Ezekiel 15:3

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can one make from it a peg on which to hang utensils?

American Standard Version (1901)

Shall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

Bible in Basic English

Will its wood be used for any work? do men make of it a pin for hanging any vessel on?

Douay-Rheims 1899

Shall wood be taken of if, to do any work, or shall a pin be made of it for any vessel to hang thereon?

Free Bible Version

Can you make anything useful from vine wood? Can you use it to make even just a peg to hang up pots and pans?

King James (Authorized) Version

Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

Translation for Translators

No one [RHQ] ever takes a branch of a grapevine and makes anything useful from it. No one [RHQ] even makes pegs from them to hang things on.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Do people take wood from a vine to make anything? Or do they make a peg from it to hang anything on it?

Noah Webster Bible

Shall wood be taken of it to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel upon it?

World English Bible

Will wood be taken of it to make anything? Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel on it?

Young's Literal Translation

Is wood taken from it to use for work? Do they take of it a pin to hang any vessel on it?

Context

Jerusalem the Useless Vine

²“Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch among the trees in the forest?³Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can one make from it a peg on which to hang utensils?

Summary

In Ezekiel 15:3, God uses the analogy of a useless vine to illustrate the unfaithfulness and unfruitfulness of Jerusalem. Just as a vine's wood is not suitable for making anything useful, so Jerusalem's inhabitants, who have turned away from God, will face judgment and destruction. This verse serves as a warning about the consequences of spiritual unfaithfulness and the importance of bearing fruit in alignment with God's will.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel, That is; a vine tree when cut down, or a branch when cut off, it is good for nothing else; and that is the use it is generally put to; see Joh 15:6; and this, it is suggested, would be the end of the Jewish nation; who were become by their sins like a wild vine, and were fit fuel for the fire of divine wrath: the fire devoureth both the ends of it; the branch cast into it, and so is quickly consumed. Kimchi explains this by Isa 9:12; "the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind, and they devour Israel with open mouth"; and Abendana of the ten tribes; but it seems only to design how soon the fire takes it; and how inevitable the consumption is when it is fired at both ends: and the midst of it is burnt: presently; it being dried, and reduced to a brand by the heat of the fire at both ends: this Kimchi interprets of the city of Jerusalem, which was in the midst of the land: is it meet for any work? no; for if it was not fit for any work when cut down, or cut off, much less when burnt in the fire.