Ezekiel 22 14

Ezekiel 22:14 kjv

Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it.

Ezekiel 22:14 nkjv

Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it.

Ezekiel 22:14 niv

Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.

Ezekiel 22:14 esv

Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.

Ezekiel 22:14 nlt

How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I said.

Ezekiel 22 verses

Ezekiel 22 14 Meaning

Ezekiel 22:14 is a piercing rhetorical question, spoken by God, challenging the condemned city of Jerusalem regarding its ability to withstand the impending divine judgment. It questions whether their inner resolve (courage/heart) or outward capacity for action (hands) will be strong enough to endure when God finally enacts His pronounced judgment. The verse concludes with an emphatic declaration of divine authority and unyielding resolve, asserting that God, Yahweh, has spoken these words of judgment and will assuredly bring them to pass. It underscores the utter certainty and irreversibility of God's determined action against the rebellious city.

Ezekiel 22 14 Context

Ezekiel 22:14 is found within a section (Ezekiel 22) that stands as a profound indictment against Jerusalem, aptly nicknamed "The Bloody City" due to its pervasive and severe sins. The chapter serves as a comprehensive divine prosecutor's brief, detailing the city's moral corruption from top to bottom. God lists the specific abominations committed by its inhabitants: idolatry (v. 3), bloodshed (v. 4, 6), oppression of the foreigner, fatherless, and widow (v. 7), defiling holy things and violating the Sabbath (v. 8), slanders, sexual immorality, bribery, and exploitation (vv. 9-12). Following this litany of transgressions, God declares His judgment in verse 13, asserting that He has "struck My hand" at their ill-gotten gains and bloodshed. Verse 14 directly follows this declaration, challenging Jerusalem's capacity to endure the inevitable consequence of its wickedness. It’s a moment of direct confrontation, stripping away any false sense of security or self-reliance the people might harbor. Historically, this prophecy was given during the Babylonian exile, prior to the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, serving both as a warning to those remaining in the city and an explanation to the exiles for why such calamity was befalling them. It emphasizes the direct correlation between Israel's covenant disobedience and God's just, unavoidable judgment.

Ezekiel 22 14 Word analysis

• Can your courage endure (הֲיַעֲמֹד לִבֵּךְ / hă-ya-‘ă-mōḏ lib-bêḵ)?
  • הֲ (ha): Interrogative prefix, "Can?" "Will?" Intensifies the rhetorical challenge.
  • יַעֲמֹד (ya‘ămod): Hebrew verb amad, meaning "to stand, remain, endure, hold one's ground." It signifies firm standing against opposition. Here, it refers to endurance in the face of immense pressure.
  • לִבֵּךְ (lib-bêḵ): Hebrew lev (heart), with a feminine possessive suffix "your." The "heart" in Hebrew thought is not merely the seat of emotions but the center of one's intellect, will, courage, and moral character. Thus, "your courage" encapsulates internal resolve and spirit. The rhetorical question mocks their perceived inner strength.
• or your hands be strong (אִם תִּחְזַקְנָה יָדַיִךְ / im tiḥ-zaq-nāh yā-ḏa-yiḵ)?
  • אִם (im): "Or" in this context.
  • תִּחְזַקְנָה (tiḥ-zaq-nāh): Hebrew verb chazaq, meaning "to be strong, firm, take hold, grow firm." It denotes external capability, active strength, or capacity to act.
  • יָדַיִךְ (yā-ḏa-yiḵ): Hebrew yad (hand), with a feminine possessive suffix "your" (plural). Hands represent one's physical ability, work, power, and practical capacity. The rhetorical question dismisses their outward ability to perform or defend themselves.
  • Together, "heart" and "hands" cover the entirety of human internal resolve and external capacity, implying that neither will be sufficient against divine judgment.
• in the day I deal with you (לַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר אֶעֱשֶׂה אוֹתָךְ / la-yā-mîm ‘ă-šer ‘e‘ĕ-śeh ‘ō-ṯāḵ)?
  • לַיָּמִים (la-yā-mîm): "For the days," "on the days," "when." Indicates a specific time of reckoning.
  • אֲשֶׁר (‘ăšer): "Which" or "when."
  • אֶעֱשֶׂה אוֹתָךְ (‘e‘ĕ-śeh ‘ō-ṯāḵ): Hebrew ‘asah (to do, make, accomplish) with object "you." "I do you," or more idiomatically, "I deal with you," "I act concerning you." This euphemistic phrase indicates divine action, specifically judgment. The "day I deal with you" parallels the concept of "the Day of the Lord," a period of intense divine intervention and judgment.
• I the Lord have spoken (אֲנִי יְהוָה דִּבַּרְתִּי / ’ă-nî Yah-weh dib-bar-tî), and I will do it (וַעֲשִׂיתִי / wā-‘ă-śî-ṯî)."
  • אֲנִי יְהוָה (’ă-nî Yah-weh): "I Yahweh (the LORD)." An emphatic divine self-identification, asserting absolute authority, sovereignty, and faithfulness to His word and covenant. This phrase carries immense weight, confirming the source of the judgment is the covenant God of Israel.
  • דִּבַּרְתִּי (dib-bar-tî): Hebrew verb dabar (to speak), perfect tense, "I have spoken." This indicates a completed and binding pronouncement. What God has said is irreversible.
  • וַעֲשִׂיתִי (wā-‘ă-śî-ṯî): Hebrew verb ‘asah (to do, make), perfect tense with a Waw-consecutive, implying a direct and certain consequence. "And I will do it." This powerfully reinforces the certainty of execution following the divine decree. The structure emphasizes the divine commitment: pronouncement (spoken) is irrevocably linked to performance (done).

Ezekiel 22 14 Bonus section

The rhetorical question structure in Ezekiel 22:14 (and similar passages like Ezekiel 21:7) is a common prophetic device intended not for information gathering, but to drive home an irrefutable truth and shatter complacency. It forces the audience to confront their ultimate powerlessness. The repeated "I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it" (or variations) in Ezekiel often acts as a divine signature or seal, authenticating the prophecy and cementing its absolute certainty. This particular verse forms part of the 'doom-oracles' which underscore the ethical dimension of the covenant; blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. The feminine address to Jerusalem can be seen as an appeal to the 'daughter of Zion' but in this context, it highlights the shame and humiliation awaiting her due to her whoredom (spiritual adultery) against God. The pronouncements in this chapter, culminating in verse 14, served not only to warn the current generation but also to justify God's actions to future generations, demonstrating that His judgment was not arbitrary but a just response to pervasive wickedness.

Ezekiel 22 14 Commentary

Ezekiel 22:14 is a pinnacle of divine pronouncement in Ezekiel's prophecy, shifting from the meticulous detailing of Jerusalem's sins to a stark, unavoidable reality of impending judgment. The rhetorical questions expose the utter futility of human strength or resilience when confronted by the Sovereign God. Jerusalem, steeped in its unrighteousness and deluded by false hope, believed it could withstand any external threat, yet God challenges its inner spirit and external capabilities. The use of feminine singular pronouns for "your heart" and "your hands" addresses the city of Jerusalem personally, intensifying the intimate nature of its betrayal and the coming reckoning from its rejected Spouse, Yahweh.

The concluding affirmation, "I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it," is a powerful testament to God's immutable nature, His unfailing word, and His absolute sovereignty over human affairs. It removes all doubt or possibility of reprieve, ensuring that what has been prophesied will surely come to pass. This statement transcends a mere promise; it's a divine oath and a guarantee of execution. It echoes throughout Scripture, reminding all generations that God's judgment is as certain as His love and mercy for those who repent. No human strength, strategic thinking, or spiritual resistance can overcome the determined will of the Almighty when He resolves to act. This verse serves as a sober warning that turning away from God inevitably leads to a day of reckoning from which there is no escape by one's own power.