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