Eze 1:3 | NETfull | STEP | the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel the son of Buzi, at the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. The hand of the Lord came on him there).

Ezekiel 1:3

3 the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel ^{▼▼ The prophet’s name, Ezekiel, means in Hebrew “May God strengthen.”} the son of Buzi, ^{▼▼ Or “to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest.”} at the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. ^{▼▼ Heb “Chaldeans.” The name of the tribal group ruling Babylon, “Chaldeans” is used as metonymy for the whole empire of Babylon. The Babylonians worked with the Medes to destroy the Assyrian Empire near the end of the 7th century b.c. Then, over the next century, the Babylonians dominated the West Semitic states (such as Phoenicia, Aram, Moab, Edom, and Judah in the modern countries of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel) and made incursions into Egypt.} The hand ^{▼▼ Or “power.”} ^{▼▼ Hand in the OT can refer metaphorically to power, authority, or influence. In Ezekiel God’s “hand” being on the prophet is regularly associated with communication or a vision from God (3:14, 22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1).} of the Lord came on him there).