Ezekiel 23 27

Ezekiel 23:27 kjv

Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.

Ezekiel 23:27 nkjv

'Thus I will make you cease your lewdness and your harlotry Brought from the land of Egypt, So that you will not lift your eyes to them, Nor remember Egypt anymore.'

Ezekiel 23:27 niv

So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

Ezekiel 23:27 esv

Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.

Ezekiel 23:27 nlt

In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt.

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 27 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:27 conveys God's determined judgment against Judah (represented by Oholibah) for her extensive spiritual unfaithfulness, graphically depicted as harlotry with foreign nations, specifically her most recent pursuit of Egypt. God declares that He will decisively bring an end to her deep-seated idolatry and moral depravity. This divine intervention aims to ensure she no longer gazes with longing at these foreign powers, nor actively remembers or relies upon Egypt for security or comfort. Through this drastic action, God will effect a radical cessation of her internal corruption and waywardness.

Ezekiel 23 27 Context

Ezekiel chapter 23 vividly portrays God's indictment against the kingdoms of Israel and Judah through the allegorical tale of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria, representing Israel) and Oholibah (Jerusalem, representing Judah). Both sisters, despite being betrothed to Yahweh, engaged in rampant spiritual prostitution by pursuing alliances with and adopting the idolatry of foreign nations. Oholah first lusted after Assyria, experiencing judgment. Oholibah, learning nothing from her sister's fate, proceeded to even greater depths of depravity, first with Assyria and then excessively with Egypt. This spiritual infidelity violated their covenant with God. The historical context is Judah's desperate attempts to maintain its political existence amidst the rising power of Babylon, the decline of Assyria, and the fading influence of Egypt. Judah continually sought aid and protection from these foreign entities rather than relying solely on Yahweh. Verse 27 represents God's decisive and severe declaration of judgment against Oholibah/Judah, revealing that He will forcefully intervene to end her persistent cycle of unfaithfulness and defilement.

Ezekiel 23 27 Word analysis

• And I will put an end (וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי, v'hi-sh-bat-tee)
  • Hiphil (causative) conjugation of the verb shāḇaṯ (שבת), which primarily means "to cease," "to rest," or "to stop."
  • In this context, it signifies God's sovereign and decisive action: "I will cause to cease," or "I will bring to an end." This is not a passive event but an active, divinely initiated termination.
  • Significance: Highlights divine power and control over the consequences of human actions, enforcing a necessary change.
• to your lewdness (זִמָּתֵךְ, zimmaṯēḵ)
  • From the Hebrew noun zimma (זִמָּה), which denotes "wickedness," "depravity," "evil scheme," often with a strong connotation of sexual immorality or premeditated sin.
  • In a prophetic context, it specifically refers to Judah's intentional and calculated acts of spiritual unfaithfulness, idolatry, and covenant violation, treated as grave moral depravity.
  • Significance: Emphasizes the deep moral corruption and planned transgression behind Judah's idolatrous acts, making them especially reprehensible to God.
• and your whoring (וּזְנוּתֵךְ, u'z'nu-tēk)
  • From zěnût (זְנוּת), meaning "prostitution" or "harlotry."
  • This is a foundational prophetic metaphor across the Old Testament to describe Israel and Judah's unfaithfulness to God, equating their pursuit of other gods or reliance on foreign nations with marital infidelity.
  • Significance: Reaffirms the covenant relationship with God as a spiritual marriage, where idolatry and foreign alliances are seen as adultery and betrayal.
• from the land (מֵאֶרֶץ, mē'ereṣ)
  • "From the land" or "out of the land."
  • It implies the complete removal or purification of these corrupt practices from within the national territory and communal life. This might involve cleansing the land through judgment (e.g., exile) or cleansing the people who remain within it.
  • Significance: Points to a profound purification that affects the very dwelling place and identity of the people.
• so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them (וְלֹא תִשְּׂאִי עֵינַיִךְ אֲלֵיהֶם, w'lo' ti-s-sa'ee 'ēynāyikh 'alehem)
  • "To lift up one's eyes" is an idiom in Hebrew that often conveys looking with desire, longing, expectation, or seeking help and guidance from.
  • "Them" refers to the foreign powers, particularly Egypt, and their accompanying idols, which Oholibah/Judah had passionately pursued.
  • Significance: God's judgment is designed to eradicate their infatuation and reliance on these external, unholy sources of security and satisfaction.
• or remember Egypt anymore (וּמִצְרַיִם לֹא תִזְכְּרִי עוֹד, u'Miẓ-rayim lo' tiz-k'rī 'ōwd)
  • "Remember" (zāḵar) in Hebrew denotes more than just intellectual recall; it implies active consideration, acting on memory, longing for, or relying upon something or someone.
  • The explicit mention of Egypt highlights Judah's consistent temptation and historical pattern of turning back to Egypt for security or cultural influence, rather than trusting Yahweh (cf. Isa 30-31; Jer 42).
  • Significance: God intends a complete severance from this habitual, deeply ingrained pattern of seeking help from a foreign nation, eliminating the desire for past dependencies.
• Thus I will make an end of you (וְסִכַּלְתִּי תֹכֵךְ, v'sik-kal-tī ṯōkhēḵ)
  • v'sik-kal-tī is the Hiphil of sākal (סכל), meaning "to be foolish" or "to act foolishly." In Hiphil, it often means "to cause foolishness," "to make futile," "to thwart," or "to bring to ruin/nothing."
  • ṯōkhēḵ (תּוֹכֵךְ) literally means "your midst," or "within you," referring to her inner being, innermost part, or the core of her plans and corruption.
  • Together, the phrase signifies God bringing to naught or utterly destroying Judah's internal depravity, her foolish schemes, or the very essence of her corruption from within her. It's a profound, internal cleansing.
  • Significance: This goes beyond external actions; it's a divine surgery to eradicate the source of their unfaithfulness, targeting their inner desires and sinful motivations, thus "making an end of them" as a rebellious entity.

• "And I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring from the land"
  • This opening clause emphasizes God's sovereign initiative in halting Judah's extensive spiritual and moral depravity. The use of "lewdness" (zimma) and "whoring" (zěnut) underscores the grievousness of their actions as a violation of divine covenant and spiritual purity. The phrase "from the land" suggests either a purging of these practices within the very borders of Judah, or the eventual removal of the people who persist in them, leaving a cleansed land. It represents a divine imposition of holiness where profanity once reigned.
• "so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore"
  • This indicates the explicit purpose of God's judgment: to break Judah's passionate attraction and strategic reliance on foreign powers, particularly Egypt. "Lifting up eyes" signifies desirous looking or seeking aid, while "remembering" here implies actively pursuing or longing for the security and perceived benefits that Egypt represented. This section highlights the radical cessation of their deepest desires and habitual sin, severing the emotional and intellectual ties to their idolized alliances.
• "Thus I will make an end of you." (literally, "and I will bring to nothing your midst/inner corruption")
  • This powerful concluding statement underscores the depth and totality of God's intervention. By "making an end of your innermost corruption" (which is a more nuanced translation of the Hebrew than "make an end of you"), God targets the very heart and mind of Oholibah/Judah, the source of her foolish schemes and sinful impulses. It speaks to a divine surgical operation to remove the core of their rebellion, leading to an eradication of their identity as a depraved nation. This purification, though brought through judgment, ultimately clears the path for true faithfulness and God's future restoration.

Ezekiel 23 27 Bonus section

The strong, vivid, and somewhat scandalous sexual imagery throughout Ezekiel 23 (and earlier in Ezekiel 16) served a crucial polemical purpose. It was designed to shock and repulse the original audience, making them confront the true, repulsive nature of their idolatry and foreign alliances from God's perspective. What Judah might have viewed as practical geopolitics or spiritual eclecticism, Yahweh explicitly condemns as vile adultery, betrayal, and prostitution. By equating their actions to the most defiling and debasing sexual acts, God demystifies the allure of pagan worship and foreign treaties, laying bare their inherent spiritual degradation. The judgment of "putting an end" to this ingrained sin highlights that mere human resolve or reforms would not suffice; a decisive, divine intervention was required to break this cycle of defilement and redirect their ultimate trust.

Ezekiel 23 27 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:27 is a powerful declaration of God's absolute commitment to cleanse His people from deep-seated spiritual unfaithfulness. Having depicted Judah's idolatry and foreign alliances as grotesque prostitution, God now pronounces an end to this cycle. The judgment is not merely punitive but remedial, aiming to surgically remove the "lewdness" and "whoring" from her very essence. God's purpose is to break her infatuation with, and reliance upon, corrupt foreign influences, specifically mentioning Egypt as a consistent historical temptation. By "making an end of her inward corruption," God intends to eradicate the source of her sinful desires and foolish schemes, compelling her cessation from idolatry and external dependency. This harsh divine intervention underscores God's jealousy for His covenant and His determined purpose to bring His people to a place of genuine and undivided devotion. It illustrates that when persuasive warnings fail, decisive action ensures divine holiness is upheld and the path for future reconciliation is opened.