Ezekiel 21 23

Ezekiel 21:23 kjv

And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.

Ezekiel 21:23 nkjv

And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.

Ezekiel 21:23 niv

It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive.

Ezekiel 21:23 esv

But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be taken.

Ezekiel 21:23 nlt

The people of Jerusalem will think it is a false omen, because of their treaty with the Babylonians. But the king of Babylon will remind the people of their rebellion. Then he will attack and capture them.

Ezekiel 21 verses

Ezekiel 21 23 Meaning

Ezekiel 21:23 declares God's sovereign control over the actions of the King of Babylon. From the perspective of the people of Jerusalem, the Babylonian king's divination to determine his war path appeared as nothing more than a "vain soothsaying" – a trivial and false prognostication, particularly regarding any threat to their seemingly secure city. However, from God's perspective, this very act of divination was precisely orchestrated by Him to serve as a divinely guided mechanism to recall and account for Jerusalem's deep-seated iniquity, ensuring their inevitable capture and punishment. The repetition emphasizes the certainty of their downfall.

Ezekiel 21 23 Context

Ezekiel 21 is a "Sword Prophecy," emphasizing God's imminent and inescapable judgment against Judah and Jerusalem through the imagery of a sharpened sword. Verses 19-23 specifically describe King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at a "fork in the road," where he consults various forms of pagan divination—arrows, household idols (teraphim), and examining the liver of an animal—to determine whether to attack Rabbah of Ammon or Jerusalem. This specific verse (v. 23) explains Jerusalem's misguided perception of this divination. Despite these ominous signs and God's prophetic warnings through Ezekiel, the people of Jerusalem remain steeped in denial and false confidence, viewing the Babylonian threats and divinations as meaningless "vain soothsaying" because of their continued trust in their perceived impregnability and covenantal protection. Unbeknownst to them, God Himself is directing the outcome of Nebuchadnezzar's pagan practices to execute His justice. The historical context is leading up to the final siege and destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC), a period marked by Judah's repeated idolatry, covenant unfaithfulness, and rejection of prophetic warnings from Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 21 23 Word analysis

• And it shall be (וְהָיָה - v'hayah): This conjunction with the Qal perfect consecutive verb signifies an emphatic future. "And it will surely happen," or "and it will be that." It signals a decisive and certain outcome, stressing the inevitability of the prophecy.
• unto them (לָהֶם - lahem): Refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, highlighting their subjective viewpoint and understanding (or misunderstanding).
• as a vain soothsaying (כְּקֶסֶם שָׁוְא - k'kesem shav):
  • כְּ (k'): A comparative prefix, "as" or "like."
  • קֶסֶם (kesem): Divination, augury, soothsaying. This term describes pagan practices (forbidden in Israel, cf. Deut 18:10-12), implying foretelling the future through magical arts. Here, it refers specifically to the Babylonian king's method of decision-making.
  • שָׁוְא (shav): Vain, empty, false, worthless, deception. It expresses worthlessness and falsehood. For the Jerusalemites, the divination predicting their downfall was incredible and deceptive, likely because they believed their city was invincible and protected by God.
• in their sight (בְּעֵינֵיהֶם - b'eineihem): "In their own eyes," or "from their perspective." This phrase further underscores the subjective, deluded view of Jerusalem's inhabitants. They trusted in their fortifications and temple, seeing no real threat from Babylon.
• but it shall bring to remembrance (וְהוּא מַזְכִּיר עָוֺן - v'hu mazkir avon):
  • וְהוּא (v'hu): "But it" or "And it." The pronoun here (it) refers to the divinatory act (though directed by God). This marks a crucial contrast: what is shav (vain) to Judah is an instrument for God.
  • מַזְכִּיר (mazkir): This is a Hiphil (causative) participle of the verb זָכַר (zakhar), meaning "to remember." In the Hiphil, it means "to cause to remember," "to bring to remembrance," or "to call to mind." It's an active process orchestrated by God.
  • עָוֺן (avon): Iniquity, guilt, wickedness, sin, and the punishment due to it. It refers to their accumulated moral corruption and rebellion against God, including idolatry and injustice.
• the iniquity (עָוֺן - avon): Specifically refers to the deep, pervasive moral failures and covenant transgressions of Judah that demanded divine judgment.
• that they may be taken (לְהִתְפֵּשׂ - l'hitpes):
  • לְ (l'): Indicating purpose, "in order to," "so that."
  • הִתְפֵּשׂ (hitpes): The Hithpael (reflexive-passive) infinitive construct of תָּפַשׂ (tafas), meaning "to seize," "to grasp," "to capture." The Hithpael form emphasizes that they are the object of being taken, destined for capture.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "as a vain soothsaying in their sight": This phrase reveals the spiritual blindness and self-deception of Jerusalem. They dismiss God-ordained events (even if using pagan agents) as inconsequential falsehoods. Their arrogance prevented them from perceiving the true danger, directly contrasting with God's perfect vision. It implies that while Nebuchadnezzar's method of divination might be shav (false/empty) in itself from God's ultimate truth perspective, the outcome God orchestrates through it is absolutely real and certain.
• "but it shall bring to remembrance the iniquity": This highlights God's sovereign hand overriding human perceptions and even pagan practices. The King of Babylon's pagan divination, although vain to Jerusalem, becomes a divinely controlled catalyst. God doesn't "remember" iniquity because He forgot, but rather to activate the process of judgment previously withheld, marking the appointed time for their punishment due to their sustained avon. The focus is on God's judicial memory and action.
• "that they may be taken: that they may be taken": The repetition of "that they may be taken" is a strong rhetorical device in Hebrew, emphatically declaring the certainty, inevitability, and divine decree of Jerusalem's capture. It leaves no doubt about their fate and links their deep-seated iniquity directly to their decreed capture. This "doubling" effect confirms God's resolve and the inescapability of the judgment.

Ezekiel 21 23 Bonus section

The Hebrew word avon (iniquity) is richer than a simple translation of "sin." It encompasses not just the act of transgression but also the burden of guilt, the perversity of heart leading to sin, and the just punishment that follows. This implies a deeply embedded and persistent rebellion, not just isolated acts.The dramatic irony of the passage is potent: while Jerusalem believes God is on their side, ignoring His true prophets, God Himself uses the means they despise (pagan divination) to achieve His just judgment, exposing their hypocrisy and ensuring their downfall. This irony reinforces God's omniscience and power over human shortsightedness.

Ezekiel 21 23 Commentary

Ezekiel 21:23 provides a profound theological statement on God's sovereignty over all human actions, even those rooted in pagan practices. What the people of Jerusalem ignorantly dismissed as a "vain soothsaying" was, in fact, an integral part of God's unfolding judgment. Their confident disbelief in the threat, fueled by false prophets and a distorted understanding of their covenant, masked their spiritual blindness to their accumulating iniquity. God, in His divine control, manipulates the very instruments of the enemy – in this case, Nebuchadnezzar's forbidden divination – to serve His purpose. He ensures the pagan king is led directly to Jerusalem, not because the pagan gods possess power, but because Yahweh orchestrates even perceived chance events. The ultimate purpose is not simply conquest, but to "bring to remembrance" the vast, unforgiven avon of His people, initiating the long-deserved, inevitable capture. The doubled phrase "that they may be taken" underscores the absolute certainty of this judgment, emphasizing both the inevitability of their doom and God's unwavering commitment to righteous judgment for their chronic unfaithfulness. It reveals God as the true mover of history, even using unwilling or unaware human agents to accomplish His just decrees.