Ezekiel 14 15

Ezekiel 14:15 kjv

If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

Ezekiel 14:15 nkjv

"If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts,

Ezekiel 14:15 niv

"Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,

Ezekiel 14:15 esv

"If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts,

Ezekiel 14:15 nlt

"Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through.

Ezekiel 14 verses

Ezekiel 14 15 Meaning

This verse reveals God’s unwavering judgment against the land of Israel. He declares that He will send against it severe punishments: sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence. These are not arbitrary acts but a righteous response to the people's persistent sin, particularly their idolatry and the corruption of their elders and princes. The verse emphasizes God's intent to cut off both humans and animals, signifying a thorough cleansing and a complete devastation of the land because of the pervasive sin.

Ezekiel 14 15 Context

This verse is part of a larger prophecy in Ezekiel 14 where the prophet is addressing the elders of Israel who have come to inquire of the Lord through him. Despite Israel's current exile, many were still turning to idols. Ezekiel's message is a stern warning that their outward seeking of God through him is hypocritical if their hearts remain attached to idols. God declares that He will not be inquired of by such people. The fourfold list of divine judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence—represents the complete devastation that God would bring upon a disobedient and unrepentant people, affecting all life, human and animal, within the land.

Ezekiel 14 15 Word Analysis

• וְאִם (v'im): "And if." Introduces a conditional statement.

• הִנֵּה (hinneh): "Behold" or "indeed." A particle emphasizing the certainty and seriousness of the following statement.

• נָתַתִּי (natati): "I have brought" or "I will send." First-person singular perfect form of "natá," meaning to give, put, or set. Indicates a divine action and a determined future event.

• דֶּבֶר (dever): "Pestilence" or "plague." A disease causing death, often of a widespread nature.

• וְשָׁפַכְתִּי (v'shafakhti): "And I will pour out." First-person singular perfect form of "sháfach," meaning to pour out or shed. Often used for outpouring of judgment, wrath, or blood.

• חֲמָתִי (chámati): "My fury" or "my wrath." First-person singular construct form of "chémá," wrath, anger, heat. Highlights God's intense anger directed at sin.

• עָלָיו (aláv): "Upon it." Refers to the land.

• בְּדָמִים (b'damím): "In blood" or "with blood." Plural of "dám," blood. Could signify the bloodshed from violence or the dire consequences leading to death.

• וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּי (v'hishmadti): "And I will destroy." First-person singular perfect form of "shamád," meaning to destroy, exterminate, annihilate. Emphasizes complete eradication.

• אוֹתוֹ (otó): "It" or "him." Refers to the land or its inhabitants.

• וּמִן (u'min): "And from." Connects the destruction of people and animals.

• הֲמֹנוֹ (hªmonó): "Its multitude" or "its population." Derived from "hamón," a multitude, crowd, abundance. Refers to the numerous inhabitants.

• עַד (ad): "Until" or "unto." Marks the extent of the action.

• בְּהֵמָתוֹ (b'hemotó): "Its beasts." Refers to domesticated animals.

• כִּי (ki): "For" or "because." Introduces the reason for the judgment.

• אֲנִי (aní): "I." Emphasizes God as the direct agent.

• יְהוָה (YHWH): "The LORD." The personal covenant name of God.

• שָׁמָּעְתִּי (sham'áti): "have heard" (or rather, in this context, implying my judgment upon what I hear/witness, though grammatically imperfect often denotes future in conditional statements in Hebrew, but here with preceding verbs in perfect, it likely signifies consequence.) The imperfect tense often carries a future sense in conditional clauses like this. The intent is that if these conditions are met, the consequence will follow. It can also imply that my hearing of their sin leads to my judgment.

• אֶת־ (et): Direct object marker.

• מְקֻלְלֹו (m'qullóv): "its stench" or "its rottenness." (The word is often interpreted as "stench" from the root ql, but more critically, from context of "wickedness" and idols it implies something corrupted, morally decayed. The rendering "its condemnation" or "its corruption" from a root related to curse or wickedness is also relevant here.) A more nuanced understanding points to moral decay or that which is abhorrent to God. The common renderings often refer to a noisome smell, linking it to the decaying carcasses resulting from judgment, or the offensive nature of their sin.

• רִשְׁעָם (rish'ám): "Their wickedness" or "their iniquity." Plural construct form of "rásha," wickedness, guilt. Directly states the cause of God's anger.

• Group Analysis - Fourfold Destruction: The listing of "pestilence," "blood," "sword," and "wild beasts" (implied through the comprehensive destruction of man and beast) signifies a comprehensive and inescapable divine judgment. This multifaceted approach ensures that there is no refuge for the disobedient.

• Group Analysis - God's Active Judgment: Verbs like "I will send" (natati), "I will pour out" (shafakhti), "I will destroy" (hishmadti), and "I have heard" (sham'ati, interpreted in context) consistently portray God as the active, intentional agent of destruction, not merely allowing events to happen but orchestrating them as a consequence of sin.

• Group Analysis - Cause and Effect: The use of "ki" (because) clearly links the overwhelming divine judgments (pestilence, bloodshed, destruction of inhabitants and livestock) directly to God having "heard" (experienced or witnessed) the "stench/corruption" and "wickedness" of the people.

Ezekiel 14 15 Bonus Section

The concept of God using "pestilence," "sword," "famine," and "wild beasts" as instruments of judgment is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. These represent complete annihilation, leaving no possibility of escape or survival. The "stench of their wickedness" is a vivid metaphorical description of sin's offensive nature to a holy God. It conveys that sin is not merely an offense against fellow humans but against God Himself, creating a moral pollution that demands purification through judgment. The people were seeking the Lord, but their idolatrous hearts made their worship unacceptable, leading to pronouncements of judgment rather than response.

Ezekiel 14 15 Commentary

God declares that He will unleash a comprehensive and devastating judgment upon the land of Israel. This judgment is not capricious but a direct response to the deep-seated sin and corruption witnessed among the people. The instruments of His judgment—pestilence and bloodshed (leading to widespread death)—are presented as His chosen means to eradicate both the population and their livestock. This thoroughness underscores the severity of their rebellion. The phrase "pour out my fury...in blood" emphasizes the intense, visceral nature of God's anger and the resultant bloodshed. The cause is explicitly stated: God has "heard" their persistent wickedness, symbolized by a foul stench, signifying their corrupt deeds and idolatrous practices, which are an affront to His holiness. Thus, the destruction is a just and severe consequence, ensuring that the land is purged of sin.