Ezekiel 23:46 kjv
For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled.
Ezekiel 23:46 nkjv
"For thus says the Lord GOD: 'Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder.
Ezekiel 23:46 niv
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder.
Ezekiel 23:46 esv
For thus says the Lord GOD: "Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a plunder.
Ezekiel 23:46 nlt
"Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered.
Ezekiel 23 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 16:40 | They shall stone you with stones, and cut you in pieces with their swords. | Judgment against Jerusalem |
| Ezekiel 23:45 | And the righteous shall judge them, as adulteresses are judged, and as women that shed blood are judged. | The standard of judgment |
| Jeremiah 7:9 | "Will you steal and murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known... | Condemnation of sins |
| Isaiah 1:1 | The word of the LORD that came to Isaiah the son of Amoz... | Prophetic indictment |
| Revelation 17:5 | And upon her forehead was written a name, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth. | Symbolic harlotry |
| Nahum 3:4 | Because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sold nations with her harlotries and families with her sorceries. | Judgment on spiritual prostitution |
| Zechariah 5:3 | Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land..." | The curse of iniquity |
| Proverbs 6:32 | He who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does it destroys himself. | Consequences of adultery |
| Psalm 50:18 | If you see a thief, you consent with him, and your companion you like. | Association with sin |
| Amos 2:7 | ...and the young man lies with his father's wife, so that my holy name is profaned. | Profanation of holiness |
| Micah 1:11 | Pass on, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitant of Zaanan does not come forth; the wailing of Beth-Ezel will take from you his standing place. | Calamity and exposure |
| Jeremiah 22:24-26 | As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on my right hand, yet I would pluck you off, and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life... | Deposition from power |
| Deuteronomy 28:37 | And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples to which the LORD will lead you away. | Being a proverb/byword |
| Lamentations 4:13 | For the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous. | Leaders' guilt |
| Ezekiel 23:47 | And the company shall stone them with stones, and cut them in pieces with their swords; they shall deal with them in nakedness and disgrace; their houses shall be taken. | Final execution of judgment |
| Leviticus 18:22 | You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. | Moral prohibition |
| Isaiah 3:18 | In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the caps, and the moon-pendants... | Humiliation through adornments |
| Jeremiah 13:22 | For when your iniquities, your trailing skirts, your repeated adultery... | Symbolism of impurity |
| Song of Solomon 1:5 | I am black, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. | Contrast with purity |
| 2 Peter 2:14 | They have eyes full of adultery, unconquerable in sin... | Continued sinfulness |
Ezekiel 23 verses
Ezekiel 23 46 Meaning
This verse pronounces judgment upon Jerusalem, depicted as a harlot. It states that a council will be convened against her, leading to her public condemnation and the seizure of her property. The intent is to expose and punish her unfaithfulness to God through acts of severe judgment.
Ezekiel 23 46 Context
Ezekiel chapter 23 describes the spiritual harlotry of the two sister nations, Samaria (Oholibah) and Jerusalem (Oholah), in their idolatry and alliances with foreign powers, particularly Assyria and Babylon. Both nations, despite their covenant with God, engaged in repeated acts of unfaithfulness, mirroring the infidelity of their mother, Israel. Verse 46 falls within the final pronouncements of judgment against Jerusalem for her sins. This chapter serves as a severe indictment of Judah's apostasy, emphasizing God's justice and the inevitable consequences of breaking His covenant. The historical context is the Babylonian exile, where Jerusalem was destroyed, its temple desecrated, and its people taken captive, demonstrating the totality of God's judgment.
Ezekiel 23 46 Word Analysis
- wěhîyū (וְהָיָה - vĕhāyāh): "And it shall be" or "and they shall be." This introduces the consequence of the previous actions and pronouncements. It signifies a coming event, a fulfillment of prophetic declaration.
- šōp̄əṭîm (שֹּׁפְטִים - šop̄ṭîm): "judges" (plural). Refers to a group of people who will preside over the trial or judgment of Jerusalem. In this context, it signifies a judicial assembly convened for condemnation.
- bāhen (בָּהֶן - bāhĕn): "against them." The preposition bāh (בָּהּ - "in" or "against") with the suffix -hĕn (הֶן - "them," referring to the women representing the nations). This shows the direction of the judgment.
- môhômōṯ (מְאֻפִפֹות - mə'ōp̄ōp̄ōṯ): "adulteresses" or "harlots" (feminine plural construct). Directly labels Jerusalem as unfaithful, specifically in the sense of sexual infidelity, which is a metaphor for her spiritual unfaithfulness to God. The Septuagint translates this with terms related to sexual immorality.
- ûmōhōmōṯ (וּמְאֻלָּמוֹת - ûmə'ōlāmōṯ): "and women that shed blood" (feminine plural construct). This amplifies the accusations, adding violent wrongdoing to their sins. The shedding of blood speaks of cruelty, violence, and the corruption that permeates their society, further condemning them.
- mōrōḏôṯ (מְרֹדֹת - mərōḏōṯ): "women who shed blood." A reiteration of the second accusation, emphasizing the shedding of innocent blood, possibly referencing idolatrous practices involving sacrifice or the violence of war caused by their alliances.
- šāp̄aḵ (שָׁפַךְ - šāp̄aḵ): "shed." Used here in the passive participle context, referring to those who have shed blood.
- dām (דָּם - dām): "blood." The object of their wicked deeds, signifying violence and death.
Word Group Analysis
- "a council shall be convened against them": The Hebrew suggests a gathering for a judicial purpose. This is not a friendly meeting but an assembly of accusers and judges.
- "as adulteresses are judged, and as women who shed blood are judged": The repeated structure highlights the dual nature of Jerusalem's sin: spiritual infidelity to God and literal violence/bloodshed. Both acts are capital offenses in the Law, underscoring the severity of the judgment. The comparison implies public disgrace and the legal penalties prescribed for such offenses.
Ezekiel 23 46 Bonus Section
The phrase "women who shed blood" can also carry a connotation of sorcery or witchcraft, which was associated with violent or malevolent practices in the ancient Near East. While spiritual adultery is the primary meaning of the "harlotry" metaphor, the addition of "shed blood" broadens the indictment to include all forms of rebellion and the destruction resulting from it. The "council" of judges can be interpreted not just as human tribunals but also as heavenly accusers and executors of God's will, reflecting the cosmic scale of divine judgment. The shame associated with being judged as an adulteress and a blood-shedder highlights the profound moral and spiritual corruption of the city.
Ezekiel 23 46 Commentary
The judgment described is specific and severe. A legal assembly (implied by "judges") will gather to pronounce sentence on Jerusalem. The crimes leveled against her are symbolic infidelity (adultery/harlotry) and literal violence (shedding blood). These are precise accusations reflecting her turning away from God for idols and her destructive political alliances and actions. The public nature of the judgment signifies extreme disgrace. The Law prescribed stoning for adultery and the shedding of blood, which aligns with the fuller judgment described in the next verse. This judicial process is God's just response to prolonged covenant breaking, where His people have abandoned Him for false gods and harmful practices. It underscores that God holds His covenant people to a higher standard.