Ezekiel 2:4

forthey are impudent children Rather, and the children are impudent and stiffhearted, to whom I send thee. The "children" are the present generation, who are like their fathers. Outwardly they are "impudent," lit. hard in face, resolute and whose eyes do not quail before one that opposes them; and within they are strong of heart, unyielding and stubborn in will and feeling. The word here used of the face is said of the heart, ch. Ezekiel 3:7, and the term applied to the heart is said of the face and forehead, ch. Ezekiel 3:8. More often the term used of the face is applied to the neck, "stiffnecked" (Exodus 33:3). For the idea comp. Isaiah 48:4, "I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass."

Thus saith the Lord God lit. the Lord Jehovah. The word "Jehovah" was pronounced Adonai, "Lord," and when Adonai, Lord, actually stood in the text, Jehovah was pronounced God, Elohim. In A.V. "God" is then printed in small capitals. This is what the prophet shall say on his part: "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah;" he shall announce himself a prophet from Jehovah, bearing his word. And the people shall eventually know that a prophet has been among them (Ezekiel 2:5). By various omissions LXX. reads Ezekiel 2:3 in a shorter form: Son of man I send thee to the house of Israel, who provoke me; who have provoked me they and their fathers unto this day, Ezekiel 2:4 and thou shalt say unto them, &c. This reading certainly reflects a more natural Hebrew sentence than our present text.