Ezekiel 15 1

Ezekiel 15:1 kjv

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Ezekiel 15:1 nkjv

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

Ezekiel 15:1 niv

The word of the LORD came to me:

Ezekiel 15:1 esv

And the word of the LORD came to me:

Ezekiel 15:1 nlt

Then this message came to me from the LORD:

Ezekiel 15 1 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Ezekiel 15:2"Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any other tree, or than a vine which is among the trees of the forest?"Contextual question
Ezekiel 15:3"Shall wood be taken of it to make any work? Or will men take a pin of it at all to hang any vessel thereon?"Uselessness
Ezekiel 15:4"Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burnt. Is it meet for any work?"Complete destruction
Ezekiel 15:5"Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when it hath been burned of the fire, and is yet a remain?"Intensified worthlessness
Isaiah 5:1"Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill."Parallel to a fruitful vine
Jeremiah 2:21"Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?"Disappointment in fruitfulness
Psalm 80:8"Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it."Israel as a vine from Egypt
John 15:1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."Christ as the true vine
John 15:5"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."Disciples as branches of Christ
Hosea 10:1"Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images."Empty vine
2 Kings 19:30"And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward."Hope of future fruitfulness
Romans 11:17"And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;"Graffing in branches
Galatians 6:7"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."Sowing and reaping
Romans 6:23"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."Consequences of sin
Ezekiel 24:12"She hath wearied herself with her idols, yea, none effect."Futility of idols
Nahum 3:4"Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of her wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts."City as a harlot
Jeremiah 7:29"Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath."Rejection and forsaking
Ezekiel 14:8"And I will set my face against them, and will make them a desolation and a spoil, and I will cut them off from the midst of thee, and they shall know that I am the LORD."Desolation and cutting off
Lamentations 4:1"How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!"Solitary and widowed city
John 15:6"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."Cast into fire

Ezekiel 15 verses

Ezekiel 15 1 Meaning

The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel, instructing him to present a symbolic illustration concerning Jerusalem. This chapter specifically addresses Jerusalem's unproductiveness and worthlessness, likening it to a useless vine from the forest. It highlights that such wood is good for no purpose, neither for making anything substantial like a plank or peg, nor for any crafting at all.

Ezekiel 15 1 Context

This verse inaugurates Ezekiel chapter 15, which focuses on the symbolic destruction of Jerusalem. Historically, Jerusalem, despite its past glories and status as God's chosen city, had become spiritually corrupt and morally bankrupt due to its idolatry and disobedience. The prophecy in this chapter directly follows Ezekiel's denunciation of Jerusalem as a faithless wife and precedes the allegory of the two eagles and the vine, further illustrating the nation's impending judgment. The prophet is commissioned to confront Jerusalem with a series of parabolic judgments that emphasize their sin and the consequence of God's wrath. The audience would have been the Judean exiles in Babylon, grappling with the devastating reality of Jerusalem's fall and seeking to understand the divine reasons behind it.

Ezekiel 15 1 Word Analysis

  • And: Connects the preceding prophecies to the new instruction, indicating a continuation of God's message through Ezekiel.
  • it: Refers back to Jerusalem, the subject of many of Ezekiel's preceding prophecies.
  • came: signifies divine inspiration and communication; the direct impartation of God's word.
  • the word: represents the divine message, pronouncements, and directives from God.
  • of the LORD: designates the source of the message as Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel.
  • unto: indicates the recipient or destination of the divine message.
  • Ezekiel: the prophet through whom God is speaking.
  • Son: addresses Ezekiel as a "son of man," a common term used by God to address the prophet, signifying humanity's reliance on and obedience to God.
  • man: "Adam" in Hebrew, referring to humankind in general, emphasizing Ezekiel's human role as a messenger.
  • Say: an imperative command for Ezekiel to speak, conveying God's message clearly and authoritatively.

Word-by-word analysis

  • And it came: This phrase establishes the beginning of a new prophetic utterance, signaling divine instruction.
  • the word of the LORD: Identifies the divine source and nature of the message that follows.
  • unto Ezekiel: Designates the prophet as the direct recipient and mouthpiece of God's communication.
  • Son of man: A prophetic designation for Ezekiel, emphasizing his human frailty and dependence on God, yet appointed for a divine task.
  • Say: A direct command to speak, highlighting the active and assertive nature of prophetic delivery.

Group by words-group analysis

  • "And it came the word of the LORD unto Ezekiel": This entire phrase functions as a standard formula introducing a divine oracle, emphasizing that the message is not of human origin but directly from God to his prophet.

Ezekiel 15 1 Bonus Section

The chapter establishes a sharp contrast between the potential of a cultivated vine (representing faithful Israel) and a wild vine. The wood of the wild vine is too brittle and unsuitable for any purpose—not for support (like a peg) nor for bearing vessels. This highlights that Jerusalem, due to its persistent idolatry and disobedience, had forfeited any possibility of being used for God's purposes, whether for good or even for constructive judgment upon others. The burning of the vine symbolizes the complete eradication and repurposing of its elements into fuel for God's judgment, signifying absolute demolition and irrecoverable loss of purpose. The New Testament, particularly John 15, presents Christ as the true vine, emphasizing that true fruitfulness and purpose are found only in Him. Believers, as branches connected to Him, are meant to bear fruit. Failure to abide in Christ results in being cut off, much like the useless vine.

Ezekiel 15 1 Commentary

Ezekiel 15 uses the analogy of a vine from the forest to depict Jerusalem's complete uselessness and impending destruction. Unlike a vine grown in a vineyard, which has a specific purpose and potential value, a wild vine has no inherent strength or suitability for craftsmanship. Similarly, Jerusalem, despite its privileged status, had become so corrupted by sin that it was fit for nothing but to be consumed by fire. This stark imagery underscores the thoroughness of God's judgment on a nation that had failed to bear fruit for Him, ultimately being cast into the fire of His wrath.