3 Tell this rebellious people a parable and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: " 'Put on the cooking pot; put it on and pour water into it.
3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:
3 And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Set on the pot, set it on; pour in water also;
3 Tell this company of rebels a story: "'Put on the soup pot. Fill it with water.
3 And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Put on a pot, set it on, And also pour water into it.
3 Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign Lord : "Put a pot on the fire, and pour in some water.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 24:3
Commentary on Ezekiel 24:1-14
(Read Ezekiel 24:1-14)
The pot on the fire represented Jerusalem besieged by the Chaldeans: all orders and ranks were within the walls, prepared as a prey for the enemy. They ought to have put away their transgressions, as the scum, which rises by the heat of the fire, is taken from the top of the pot. But they grew worse, and their miseries increased. Jerusalem was to be levelled with the ground. The time appointed for the punishment of wicked men may seem to come slowly, but it will come surely. It is sad to think how many there are, on whom ordinances and providences are all lost.