Ezekiel 20:45 kjv
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 20:45 nkjv
Furthermore the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ezekiel 20:45 niv
The word of the LORD came to me:
Ezekiel 20:45 esv
And the word of the LORD came to me:
Ezekiel 20:45 nlt
Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 20 45 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ez 21:2 | "Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem..." | Direct continuation and specification of the judgment's target. |
| Jer 4:4 | "...lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it..." | God's judgment as unquenchable fire against rebellious Judah. |
| Jer 13:19 | "The cities of the south shall be shut up..." | Explicit reference to "south" (Negev) cities of Judah facing desolation. |
| Deut 28:23-24 | "And thy heaven...shall be brass, and the earth...shall be iron..." | Prophecy of curses including drought and scorching, foreshadowing judgment. |
| Isa 9:18-19 | "For wickedness burneth as the fire...The people are as the fuel of the fire" | Sin leads to destructive judgment by fire; people become its victims. |
| Amos 1:4 | "But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael..." | God's judgment often depicted as fire on nations and peoples. |
| Nah 1:6 | "Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire..." | Emphasizes the unendurable nature of God's fiery wrath. |
| Zeph 1:18 | "Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them... but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy" | Total destruction by God's jealousy for sin. |
| Ez 20:46 | "And say to the forest of the south field, Hear the word of the LORD..." | The immediate fulfillment of the command to speak to the 'forest'. |
| Mal 4:1 | "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven..." | Final judgment day described as a consuming fire for the wicked. |
| Zech 12:6 | "...and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left, and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem." | God's people become like a "fire pot" in judgment, here in a context of restoration, but implying fire as an instrument. |
| Matt 3:10 | "...every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." | John the Baptist's warning of judgment using the imagery of unproductive trees and fire. |
| Heb 12:29 | "For our God is a consuming fire." | Definition of God's nature in His holiness and judgment. |
| 2 Pet 3:7 | "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment..." | Future cosmic judgment by fire. |
| Rev 20:9 | "and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." | Literal fire from God's judgment at the end times. |
| Jer 23:29 | "Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" | God's word is powerful, discerning, and destructive against rebellion. |
| Isa 5:24 | "Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness..." | Consequences of rejecting God's law, leading to destruction by fire. |
| Deut 32:22 | "For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains." | God's intense wrath consuming all in its path. |
| Lam 2:3 | "He hath kindled a flaming fire in Jacob, and it devoureth round about." | Recognition of God's punitive judgment through fire on Israel. |
| Ez 19:12 | "But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them." | Earlier prophecy in Ezekiel using fire to symbolize the destruction of the nation. |
| Ps 78:63 | "The fire consumed their young men..." | God's judgment on Israel involving consumption by fire. |
Ezekiel 20 verses
Ezekiel 20 45 Meaning
Ezekiel 20:45 introduces a divine command to the prophet Ezekiel, setting the stage for a vivid prophecy of judgment. The verse instructs him to direct his message—like a forceful rain—towards the "south," symbolizing Judah and Jerusalem, specifically against its people, depicted as a dense "forest." This imagery powerfully conveys that the impending divine judgment will be as destructive and consuming as a fire raging through a vast woodland. It signifies a comprehensive and unsparing devastation upon the southern kingdom of Judah.
Ezekiel 20 45 Context
Ezekiel 20:45 comes at the end of a lengthy historical review of Israel's persistent rebellion against God, from their time in Egypt through the wilderness, the conquest of the land, and their continued idolatry in Ezekiel's own day. Throughout the chapter, God reaffirms His intention to judge Israel for their spiritual unfaithfulness while also preserving a remnant for His Name's sake. The immediate preceding verses (20:40-44) transition from the judgment on the older generations to a promise of future restoration, yet Ezekiel 20:45 marks a shift back to an immediate, harsh prophecy of impending judgment for the present generation. It serves as an allegorical preface to the explicit prophecy against Jerusalem and the land of Israel detailed in Ezekiel 21. This "south" is Jerusalem/Judah, specifically the Negev region or the direction from Babylon. The "forest" metaphor is prepared to be unveiled as the people of the land, ripe for destruction.
Ezekiel 20 45 Word analysis
- Son of man (בֶן־אָדָם, ben-adam): This is God's frequent and consistent address to Ezekiel, appearing over 90 times in the book. It highlights Ezekiel's humanity and frailty in contrast to the divine source and power of the message he delivers. It underscores that the prophet is a representative of man, speaking to men, bearing a message from God.
- set thy face (שִׂים פָּנֶיךָ, sim paneyka): Literally "set your face." This phrase implies determination, resolve, and a fixed gaze towards the intended target. It signifies an unwavering commitment to the mission, signaling that the message is not negotiable or easily deflected.
- toward the south (דֶּרֶךְ תֵּימָנָה, derekh teymanah): The "south" geographically points to Judah and Jerusalem from Ezekiel's location in Babylonia or the region of Tel Abib by the Kebar River. The Hebrew term teymanah can refer to the Negev (southern desert region of Judah). This precise geographical directive underscores the specific and undeniable target of the prophecy.
- and drop thy word (וְהַטֵּף עַל־דָּרוֹם, vehataif al-darom): "Drop" (from nataph) means to cause to drip or fall, specifically referring to prophetic utterance. It evokes imagery of something falling steadily and surely, like rain or dew, yet here it's a word of judgment, possibly like scorching fire-rain. It emphasizes the direct and inescapable nature of the prophecy as it falls upon the designated region.
- and prophesy against (וְהִנָּבֵא אֶל, vehinnavah el): This verb signals the authoritative delivery of a divine message. It implies not merely prediction but also declaration and warning from God. The preposition "against" clearly denotes a message of judgment or opposition.
- the forest of the south field (יַעַר הַנֶּגֶב הַשָּׂדֶה, ya'ar han-negev has-sadeh):
- Forest (יַעַר, ya'ar): Metaphorically represents the inhabitants of Judah – possibly the dense population, their strength, their leaders, or their prominence. A forest implies abundant life and resources, making its destruction by fire particularly catastrophic.
- of the south field (הַנֶּגֶב הַשָּׂדֶה, han-negev has-sadeh): Refers to the "Negev" (south, dry land) and "field." The "field" can denote open country or populated agricultural areas. Combining "forest," "Negev," and "field" intensifies the imagery of a land that seems vibrant and widespread, but is utterly vulnerable to divine wrath. This phrase collectively points to the totality of Judah's population and their land.
Ezekiel 20 45 Bonus section
The choice of "fire" as the primary metaphor for judgment throughout this section (and in Ez 21:3-4) is deeply significant. Fire is an agent of both purification and destruction in the Bible. Here, it is unequivocally an agent of judgment, signaling a complete and unsparing devastation. The fire will consume "every green tree" and "every dry tree" (Ez 21:3), signifying that no one, whether righteous or wicked in their own eyes, will escape the physical ordeal of the judgment—the collective consequence for national sin. This prophecy also holds a potential polemic edge against those who felt secure in their perceived spiritual dryness or righteousness, implying that all would be affected by the national calamity. Furthermore, the term "Negev" carries connotations of a dry, parched land. Prophesying "fire" upon an already "dry" region intensifies the picture of extreme and utter desiccation and destruction, leaving nothing viable. This passage reinforces a consistent biblical principle: prolonged spiritual rebellion against a holy God ultimately invites His consuming judgment.
Ezekiel 20 45 Commentary
Ezekiel 20:45 serves as an ominous introduction to the immediate divine judgment facing Judah. After recounting generations of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness, God commands Ezekiel to assume a determined posture, symbolic of the certainty and precision of the impending doom. The direction "south" unequivocally points to Judah and its capital Jerusalem, underscoring that the rebellion described in the preceding verses would culminate in judgment upon them. The phrase "drop thy word" vividly illustrates the irresistible flow and authoritative nature of God's message; it is not merely spoken, but poured out upon them, much like an unavoidable force. The culminating metaphor, "the forest of the south field," powerfully encapsulates the target population—large, perhaps appearing strong and impenetrable, yet in God's eyes, like dry timber ripe for combustion. This sets the stage for the following chapter, where the prophecy is revealed as a devouring fire, symbolizing utter desolation brought about by war, famine, and exile, all as direct consequences of Judah's deep-seated idolatry and disobedience. It emphasizes God's judicial nature, His holiness demanding accountability, even from His chosen people.