Ezekiel 11 23

Ezekiel 11:23 kjv

And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

Ezekiel 11:23 nkjv

And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.

Ezekiel 11:23 niv

The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it.

Ezekiel 11:23 esv

And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.

Ezekiel 11:23 nlt

Then the glory of the LORD went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east.

Ezekiel 11 23 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Ezek 10:4Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, to the threshold of the house.Fulfillment of previous action
Ezek 10:18Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubim.Immediate precursor
Ezek 11:22-23Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel stood above them. The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.Transition of presence
Isa 6:1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up...Divine presence & majesty
Psa 99:1The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth be moved!Divine dwelling
Rev 4:6-7...and before the throne was a sea of glass, like crystal. In the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures...Heavenly cherubim
John 14:16-17...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth...Promise of the Spirit
John 1:14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...Christ dwelling among men
Matt 24:1-2Jesus left the temple, and as he was going away, his disciples came to point out the temple buildings. But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."Temple's destruction
Heb 12:25-27See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who is from heaven...Refusing divine warnings
1 Cor 3:16-17Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.Believer as temple
2 Cor 6:16What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God...God's dwelling in believers
Rev 18:1-2After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!”Lament over a fallen city
Jer 7:14Therefore I will do to this house, which bears my name, and on which you rely, and to the place I gave you and your fathers, just as I did to Shiloh.Judgment on God's house
Deut 31:6-8Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." And Moses summoned Joshua and said to him...God's presence promised
Psa 132:13-14For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.God's desire to dwell
Hosea 9:12-13But woe to them, for they have departed from me! ...But I saw Ephraim as a bride in her splendor. When I saw Ephraim, I also saw Judah.God's abandonment
1 Kings 8:10-11And the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.Cloud filling the temple
Zeph 1:7-9Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near... For I will punish those who settle in comfort... and those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do evil.’Day of judgment
Zech 2:10“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD.Future divine presence

Ezekiel 11 verses

Ezekiel 11 23 Meaning

The glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple, and it was elevated above the cherubim. This signifies God's immediate and tangible presence leaving the physical structure of the temple in Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 11 23 Context

Ezekiel chapter 11 follows a prophecy concerning the leaders of Jerusalem. In this verse, Ezekiel witnesses a vision of the divine glory, which had previously moved from the threshold of the temple to hover over the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18). Now, this divine glory, representing God's palpable presence and favor, visibly departs from the midst of the city, which is the temple complex in Jerusalem, and moves to a position east of the city, on the mountain. This departure signifies a judicial abandonment of the city due to its profound sinfulness and the corruption of its people and leadership. Historically, this vision foreshadows the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile, a consequence of their unfaithfulness. The move of God's glory to the east can be seen as a judgment that leads to His leaving the people behind.

Ezekiel 11 23 Word Analysis

  • Wě·hî (וְהִ֤י): "And she was" or "and it was". "She" refers to the glory of God. The feminine form suggests a personification or the majesty of God as feminine in certain contexts, highlighting His attributes like tenderness or beauty.
  • lā·‘ā·yāh (לָעָיָה): "to go up" or "to ascend". This is the same root verb used in Exodus 40:35 where the cloud covered the tabernacle, and the glory of the LORD filled it, and Moses was not able to enter. It indicates a physical elevation or departure.
  • mî·ṯoḵ (מִתּוֹךְ): "from within" or "from the midst of". Emphasizes the location of God's presence before its departure.
  • hā·‘îr (הָעִ֔יר): "the city". This refers to Jerusalem, the chosen city of God, now designated for judgment.
  • wĕ·‘‘ā·mǝ·ḏah (וְעָמְּדָ֥ה): "and she stood" or "and it stood". Indicates a stopping or resting point.
  • ʿal (עַ֖ל): "upon" or "on". The preposition denotes the location of the divine glory after its movement.
  • hār (הָ֣ר): "the mountain". Specifically, this refers to the Mount of Olives, which lies to the east of Jerusalem.

Word Groups Analysis

  • "mî·ṯoḵ hā·‘îr wĕ·‘‘ā·mǝ·ḏah ʿal hār hā·hū’ ’ā·še·r”: This phrase describes the progression of God's departure: from the city itself to a specific mountain east of it. This outward movement symbolizes a complete separation and judgment, moving away from His dwelling place in the city. The selection of the mountain east of the city suggests a waiting presence before its eventual, more definitive, absence from that location.

Ezekiel 11 23 Bonus Section

The movement of God's glory eastward toward a mountain can be interpreted symbolically. Eastward is often associated with sunrise, new beginnings, or divine revelation. However, in the context of judgment, this eastward position marks a boundary from which God observes the destruction of the city before His final departure. Some interpretations suggest that this eastward position also anticipates the return of God's glory to Jerusalem in the future millennial reign, as described in Ezekiel chapter 43, where the glory of the LORD comes into the temple from the east. This verse therefore contains both a message of current judgment and a promise of future restoration of God's presence.

Ezekiel 11 23 Commentary

The departure of God's glory from Jerusalem, as witnessed by Ezekiel, is a powerful and solemn event. It signifies not an erasure of God's power or existence, but a withdrawal of His active, manifest presence and favor from a place that has become defiled by sin. The vision serves as a divine declaration of judgment, signaling that the physical temple and the city itself are no longer sanctuaries for the Lord because of the people's idolatry and wickedness. This foreshadows the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile. For believers, this event highlights the crucial reality that God's dwelling is contingent on holiness and obedience. The New Testament understanding expands on this: while the physical temple is no longer God's primary dwelling place, His presence now resides in the Church, the body of Christ, and ultimately in believers individually, who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).