Ezekiel 23:35 kjv
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
Ezekiel 23:35 nkjv
"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, Therefore you shall bear the penalty Of your lewdness and your harlotry.' "
Ezekiel 23:35 niv
"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution."
Ezekiel 23:35 esv
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring."
Ezekiel 23:35 nlt
"And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution."
Ezekiel 23 35 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 23:35 | For thus says the Lord GOD: Drink your sister's cup, the cup of her degradation. | Judgment upon Jerusalem |
| Jer 25:15 | For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take this cup of wrath from my hand..." | Prophetic decree of judgment |
| Ps 11:6 | Let raindrops fall upon the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be their lot. | Divine retribution |
| Rev 14:10 | He will also drink the wine of God's wrath, a mixture poured full strength into the cup of his anger... | Divine judgment in end times |
| Isa 51:17 | Rouse yourself, rouse yourself! Stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of his wrath; you have drunk deep the dregs of the cup of staggering. | Jerusalem's suffering |
| Rev 17:4 | The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication. | Symbolism of corrupt woman |
| Jer 51:7 | Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, making all the earth drunk... | Babylon's corruption and fall |
| Lam 4:21 | Be glad and rejoice, daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but the cup shall pass to you also; you shall become drunk and expose yourself. | Judgment on Edom |
| Nah 3:11 | You also will become drunk and will seek refuge from the enemy. | Nineveh's impending doom |
| Jer 49:12 | For thus says the Lord: “If the guiltless are to go unpunished, you too must go unpunished; you shall not go unpunished, but shall surely drink of it.” | Judgment on Edom |
| Ezek 22:31 | And I have poured out my indignation upon them by the fire of my wrath. I will consume them by the fire of my anger... | God's indignation against Israel |
| Ezek 16:2 | Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, | Prophetic address to Jerusalem |
| Hosea 9:1 | Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples! For you have played the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved wages on every threshing floor. | Israel's spiritual adultery |
| Jer 17:1 | “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their hearts, and on the horns of their altars, | Judah's persistent sin |
| Jer 2:13 | For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. | Spiritual unfaithfulness |
| Ezek 16:47 | Moreover, its sister Samaria, with her daughters, dwelling on the left hand of the prince, and on the right hand of the prince, even she and her daughters, have played the whore more than you. | Comparing Samaria and Jerusalem |
| Rev 18:5 | For her sins are heaped up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. | Judgment on Babylon (symbolic) |
| Ezek 16:43 | Because you were not mindful of the days of your youth, but you enraged me with your actions throughout, I have laid your ways upon your head, declares the Lord GOD. | Consequences of past actions |
| Ps 75:8 | For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, with raging wine, full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. | God's cup of judgment |
| Jer 30:11 | For I am with you to save you, declares the Lord; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, I will not make a full end of you, but I will correct you justly... | Promise of eventual restoration |
Ezekiel 23 verses
Ezekiel 23 35 Meaning
This verse describes a judgment and severe consequence upon Jerusalem for its idolatry and moral corruption. It signifies that Jerusalem will drink the "cup" of God's wrath, representing His righteous anger poured out upon it for its sins. This cup is described as "deadly" and "full of mixtures," indicating its potent and destructive nature.
Ezekiel 23 35 Context
Ezekiel 23 focuses on the unfaithfulness and subsequent judgment of the two "sister" nations, Samaria (representing the Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Jerusalem (representing the Southern Kingdom of Judah). The chapter uses the allegory of two unfaithful sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), to illustrate their deep-seated idolatry and political entanglements, particularly with Assyria and Babylon. This verse, Ezekiel 23:35, comes as a direct pronouncement of judgment against Jerusalem for her extreme spiritual harlotry and the severe consequences that will follow, mirroring the punishment of her sister Samaria. The historical backdrop is the Babylonian exile, a time when Jerusalem's sin and God's judgment were stark realities.
Ezekiel 23 35 Word Analysis
- For (כִּי - ki): A conjunction introducing the reason or cause for what precedes or follows. It emphasizes that the following statement is the basis for God's action.
- thus (כֹּה - ko): Adverb indicating manner or degree, meaning "so" or "in this way." It points to a specific divine declaration or decree.
- says (אָמַר - amar): Verb in the Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular. Meaning "to say," "to speak," "to command." Here, it signifies a definitive pronouncement from God.
- the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature and His relational aspect with His people.
- GOD (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): A generic term for God, used here in conjunction with YHWH (YHWH Elohim) to denote the supreme Creator and sovereign Lord.
- Drink (שְׁתִי - shəti): Imperative, 2nd person feminine singular of the verb שָׁתָה (shatah), meaning "to drink." It is a direct command, addressed to Jerusalem, symbolizing the reception of judgment.
- your sister’s (אֲחוֹתֵךְ - əḥōṯēḵ): Feminine possessive noun, 2nd person singular. Refers to Samaria, previously described as the "sister" of Jerusalem in this prophetic discourse (Ezekiel 23:4, 5).
- cup (כּוֹס - kos): Noun, feminine singular. Represents a portion or lot, and metaphorically, judgment or wrath from God.
- the cup (כּוֹס - kos): Repetition of the noun for emphasis and to link it to the descriptor that follows.
- of her uncleanness (עֲוֹנָהּ - ʿᵃwōnāh): Noun, feminine singular with suffix. From עָווֹן (avon), meaning "iniquity," "guilt," "punishment for iniquity," or "perversity." It signifies the sinfulness and depravity of Samaria, which Jerusalem is now to partake of. The King James Version uses "shame."
- of her degradation (מְשֻׁקָּה - məšūqqâ): Passive participle, feminine singular. Derived from the verb שָׁקָה (shaqah), meaning "to give to drink," "to water," or metaphorically, "to intoxicate." Here it signifies something drunk deeply, implying intoxicating drunkenness leading to disgrace or downfall, translated by some as "the dregs of her ruin" or "her misery."
Group Analysis:
- “Drink your sister’s cup, the cup of her degradation”: This phrase poetically conveys that Jerusalem will share in the same fate and punishment as Samaria, having indulged in similar grievous sins of idolatry and spiritual prostitution. The "cup" is a powerful metaphor for divine judgment.
Ezekiel 23 35 Bonus Section
The imagery of a "cup" used by God as a vessel of judgment is prevalent throughout Scripture. It often signifies the full measure of a people's sin and God's inevitable response. The repetition of "cup" and the phrase "full of mixtures" or "full of dregs" (as seen in other translations) emphasize the potent and comprehensive nature of the divine wrath. The sins of the nations are considered, and God’s judgment is described as a drink from this specially prepared cup. The specific reference to Samaria ("her cup") highlights the shared culpability of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah in their spiritual apostasy, underscoring a pattern of sin that transcended national boundaries within God’s covenant people.
Ezekiel 23 35 Commentary
This verse is a stark declaration of divine judgment against Jerusalem. God, through Ezekiel, informs Jerusalem that it will experience the same severe consequences that befell its sister, Samaria. The imagery of drinking a "cup of degradation" signifies the fullness of God's wrath poured out due to their corrupt actions. Jerusalem, by engaging in idolatry and a morally bankrupt lifestyle, had effectively participated in the sins of Samaria, thereby making itself subject to the same ruin. This speaks to the universal principle that sin leads to consequences, and that persistent unfaithfulness results in God's righteous indignation.
- Practical Application: When individuals or communities stray from God's path and embrace sin, they move towards spiritual ruin. The consequences may not be immediate but are certain as God is just. This serves as a call to repentance and to remain faithful to God, lest one experiences the "cup of degradation."