Ezekiel 16 60

Ezekiel 16:60 kjv

Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

Ezekiel 16:60 nkjv

"Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

Ezekiel 16:60 niv

Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

Ezekiel 16:60 esv

yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant.

Ezekiel 16:60 nlt

Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

Ezekiel 16 verses

Ezekiel 16 60 Meaning

Ezekiel 16:60 presents a pivotal shift from God's severe indictment of Israel's spiritual harlotry to a profound declaration of His unwavering faithfulness and sovereign grace. Despite Israel's egregious violations of their covenant with Him, God asserts His commitment to actively remember the foundational covenant made during their early national history. More significantly, He pledges to unilaterally establish a new and eternal covenant, guaranteeing a permanent and unbreakable relationship with His people, one not contingent on their performance. This promise foreshadows a restoration born solely out of divine mercy, transforming past unfaithfulness into future hope through an unchangeable divine oath.

Ezekiel 16 60 Context

Ezekiel Chapter 16 is a lengthy, vivid, and shocking allegory detailing Jerusalem's history, representing the nation of Israel. It portrays Jerusalem as a neglected infant, rescued, cared for, and made beautiful by God (vv. 1-14). However, the narrative then describes how Jerusalem prostituted herself, using God's gifts for idolatry and forming alliances with foreign nations (vv. 15-34), committing worse sins than Samaria or Sodom (vv. 35-59). The imagery is explicitly graphic and powerfully conveys the depth of Israel's spiritual betrayal. Against this backdrop of severe judgment and utter deserved condemnation, verse 60 arrives as a sudden and surprising oracle of divine grace. Historically, this message was delivered to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, a people who had experienced the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem and the Temple. They were immersed in despair, witnessing the apparent abandonment of God due to their nation's sins. Therefore, this promise of an "everlasting covenant" offered a beacon of hope and assured them that God's ultimate plan for His people remained steadfast, transcending their present dire circumstances.

Ezekiel 16 60 Word analysis

• Nevertheless (וְזָכַרְתִּי - Vəzākartī - lit. "And I will remember"): The Hebrew waw prefix ("and") often functions adversatively as "but" or "nevertheless" to introduce a sharp contrast. Here, it drastically pivots from the preceding severe indictment and impending judgment to a declaration of God's unmerited favor. "I will remember" (zakar) is more than mere mental recollection; it signifies an active commitment, an intention to act upon past promises and fulfill obligations. It implies God's initiative to restore despite deserved punishment.
• my covenant (בְּרִיתִי - bərītī): Refers to the original covenant, specifically the Mosaic Covenant established at Sinai, which defined Israel's relationship with God (Exod 19-24). It was conditional upon Israel's obedience. Despite their failure to keep it, God maintains His remembrance and commitment, hinting at an underlying unconditional love that persists.
• with you (אֹותָךְ - ʾôtāḵ): A direct, personal address to Jerusalem/Israel. Even in their disgrace, God's promise is intimately directed toward them, emphasizing a relational commitment.
• in the days of your youth (בִּימֵי נְעוּרַיִךְ - bīmê nəʿûrayik): Symbolically points to the foundational period of Israel's nationhood – the Exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and their early history as God's chosen people. It evokes a time of nascent identity when God first "adopted" them and entered into covenant (Jer 2:2; Hos 11:1), before their widespread idolatry. This highlights God's enduring memory of His initial commitment.
• and I will establish (וַהֲקִימֹותִי - vahaqîmôtī): This verb (qum) means to stand up, raise, confirm, or bring into being. It denotes a powerful, deliberate, and sovereign act by God Himself. He will not merely re-instate; He will make stand firm a new reality. It underlines divine initiative and power in covenant-making.
• an everlasting covenant (בְּרִית עֹולָם - bərît ʿôlām): This signifies a new and distinctly eternal pact, different in nature and efficacy from the Mosaic Covenant that Israel had repeatedly broken. "Everlasting" (ʿôlām) denotes perpetual duration, permanence, and immutability. This new covenant, alluded to also in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 37, will be secured by God's own grace and power, ensuring Israel's permanent restoration and an unbroken relationship with Him, culminating in the New Covenant established through Christ (Heb 8:6-13).

Words-group analysis:

• "Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth": This segment reveals God's divine magnanimity. It juxtaposes Israel's utter faithlessness with God's steadfast, active remembrance of His original, unconditional promises and gracious initiative. His "remembering" here is a decisive commitment to act on the foundation of that early relationship, even when Israel failed.
• "and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant": This phrase introduces the ultimate hope. It promises a new, divinely initiated covenant, marked by its eternal nature and unbreakable security. It transcends the limitations of past conditional covenants by offering a permanent and unconditional bond, signaling a future era of assured salvation and unshakeable peace for Israel.

Ezekiel 16 60 Bonus section

This verse's promise of an "everlasting covenant" serves as a foundational bridge between the Old Testament's prophetic expectation and the New Testament's fulfillment. It ties into other key Old Testament covenant concepts—the Abrahamic (Gen 17:7), Davidic (2 Sam 23:5), and prophetic New Covenant (Jer 31:31)—highlighting their enduring nature and ultimately converging in Christ. The theological weight of "remembering" (Zakar) goes beyond simple memory; it's a divine act of covenant faithfulness, implying a determined intervention to uphold the promise regardless of the partner's shortcomings. This powerful truth ensures that God's plans for His people, and ultimately for the world, will be brought to fruition by His sovereign hand.

Ezekiel 16 60 Commentary

Ezekiel 16:60 provides a remarkable testament to God's relentless grace in the face of human rebellion. After chronicling Israel's egregious unfaithfulness in the most shocking terms, God makes a breathtaking promise: He will remember His original commitment to Israel (the covenant of their "youth" at Sinai) and, more profoundly, establish an everlasting covenant. This is not simply a decision to forgive, but a radical re-initiation of the relationship on an entirely new, unshakeable basis. It signals a move beyond the conditional Mosaic Covenant, which Israel had proven incapable of keeping, to a New Covenant where God himself guarantees its perpetuity and His people's loyalty. This divine initiative underscores that salvation and restoration ultimately flow from God's character – His unwavering love, faithfulness, and sovereign grace – rather than from human merit or performance. It anticipates a spiritual transformation and an unbreakable bond between God and His people, realized through Christ as the mediator of the New Covenant. This verse stands as a powerful prophecy of hope, promising restoration where utter ruin seemed inevitable, thereby elevating divine faithfulness above human failure.