Ezekiel 15:6 kjv
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 15:6 nkjv
"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
Ezekiel 15:6 niv
"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 15:6 esv
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 15:6 nlt
"And this is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned.
Ezekiel 15 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 5:1-7 | My beloved had a vineyard... looked for grapes, but it yielded only wild grapes... what more could have been done...? | Israel as unfaithful vineyard |
| Jer 2:21 | I had planted you a choice vine... How then have you turned into a degenerate wild vine? | Israel's spiritual decline |
| Ps 80:8-16 | You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it... but you have broken down its walls... | God's care for Israel, now threatened |
| Hos 10:1-2 | Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit... Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. | Unfruitful Israel and impending judgment |
| Matt 3:10 | Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. | Judgment on unrighteousness |
| Matt 7:19 | Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. | False prophets identified by lack of fruit |
| John 15:2 | Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes... | Believers who do not produce fruit |
| John 15:6 | If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers... thrown into the fire and burned. | Fate of those not connected to Christ |
| Ezek 5:12 | A third part of you shall die of plague... a third part shall fall by the sword... and a third part I will scatter... | God's general judgment on Jerusalem |
| Ezek 14:13 | Son of man, if a land sins against Me by unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it... | God's direct hand in judgment |
| Jer 7:20 | Thus says the Lord GOD: My wrath and my anger will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched. | God's fiery wrath on a place |
| Amos 5:6 | Seek the LORD and live, lest He break out like fire... | God's judgment as fire |
| Deut 29:22-23 | ...all its land is sulfur and salt and burning, unsown and unfruitful... | Desolation as divine punishment |
| Isa 66:15-16 | For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger in fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. | God's arrival with fire of judgment |
| Mal 4:1 | For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble... | Day of judgment as consuming fire |
| Heb 6:8 | ...if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. | Worthlessness leading to burning |
| 2 Pet 3:10 | But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. | Future fiery judgment |
| Lam 4:11 | The LORD has given full vent to His wrath; He has poured out His hot anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, which consumed its foundations. | Jerusalem's destruction by divine fire |
| Isa 9:19 | Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is burned up... | Land consumed by divine wrath |
| Judg 9:15 | ...if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon. | Metaphorical fire for destruction |
| Lev 26:17 | I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies... | God's turning against His people |
| 2 Chron 36:17-19 | ...brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans... burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. | Historical fulfillment of Jerusalem's burning |
Ezekiel 15 verses
Ezekiel 15 6 Meaning
Ezekiel 15:6 declares the Lord GOD's pronouncement of judgment on Jerusalem. It uses the metaphor of vine wood, which is inherently useless for any purpose other than bearing fruit. If it fails to bear fruit, its only fate is to be cut down and cast into the fire for quick consumption, offering little sustained warmth. In the same way, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, though God's chosen vine, have become unproductive and rebellious, and thus, God himself will deliver them over to destruction by fire, signifying complete and consuming judgment.
Ezekiel 15 6 Context
Ezekiel 15:6 is part of a prophetic oracle (Eze 15:1-8) delivered by Ezekiel to the exiles in Babylon. This chapter immediately follows prophecies against false prophets and idolaters (Eze 13-14) and reinforces God's uncompromising judgment. The parable of the "Useless Vine" serves as a direct indictment of Jerusalem and its inhabitants. Despite being God's "vine" (Israel), planted with great care and intended to bear righteous fruit (Isa 5, Jer 2), Jerusalem has become unfruitful, unfaithful, and steeped in rebellion and idolatry. The historical context is the looming and eventual destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, an event seen as God's severe judgment. The message dismantles any lingering false hope among the exiles or those remaining in the city that Jerusalem's special status would save it from divine wrath.
Ezekiel 15 6 Word analysis
Therefore (לָכֵן - lakhen): Signals a consequence drawn from preceding arguments, linking God's judgment to Jerusalem's unfaithfulness. It indicates that the following statement is a direct outcome of Jerusalem's condition.
thus says the Lord GOD (כֹּה־אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה - koh-amar Adonai YHVH): The standard prophetic formula, asserting absolute divine authority. "Lord GOD" combines Adonai (Master, Sovereign) with YHVH (the covenant name of God), emphasizing both His power and His relationship with Israel. This validates the message as an unquestionable divine decree.
Like the wood of the vine (הִנֵּ֣ה עֵֽץ־הַגֶּ֡פֶן - hinneh etz-haggefen): "Behold, the wood of the vine." "Vine" (gefen) is a prominent biblical metaphor for Israel, symbolizing their unique covenant relationship and expected fruitfulness. The phrase focuses on the wood itself, devoid of fruit, immediately pointing to its inherent lack of value beyond its productive capacity.
among the trees of the forest (מִכֹּל־עֵ֖ץ יַ֣עַר - mikkol-etz ya'ar): Compares the vine wood to other trees. Unlike a sturdy oak or cedar from the forest, vine wood is soft, twisted, and of poor quality for building or crafting. Its value is solely in its fruit-bearing. This contrast emphasizes the utter worthlessness of the vine wood when barren.
which I have given (אֲשֶׁ֨ר נְתַתִּ֤יו - asher netatiyu): "Which I gave it." Highlights God's active, sovereign role in the judgment. This is not a passive event, but a direct act of divine will.
to the fire (לָאֵשׁ֙ - la'esh): Fire is a consistent biblical symbol of divine judgment, purification, and destruction. Here, it denotes destructive, consuming judgment.
for consumption (לְאָכְלָ֔ה - le'akh-lah): Literally "for eating/devouring." Implies complete destruction, not merely warming. The fire consumes, leaving nothing of value behind.
so have I given up (כֵּ֤ן נָתַ֨תִּי֙ - ken netat-ti): "Thus I gave." A direct parallel to the previous clause, applying the metaphor explicitly to Jerusalem. Again, God's active hand in judgment.
the inhabitants of Jerusalem (אֶת־יֹֽשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם - et-yosh'vei Yerushalaim): The direct object of God's judgment. It specifies that the parable is a personal condemnation of the people living in the sacred city, who have failed to live up to their covenant responsibilities.
"Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest": This phrase group underlines the vine's unique utility—it is cultivated for its fruit, not for its timber. A forest tree provides wood even if it doesn't bear fruit, but a vine that doesn't produce grapes is effectively useless for any purpose. This metaphor strips Jerusalem of any intrinsic value or special protection apart from its intended purpose of glorifying God and living righteously.
"which I have given to the fire for consumption, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem": This pairing directly connects the fate of the barren vine wood to the fate of Jerusalem's inhabitants. The parallel construction ("which I have given... so have I given") emphatically states that God Himself is the agent of destruction, handing over His people to judgment with the same deliberate intention that one discards useless vine branches into a fire for utter destruction. The word "consumption" further stresses the thoroughness of this fiery end.
Ezekiel 15 6 Bonus section
The parable in Ezekiel 15 is exceptionally brief, almost startlingly so compared to other longer allegories in Ezekiel, such as the two eagles and the vine (chapter 17) or the unfaithful wife (chapter 16). Its conciseness amplifies its brutal directness. The lack of detailed accusations against Jerusalem (which are abundantly present in other chapters like Ezekiel 16 and 22) implies that the people's barrenness was so evident and universally acknowledged that a lengthy indictment was unnecessary. Their state spoke for itself. This message was particularly hard for the exiles to accept, as they often clung to a nationalistic theology that assumed God would preserve Jerusalem regardless of its moral state. Ezekiel directly challenges this complacency by demonstrating that election confers responsibility, and persistent failure results in deserved destruction. The imagery of fire is particularly significant as it speaks not only to physical destruction (Jerusalem's burning by Babylon) but also spiritual desolation – a purging that leaves no functional residue.
Ezekiel 15 6 Commentary
Ezekiel 15:6 is a potent, albeit disheartening, message on God's judgment, predicated on the principle of divine utility. Israel, epitomized by Jerusalem, was chosen by God as His vine, signifying a unique covenant relationship intended to produce the "fruit" of righteousness and worship. However, Jerusalem's inhabitants had become rebellious, apostate, and unproductive, effectively barren in God's eyes. This verse powerfully conveys that simply bearing the title of "God's chosen" or residing in His "holy city" offered no inherent immunity when fruitfulness was absent. Unlike a forest tree, whose wood retains some value regardless of its fruit, vine wood without grapes is universally regarded as inferior for construction, fuel, or craft. Its only expeditious purpose is as kindling, quickly consumed. Thus, God declares that Jerusalem's inhabitants, having forfeited their purpose, possessed no intrinsic worth to prevent divine judgment. God himself, with active resolve, will "give them over" to consuming fire, a symbol of their impending destruction by Babylon, demonstrating His unwavering justice and the severe consequences of unfaithfulness. The brevity and starkness of the parable leave no room for misunderstanding regarding their dire fate.