And utter an allegory to the rebellious house and say to them: The Hebrew root for allegory normally means “parable” or “proverb” (see, for example, 12.22-23; 16.44; 17.2; 18.2-3; 20.49). Here it refers to a story with a meaning, a story that is told to make something clear. Therefore utter an allegory is better rendered “Tell … this parable” (Good News Translation; similarly New International Version, New King James Version , New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “tell a story” (New Century Version; similarly New International Reader’s Version), or “give … an illustration” (New Living Translation). Ezekiel often refers to God’s people as a rebellious house (see the comments on 2.5). The house here does not refer to a building, but to a group of people. This phrase may be translated “people who refuse to obey me [God]” (New Century Version; similarly New International Reader’s Version) or simply “rebels” (New Living Translation).

Thus says the Lord GOD: This traditional prophetic formula begins the parable. Lord renders the Hebrew word ʾadonai, and GOD renders “Yahweh” (YHWH in Hebrew).

Verses 3b-5 are a parable about cooking meat in a large pot on the fire. It is in the form of a poem or song, and translators will do well if they can render it in poetic form.

Set on the pot, set it on means “Put a cooking pot on the fire” (New International Reader’s Version). Some translations render the Hebrew word for pot as “caldron” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “cauldron” (Revised English Bible) to show that it is a large pot (see the comments on 11.3). In those cultures where earthenware or clay pots are used for cooking, it may be necessary to specify here that it is a metal pot. Some translations omit the clause set it on (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Living Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This is acceptable if such repetition is unnatural in the receptor language. However, this repetition will be quite natural in poetic passages in many languages.

Pour in water also means pour some water into the pot in order to boil the food. Good News Translation says “and fill it up with water,” but a better model is “and pour some water into it” since the pot is not completely full of water.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .