Ezekiel 23 34

Ezekiel 23:34 kjv

Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the sherds thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 23:34 nkjv

You shall drink and drain it, You shall break its shards, And tear at your own breasts; For I have spoken,' Says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 23:34 niv

You will drink it and drain it dry and chew on its pieces? and you will tear your breasts. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.

Ezekiel 23:34 esv

you shall drink it and drain it out, and gnaw its shards, and tear your breasts; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 23:34 nlt

You will drain that cup of terror
to the very bottom.
Then you will smash it to pieces
and beat your breast in anguish.
I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 34 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:34 graphically describes the comprehensive and devastating judgment awaiting Oholibah (Jerusalem) for her profound spiritual unfaithfulness. It portrays her being forced to consume the cup of divine wrath entirely, enduring every last bitter dreg. Following this complete ingestion of suffering, she will be compelled to interact painfully with the broken fragments of the vessel and, in an ultimate display of despair and shame, physically harm herself by tearing at her own breasts, signifying irreversible ruin, public humiliation, and profound regret, stripped of all former dignity and beauty.

Ezekiel 23 34 Context

Ezekiel chapter 23 utilizes the extended allegory of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), to condemn the severe spiritual apostasy of Israel. Both sisters are depicted as engaging in prostitution with foreign nations, symbolizing their illicit political alliances and adoption of idolatrous worship. While Oholah (Samaria) falls first due to Assyrian judgment, the narrative then intensely focuses on Oholibah (Jerusalem), whose depravity is portrayed as even greater. Jerusalem pursued alliances with Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon, mirroring their corrupt religious practices, thereby betraying her covenant with God. This verse (23:34) represents the climax of Oholibah's judgment, prophesying the full and gruesome extent of God's impending punishment. The historical setting is during the Babylonian exile, a period of immense national and spiritual crisis for Judah, preceding or immediately following Jerusalem's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar's forces. The prophecy warns of the utter humiliation and suffering brought by the very foreign powers Jerusalem sought for unholy alliance.

Ezekiel 23 34 Word analysis

• You will drink (תִשְׁתִּי, tishti): Second person feminine singular, implying a direct, unavoidable, and personal experience of judgment for Oholibah (Jerusalem).

• the dregs (שִׁמְרֵיהָ, shimreha): Refers to the thick, bitter sediment left at the very bottom of a cup, typically wine. Symbolically, this represents the most harsh, unpalatable, and exhaustive aspect of divine wrath, meaning every last, most bitter consequence of sin will be consumed.

• and drain it out (וְתִמְצִי, v'timtzi): From the verb matsa (מָצָה), meaning "to wring out, to exhaust, to drain completely." This intensifies "drink," ensuring the entire cup, to its last painful drop, is fully consumed without anything remaining to sweeten the experience. It signifies thoroughness in suffering.

• and you will gnaw / cut into its potsherds (וְאֶת-חֲרָסֶיהָ תְפַלֵּחִי, v'et-charaseiha t'phallechi):

  • its potsherds (חֲרָסֶיהָ, charaseiha): The sharp, broken fragments of the now-empty clay cup of wrath. These fragments are instruments of further torment.
  • you will gnaw / cut into (תְפַלֵּחִי, t'phallechi): From the verb palach (פָּלַח), meaning "to split, cleave, pierce, make a furrow." Applied to potsherds, it implies a painful physical interaction—either chewing on them (as some translations like JPS and ESV render "gnaw/crunch") or using them to cut and inflict harm upon oneself. This highlights self-inflicted torment as part of the complete humiliation and irreversible brokenness.

• and tear at your breasts (וְשָׁדַיִךְ תְמָרְטִי, v'shadayikh t'mar'ti):

  • your breasts (שָׁדַיִךְ, shadayikh): Highly significant within the allegory of harlotry, as breasts were symbols of seduction and allure (Ezekiel 23:3, 8). Here, they become the focus of destructive, self-inflicted action.
  • you will tear (תְמָרְטִי, t'mar'ti): From the verb marat (מָרַט), meaning "to pluck out, tear off, pull out." This is an extremely violent and visceral act of self-mutilation, commonly associated with ancient Near Eastern lamentation rituals, signifying profound despair, public shame, and ultimate irreversible loss, particularly tragic given their previous symbolic use for lust and beauty.

• "You will drink the dregs and drain it out": This phrase emphatically conveys the utter completeness and bitterness of divine judgment. It means Jerusalem will endure the full, unadulterated, and most agonizing extent of her punishment, with absolutely no mitigation or escape. The suffering is comprehensive and without respite.

• "and you will gnaw / cut into its potsherds": After consuming the last bitter drop of the judgment, Jerusalem is forced to contend painfully with the shattered remains of the cup itself. This action symbolizes not merely the brokenness of the instrument of judgment, but Jerusalem's deep physical and spiritual torment through an agonizing engagement with the painful, irreversible consequences of her ruin. It speaks to extreme degradation and enduring physical reminder of destruction.

• "and tear at your breasts": This concluding phrase describes an act of ultimate and profound despair, self-inflicted humiliation, and intense physical lamentation. It represents Jerusalem's agonizing sorrow and self-inflicted pain over her complete ruin, a public and physical manifestation of the deep spiritual and national trauma resulting from her unfaithfulness, further amplified by the former symbolic association of breasts with her illicit passions.

Ezekiel 23 34 Bonus section

• The dual acts of "gnawing/cutting into its potsherds" and "tearing at your breasts" represent two distinct but equally agonizing aspects of the punishment: the active, painful engagement with the physical wreckage of judgment and the intense, deeply personal act of self-inflicted suffering and shame, signifying complete and utter despair.
• This verse provides a powerful polemic against any reliance on foreign alliances or their idolatrous practices, showing that such a path ultimately leads not to security or pleasure, but to the deepest humiliation and torment inflicted by the very nations once courted. God alone is the source of true security.
• The progression from passive "drinking" to active "draining," then to painful engagement with "potsherds," and finally to violent "tearing" of one's body demonstrates a spiraling descent into utter misery, a divine judgment perfectly calibrated to the severity and nature of the initial sin.

Ezekiel 23 34 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:34 is a climactic, visceral declaration of the severity and totality of God's judgment on unfaithful Jerusalem. The imagery moves from internal consumption to external, self-inflicted torment. "Drinking the dregs and draining it out" stresses that every last, bitter consequence of Jerusalem's spiritual harlotry will be fully experienced, leaving no relief or mitigation. The act of "gnawing/cutting into its potsherds" signifies a deeper layer of humiliation and suffering, forcing the city to endure agony even from the shattered remnants of her own judgment, pointing to irreversible and excruciating desolation. Finally, "tearing at your breasts" reveals the depth of shame and ultimate despair; what was once a symbol of beauty and seduction, perverted for illicit desires, becomes the very object of self-mutilation, publicizing profound regret and the complete loss of honor and well-being. This verse offers no hope of escape, only the stark reality of self-destructive suffering resulting from betraying the divine covenant.

• Example: Consider a severe addict who not only suffers the health, financial, and social consequences of their addiction (drinking the dregs), but then, in the aftermath, must endure painful encounters with the irreversible ruins of their past decisions (gnawing at the shards of their broken life), eventually leading to deep, public remorse and self-inflicted despair over all they have lost (tearing at their own symbolic 'breasts' of former self-worth or purity).