Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of parables?’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel isn't just complaining that his prophecies are hard to understand; he's relaying the people's scornful dismissal of his message, viewing him as a mere entertainer with riddles rather than a genuine messenger of God. This shows the frustrating reality of a prophet whose words are so distorted by his audience that they lose their divine weight and are easily ignored.
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of parables?’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel has just delivered a powerful prophecy of judgment, comparing Jerusalem to a forest fire that will consume the land and its people. In response, the people dismiss his words, claiming he only speaks in riddles and parables that are impossible to understand. Ezekiel, aware of their scorn and rejection, cries out to God, lamenting that his message of impending doom is being trivialized and ignored.
Have you ever felt like your message wasn't being heard, or worse, that it was being mocked? Ezekiel certainly did. This verse reveals a prophet wrestling with the weight of his words and how people received them.
Ezekiel's cry, 'Ah, Lord GOD!' isn't just a casual exclamation. It's a deep sigh of a prophet burdened by misunderstanding. He's just delivered a significant prophecy, likely filled with symbolic language. But instead of engaging with the truth, the people dismiss it, saying, 'Is he not a maker of parables?'
This wasn't just a gentle observation; it was ridicule. They saw his inspired messages not as divine truth, but as riddles or fanciful tales to be ignored. They implied his words lacked substance, were impossible to understand, and therefore, not worth taking seriously. It's the prophetic equivalent of being told, 'You and your silly stories!' This response reveals a spiritual hardness and a willful ignorance on the part of the people, who used the 'parable' label as an excuse to reject God's word.
Why would God use parables if they only lead to people saying, 'He's just telling stories'? It seems counterintuitive. But the Lord's ways are not our ways.
While the people saw Ezekiel's parables as mere riddles, God (and likely Ezekiel himself, as he pleads with God) understood their deeper purpose. The commentaries suggest that Ezekiel intentionally used figurative language to 'awaken the attention of the people to the explanation he was about to give.'
Think of it like a skilled teacher using an analogy or a thought-provoking story. The parable isn't the end goal; it's the to understanding. It's meant to grab attention, to make people think, to bypass their defenses, and then, through explanation, reveal profound spiritual truths. The people's complaint wasn't just about the of the message, but about their own unwillingness to engage with its . They didn't want to be challenged, so they labeled the message as incomprehensible fiction.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
mashal · Hebrew Noun
A figurative or enigmatic saying used to convey moral or spiritual truth. Prophets often utilized parables to penetrate the hardened hearts of people who refused to listen to direct revelation.
Ezekiel's prophetic method often involved parables and symbolic actions, which the people in exile frequently dismissed as mere riddles or madness, rather than divine messages.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
The Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar II conquers Jerusalem and exiles King Jehoiachin and many of the Judean elite to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597-571 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Ministry in Babylon
Ezekiel, himself among the exiles, begins his prophetic ministry in Babylon, addressing the exiles and condemning their sins.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar returns to destroy Jerusalem and its Temple after a rebellion. A second, larger deportation of Judeans follows.
c. 571 BC
Ezekiel's Final Prophecy
Ezekiel delivers his last recorded prophecy, marking the end of his recorded ministry. His prophecies often used vivid imagery and parables.
This passage directly addresses the people's skepticism about Ezekiel's prophecies, highlighting their dismissal of his words as mere parables or future possibilities rather than immediate divine pronouncements.
Ezekiel 17:2This verse shows Ezekiel's use of a riddle or parable early in his ministry, setting a precedent for the people's perception of him as someone who speaks in figures rather than plain truth.
Matthew 13:10-17Jesus explains why He speaks in parables, referencing Isaiah and noting that the disciples are blessed to understand, while others are not, echoing the theme of privileged understanding versus willful ignorance seen with Ezekiel.
1 Corinthians 1:23This verse contrasts the 'Christ crucified' with the 'wisdom of men,' showing how the divine message can seem like foolishness or mere talk to those who do not possess spiritual discernment.
John 3:19-20This passage speaks of people loving darkness rather than light, and hating correction, revealing a deeper reason why many reject challenging truths, preferring to remain in their own understanding, much like Ezekiel's audience.
barnesEzekiel 20:49: "Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?"
Parables - Compare Ezekiel 17:2 . The meaning of the prophet was clear enough, if those whom he addressed had chosen to understand.
gillEzekiel 20:49: "Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?"
Then said I, ah Lord God!.... The Septuagint version is, "by no means, Lord, Lord"; that is, let me not be sent on such an errand; at least, let it not be delivered in such figurative terms; or let not such a general calamity befall the people. The Targum is, "receive my prayer, O Lord God;'' the prophet here either complains of the usage he had met with after delivering the above prophecy; or rather of what…
Ezekiel isn't just complaining that his prophecies are hard to understand; he's relaying the people's scornful dismissal of his message, viewing him as a mere entertainer with riddles rather than a genuine messenger of God. This shows the frustrating reality of a prophet whose words are so distorted by his audience that they lose their divine weight and are easily ignored.
Ezekiel has just delivered a powerful prophecy of judgment, comparing Jerusalem to a forest fire that will consume the land and its people. In response, the people dismiss his words, claiming he only speaks in riddles and parables that are impossible to understand. Ezekiel, aware of their scorn and rejection, cries out to God, lamenting that his message of impending doom is being trivialized and ignored.
Ezekiel has just delivered a powerful prophecy of judgment, comparing Jerusalem to a forest fire that will consume the land and its people. In response, the people dismiss his words, claiming he only speaks in riddles and parables that are impossible to understand. Ezekiel, aware of their scorn and rejection, cries out to God, lamenting that his message of impending doom is being trivialized and ignored.
"Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of parables?’”" — Ezekiel isn't just complaining that his prophecies are hard to understand; he's relaying the people's scornful dismissal of his message, viewing him as a mere entertainer with riddles rather than a…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026