Ezekiel 23:45 kjv
And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
Ezekiel 23:45 nkjv
But righteous men will judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.
Ezekiel 23:45 niv
But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.
Ezekiel 23:45 esv
But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands."
Ezekiel 23:45 nlt
But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are ? adulterers and murderers.
Ezekiel 23 45 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 16:38 | "And I will judge you as women are judged who commit adultery and shed blood, and I will bring upon you the blood of fury and jealousy." | Direct parallel on judgment for adultery |
| Deut 22:22 | "If a man commits adultery with the wife of another man, with the wife of his neighbor, both the man who commits adultery and the woman shall surely be put to death." | Mosaic law for adultery and capital punishment |
| Lev 24:16 | "And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, with the stranger as well as him who is born in the land, when he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death." | Law of stoning for blasphemy and idolatry |
| Jer 3:8 | "I saw when backsliding Israel committed adultery..." | Another prophet referencing Israel's unfaithfulness |
| Jer 13:27 | "‘Have I not seen your adulteries, your neighings, the lewdness of your whoredom, on the hills in the field? Woe to you, O Jerusalem! You will not become clean; how long will it yet be?’" | Judah's (Jerusalem's) spiritual adultery |
| Hosea 2:2 | "Contend with your mother, contend, for she is not my wife, nor am I her husband. Let her put away her harlotries from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts," | God calling Israel a harlot |
| Rev 17:1-2 | "Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven plagues came and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committedlechery, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”" | New Testament parallel of spiritual harlotry |
| Rev 18:3 | "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of their fornication..." | Judgment on nations for spiritual fornication |
| Psalm 50:18 | "When you see a thief, you consent with him, And you practice whoredom with adulterers." | Association with sinners |
| Nahum 3:4 | "Because of the many prostitutions of the harlot, Gracious and full of charm, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations by her prostitutions and families by her sorceries," | Judgment on Nineveh as a harlot |
| Is 5:1-7 | Parable of the vineyard portraying Israel's unfaithfulness | |
| 1 Cor 6:9-10 | "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers..." | Consequences for various sins |
| Rom 2:1-2 | "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, every one of you who practices [sin]; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that God’s judgment on those who practice such things is indeed just." | God's judgment is righteous |
| Acts 1:17 | "...though he was numbered among us and had received his share in this ministry." | Judas' betrayal/unfaithfulness |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | "Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil, as they did." | Examples of past sin and judgment |
| Heb 10:26-27 | "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries." | Warning against deliberate sin after knowing truth |
| Ezek 20:43 | "And there you shall remember your ways and all your evil deeds, with which you have defiled yourselves. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evils which you have done." | Remembering past defilement |
| Ezek 16:41 | "They shall stone you, and cut you in pieces with their swords." | Foreshadowing of the judgment in this verse |
| Zech 2:8 | "For thus says the LORD of hosts: “After glory He has sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye." | God's protective love for His people |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Principle of sowing and reaping |
Ezekiel 23 verses
Ezekiel 23 45 Meaning
This verse signifies that the former and current adulterous nations, like Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), will face a thorough and righteous judgment for their sins of idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. They will be brought before the assemblies, stoned, and cut down by the sword, reflecting the severity of their transgressions against the covenant.
Ezekiel 23 45 Context
Ezekiel 23 presents a prophetic allegory comparing Israel and Judah to two sisters, Oholah (Samaria, the ten northern tribes) and Oholibah (Jerusalem, the kingdom of Judah). Both are accused of spiritual adultery – idolatry and forsaking their covenant with Yahweh for other gods and nations, particularly Egypt and Assyria. This chapter details their history of unfaithfulness, their pursuit of foreign alliances and pagan worship, and the resulting divine judgment. Verse 45 describes the specific sentence of condemnation and punishment for their deeply ingrained and unrepented sin. The prophecy serves as a stark warning about the consequences of breaking covenant and the certainty of God's justice.
Ezekiel 23 45 Word Analysis
- וְהִפְקַדְתִּי (vehipkad'ti): "And I will visit" or "I will appoint." It signifies a divine reckoning or inspection, leading to judgment. It’s a consequential action by God.
- עֲלֵיהֶן (aleihan): "upon them." Directly referring back to Oholah and Oholibah (Samaria and Jerusalem).
- אֶתְמֺס (etmos): "the assembly" or "the gathering." This refers to the corporate body of people who will carry out the judgment, symbolizing a public and communal execution of justice.
- דִּין (din): "judgment." A formal adjudication and pronouncement of what is right and lawful concerning their deeds.
- קָהָל (qahal): "congregation." Similar to "assembly," emphasizing the collective nature of those witnessing and executing the judgment.
- עַמָּלָה (amalah): "wrongdoing" or "iniquity." This highlights the grave offenses committed.
- נָכְרִיָּה (nochriyah): "foreign woman" or "foreigner." Here, it metaphorically describes their actions as akin to the severe consequences faced by a foreign woman committing adultery or those outside the covenant facing judgment for specific sins.
- מְשַׁפְּטִים (meshappetim): "judging" or "condemning." They are being judged as such adulterous or foreign entities in God's sight.
- וְרֹדְפֵי (verodfei): "and murderers" or "those who pursue to kill." This describes the agents of their judgment, who will bring about their violent demise.
- לִרְצוֹחַ (lirtzoh): "to murder" or "to shed blood." The specific mode of their destruction.
- בְּסִירוֹת (beisirot): "by their stoning" or "with stones." A method of execution prescribed in the Mosaic Law, often for severe offenses like blasphemy or adultery, signifying utter disgrace and punishment.
- חֲרָבוֹת (charavot): "swords." Another method of execution, representing military or direct combat judgment.
Word Groups:
- "the assembly of judgment" (אֶתְמֺס דִּין - etmos din): This phrase signifies a divinely mandated public trial and sentencing, where the collective will of the people, empowered by God, executes the verdict.
- "judging as an adulteress" (כְּנֹאָפֹת נֹקְמָה וְכַשֹּׁפְכוֹת דָּם יִשְׁפֹּט אֹתָךְ - kenophoṯ nok'mah vechasophekoth dam yishpot othakh): The metaphorical language connects their spiritual unfaithfulness to severe earthly crimes deserving capital punishment. "An adulteress and a shedder of blood" denotes the heinousness and deadly consequences of their transgressions.
- "stoned and cut down by the sword" (לְסָקֳלָה וְלִרְצוֹחַ בַּחֲרָבוֹת יִהְיוּ - lesakolah veritzoh bacharovot yih'yu): This pairing highlights the dual nature of the punishment: public humiliation and stoning (stone them) and then forceful eradication by the sword (cut them down with their swords), signifying total annihilation.
Ezekiel 23 45 Bonus Section
The severe punishments described (stoning and sword) are echoes of penalties outlined in the Law (Leviticus, Deuteronomy) for serious offenses like idolatry and adultery, demonstrating that God's justice, while often patient, is ultimately thorough and in line with His own revealed standards. The "assembly" judging them represents both the earthly consequence and the ultimate divine court where all deeds are brought to light. The naming of Samaria and Jerusalem as sisters in the preceding chapter underscores that their sins, though manifested differently in timing and emphasis, stemmed from the same root of rejecting Yahweh as their husband and Lord. The reference to Oholah and Oholibah as adulteresses is a powerful indictment of their unfaithfulness not just to a husband, but to the divine covenant.
Ezekiel 23 45 Commentary
This verse details the final judgment pronounced upon Judah for her profound spiritual harlotry and complicity in wickedness, paralleling the judgment already described for Israel. God declares that both the people and their leaders will be judged corporately. They will be brought before the assemblies, publicly condemned, and then violently executed by stoning and the sword. This twofold punishment emphasizes the public shame and complete eradication they will face for their defilement. It serves as a definitive statement of divine justice for covenantal unfaithfulness, idolatry, and all forms of moral corruption that had permeated their society. The language reflects the severity of capital offenses under the Mosaic Law, illustrating the magnitude of their sin before God.