Ezekiel 14:16 kjv
Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
Ezekiel 14:16 nkjv
even though these three men were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate.
Ezekiel 14:16 niv
as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.
Ezekiel 14:16 esv
even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.
Ezekiel 14:16 nlt
As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, even if those three men were there, they wouldn't be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate.
Ezekiel 14 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 14:15 | If I send beasts of prey through the land to ravage it… | Ezekiel 5:17 |
| Ezekiel 14:17 | or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, ‘Let the sword pass through… | Jeremiah 15:2-3, Rev 6:8 |
| Ezekiel 14:18 | If I send the pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath on it… | Leviticus 26:25, Rev 18:8 |
| Ezekiel 14:19 | Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my fury on it in blood… | Numbers 25:18 |
| Ezekiel 14:21 | For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four severe judgments, the sword, the famine, the evil beasts, and the pestilence, cutting off from it man and beast! | Ezekiel 6:11, Jeremiah 7:33 |
| Deuteronomy 32:24 | I will waste them with hunger and consume them with fire and pestilence. | Deuteronomy 28:21-22 |
| Psalm 107:33-34 | He turns rivers into a wasteland, and springs of water into desert, a fruitful land into a salt pit, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants. | Jeremiah 17:6 |
| Isaiah 5:30 | And the roar of the sea and the flood will be heard in that day… | Isaiah 8:22, Jeremiah 6:23 |
| Amos 3:4 | Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl in its den when it has caught nothing? | Jeremiah 49:19, Amos 1:2 |
| Jeremiah 4:7 | The lion has come up from the thicket… | Hosea 13:7-8, Rev 5:5 |
| 1 Corinthians 10:20 | No, I imply that what they sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. | Psalm 106:37-38 |
| Romans 1:23 | and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things. | Exodus 20:4-5, Deuteronomy 4:16-19 |
| Revelation 17:5 | And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of the earth’s abominations.” | Jeremiah 51:7 |
| Hosea 5:14 | For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. | Proverbs 16:18 |
| Job 1:19 | And behold, a great wind blew across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. | Luke 6:47-49 |
| Matthew 12:30 | Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. | John 15:4-5 |
| Acts 4:12 | And in no one else is there any salvation, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. | John 14:6 |
| John 3:18 | Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. | Mark 16:16 |
| Romans 2:1-3 | You therefore have no excuse, O man, wherever you are who judge, for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. | James 2:13 |
| Psalm 37:23 | The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and he delights in his way. | Proverbs 3:5-6 |
| Zechariah 7:9 | Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, ‘Render true judgment, show kindness and compassion to one another. | Isaiah 1:17 |
Ezekiel 14 verses
Ezekiel 14 16 Meaning
This verse describes God's unwavering judgment against individuals or a nation that continues in their idolatry and defiance, even if their ancestors or themselves possessed righteous qualities or lineage. The presence of lions and widespread destruction signifies severe divine wrath and inescapable consequences for persistent sin.
Ezekiel 14 16 Context
This verse is part of a larger prophecy delivered by Ezekiel to the elders of Israel. God is using various severe judgments to illustrate the consequences of their idolatry and unfaithfulness. Earlier in chapter 14, God rebukes the elders for seeking him through idols and pronounces judgment upon them for their hypocrisy. Verses 12-20 present hypothetical scenarios where if even righteous individuals like Noah, Daniel, or Job were in the land, God’s justice would still require severe judgment on account of the land’s widespread sin. This specific verse, 14:16, fits into this context as one of the described instruments of God’s wrath. The chapter's backdrop is the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile, highlighting God's faithfulness to His covenant despite Israel’s persistent sin.
Ezekiel 14 16 Word analysis
- "and" (וְ – ve): A conjunction connecting clauses or phrases, indicating addition or continuation. Here, it links the judgment of wild beasts with the preceding and subsequent pronouncements of divine action.
- "if" (אִם – im): A conditional particle, introducing a hypothetical situation or possibility. This sets up a series of divine actions taken in response to sin.
- "I" (אֲנִי – ani): The first-person singular pronoun, emphasizing God as the active agent performing these judgments.
- "cause" (הָבֵא – have'): From the root בא (ba), meaning "to come" or "to bring." Here it signifies bringing something into existence or action within the land.
- "to pass" (עָבַר – avar): To cross over, to pass through. Indicates the movement of destructive forces through the land.
- "therein" (בָהּ – bah): A prepositional suffix meaning "in it" or "therein," referring to the land of Israel.
- "and" (וְ – ve): Conjunction.
- "its" (תֹּשָׁם – tosham): A masculine plural noun used idiomatically to mean "its emptiness" or "its devastation," indicating that the land will be utterly desolated. This word emphasizes total destruction and desolation.
- "shall" (תהיּ – tihyeh): The third-person feminine singular future tense of the verb היה (hayah), "to be." It signifies a future state or consequence.
- "become" (הָיְתָה – hayethah): From the root היה (hayah), "to be." Used here in a consecutive perfect, indicating a resulting state.
- "a desolation" (שְׁמָמָה – shemamah): A feminine noun meaning "desolation," "barrenness," or "astonishment." It evokes a picture of a land rendered uninhabited and waste.
- "and" (וְ – ve): Conjunction.
- "its trees" (עֵצֶיהָ – etzeha): Plural noun "trees" with the third-person feminine singular possessive suffix "her," referring to the trees of the land.
- "shall" (תהיּ– tihyeh): Future tense, third-person feminine singular.
- "be" (היו – hayu): From the root היה (hayah), "to be." Here, used as a singular masculine participle modifying "desolation" indirectly.
Group Analysis: The repeated use of "if" (אִם – im) sets up a series of dire possibilities. The pronouncement "I will cause to pass therein... and its trees shall be hewn down" signifies the systematic destruction of the land's natural resources and inhabitants. The repetition of "desolation" (שְׁמָמָה – shemamah) emphasizes the totality of the divine judgment, leaving nothing untouched. The structure highlights God’s comprehensive control and his ability to wield multiple forms of judgment against persistent disobedience. The focus is not on isolated incidents but on an encompassing and unavoidable outcome.
Ezekiel 14 16 Bonus section
The inclusion of the destruction of trees specifically highlights the removal of sustenance and provision. Trees were essential for shade, fruit, timber, and livelihood in ancient Near Eastern societies. Their destruction meant a total collapse of the infrastructure and resources upon which the people depended. This act of God emphasizes His judgment not only on the people but on their entire environment that was complicit in their idolatry. The concept of "desolation" (shemamah) goes beyond mere ruin; it implies a profound emptiness and a state of being abandoned by God’s presence and favor, becoming a stark witness to divine displeasure. The repetitive structure in Ezekiel (present throughout the chapter) serves as a rhetorical device to impress upon the elders the inevitability and totality of God's judgment.
Ezekiel 14 16 Commentary
This verse pronounces a definitive judgment of utter devastation upon the land, acting as one possible manifestation of God's wrath for unrepented sin. Even if the land possessed vitality and fruitfulness, represented by its trees, these would be systematically destroyed. This destruction is not arbitrary but a consequence of the land’s persistent impurity, specifically its idolatry as detailed earlier in the chapter. God, as the sovereign Lord, reserves the right to employ such measures to cleanse His covenant land. The imagery of "hewing down" trees conveys a sense of systematic demolition, leaving the land barren and incapable of sustaining life, reflecting a complete disruption of order and prosperity due to sin. It underscores the principle that God’s judgment targets all aspects of a rebellious people’s existence, leaving them stripped of their provisions and resources.