Ezekiel 23 49

Ezekiel 23:49 kjv

And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 23:49 nkjv

They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall pay for your idolatrous sins. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.' "

Ezekiel 23:49 niv

You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."

Ezekiel 23:49 esv

And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel 23:49 nlt

You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution ? your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 49 Meaning

Ezekiel 23:49 signifies the culmination of divine judgment upon Judah, allegorically personified as Oholibah. It declares that the nation will directly experience the full measure of retribution for its rampant idolatry and spiritual infidelity. The punishment for her detestable acts of "lewdness" – worshipping false gods – will be exacted upon her, and she will personally bear the heavy consequences and guilt associated with her "idols." The profound purpose behind this severe judgment is that through it, Judah will be forced into an experiential realization that Yahweh is the exclusive and sovereign Lord God.

Ezekiel 23 49 Context

Ezekiel 23:49 serves as the final, emphatic pronouncement of judgment in a long allegorical chapter. Chapter 23 describes two sisters, Oholah (Samaria, representing the northern kingdom of Israel) and Oholibah (Jerusalem, representing the southern kingdom of Judah). Both sisters engage in spiritual prostitution by pursuing alliances with pagan nations and adopting their idolatrous practices, explicitly violating their covenant with God. Oholibah's wickedness is portrayed as even greater and more deliberate than Oholah's. The preceding verses (Ezek 23:46-48) detail the various nations and "assemblies" God will raise to inflict the punishment upon Oholibah. Verse 49, therefore, culminates this judgment by explicitly stating that Oholibah (Judah) will personally suffer the direct consequences of her actions. In the broader context of the Book of Ezekiel, this verse underscores key themes: God's holiness and righteous anger against sin, the individual and national responsibility for unfaithfulness, the principle of lex talionis (punishment fitting the crime), and the recurrent motif of "knowing that I am the LORD" – wherein judgment serves as a powerful revelation of God's sovereignty amidst Judah's idolatry and exile. Culturally, Judah had embraced the religious practices of surrounding empires (Assyria, Babylon, Egypt), blurring the lines between their monotheistic covenant and syncretistic polytheism. The verse polemicizes against the efficacy and reality of these foreign gods, asserting Yahweh's unique and ultimate authority.

Ezekiel 23 49 Word analysis

• And they shall recompense (וְהֵשִׁ֙יבּוּ֙ – wəhêshībū):

  • Root is shuv (שׁוּב), meaning "to turn, return." In the Hiphil causative stem, it means "to cause to return," thus "to repay" or "recompense."
  • Refers to the collective "they" mentioned earlier in the chapter (Ezek 23:46-48), specifically the assembly of nations or men God will raise up against Jerusalem.
  • Significance: Highlights direct retribution. The action performed by Jerusalem will be "returned" to her in the form of punishment. This is divine reciprocity.

• your lewdness (זִמָּתְכֶן – zimmātəḵen):

  • Derived from zamam (זָמַם), meaning "to devise, plot (evil)." It denotes malicious plans, depravity, wickedness, and in cultic/sexual contexts, spiritual harlotry or promiscuity.
  • Frequently used in Ezekiel (e.g., 16:27, 22:9, 23:27, 23:35) to describe the gross moral and spiritual corruption of Israel/Judah's idolatry, explicitly framing it as an abominable sexual sin against God.
  • Significance: Elevates idolatry beyond mere error to a perverse, pre-meditated act of deep moral corruption and betrayal of the divine covenant. It’s an act of vile depravity in God's eyes.

• upon you (עֲלֵיכֶ֑ן – ‘ǎlêḵen):

  • A preposition signifying direct application "onto" or "against."
  • The "you" is feminine plural, referring to Oholibah/Judah, personified.
  • Significance: Emphasizes that the punishment will be personally borne by Jerusalem; the consequence is inescapable and directly targets her.

• and you shall bear (וּנְשָׂאתֶ֞ן – ū_nəśātən):

  • From the root nasa (נָשָׂא), meaning "to lift, carry, bear." Here, it signifies to endure the consequences or accept the penalty.
  • Used in contexts of bearing a burden, sin, or judgment.
  • Significance: Underscores personal responsibility and accountability. Judah will not escape the burden or penalty of her actions; she will have to carry the weight of her transgressions herself.

• the sins (חַטֹּ֧אות – ḥaṭṭō’ṯ):

  • Plural of ḥaṭṭā’âh (חַטָּאָה), typically meaning "sin, offense, guilt." While it can mean "sin offering" in cultic contexts, here it unequivocally refers to the transgressions and guilt itself.
  • Significance: Denotes the accumulation and multifaceted nature of their wrongdoings, encompassing both individual and corporate transgressions against God's law.

• of your idols (וְגִלּוּלֵיכֶ֛ן – wəgillūlêḵen):

  • From gillul (גִּלּוּל), a highly derogatory term used almost exclusively by Ezekiel for idols. It's often linked to galal (גָּלַל), "to roll," implying "dung-pellets," "filth," or "worthless things."
  • This is a strong polemic, deliberately degrading the objects of Israel's worship, reducing them to contemptible refuse.
  • Significance: Highlights God's absolute disdain and contempt for the false gods Judah worshipped. Their cherished deities are nothing more than disgusting rubbish in the eyes of Yahweh, utterly without power or worth.

• and you shall know (וִידַעְתֶּ֗ן – wîda‘tên):

  • From yada’ (יָדַע), "to know, perceive, understand." In biblical theology, this often implies an intimate, experiential knowledge, not merely intellectual assent.
  • It is a core theme in Ezekiel, appearing over 70 times, often following judgments.
  • Significance: The ultimate goal of divine judgment is not merely punishment but the forced revelation and recognition of God's identity and supreme power. Through suffering, Israel would finally understand who Yahweh truly is.

• that I am the Lord GOD (כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים – kî ‘ănî Yahweh ‘ělōhîm):

  • "I am the Lord GOD" is a declarative statement of self-identification, often emphasized through the divine names YHWH (Yahweh, the covenant name of God) and Elohim (God, the general term for deity).
  • The phrase "I am YHWH" is a key element in establishing God's sovereignty and distinctiveness from all other gods. The addition of "Elohim" (God) reinforces His universal power.
  • Significance: This is the definitive assertion of God's unique identity, unchallenged authority, covenant faithfulness, and absolute sovereignty as the judge over all nations, especially Israel. It negates all rival claims of idols.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "recompense your lewdness upon you": This phrase succinctly encapsulates the principle of poetic justice or lex talionis. The consequence perfectly mirrors the transgression, demonstrating God's righteous judgment and the direct causal link between action and consequence. Judah's wicked deeds return to her.
  • "you shall bear the sins of your idols": This emphasizes personal, unavoidable responsibility. The nation is held accountable not just for generalized "sins," but specifically for the sins associated with and resulting from their engagement with idols. They must carry the full, defiling burden that their chosen gods represent.
  • "you shall know that I am the Lord GOD": This is the theological lynchpin of the verse and a foundational message of Ezekiel. The purpose of all the preceding suffering and judgment is ultimately pedagogical and revelatory. Through this excruciating experience, Judah would undergo a profound, inescapable, and existential awakening to the singular, unchallengeable truth of Yahweh's identity and power.

Ezekiel 23 49 Bonus section

The recurring "know that I am the LORD" (often as wîda'û kî 'ănî Yahweh) clause, though seen here as a result of punitive judgment, functions diversely in Ezekiel. It's also linked to acts of divine restoration and salvation (e.g., Ezek 20:42; 36:38; 37:13). This illustrates that the full spectrum of God's actions—both destructive judgment and redemptive grace—ultimately serves the singular purpose of revealing His identity and glorifying His name among His people and the nations. In Ezekiel 23:49, it signifies a forced recognition through harsh consequence, paving the way for eventual spiritual renewal only after deep cleansing.

Ezekiel 23 49 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:49 serves as a definitive climax, not just for the allegory of Oholibah, but for God's firm resolve concerning Judah's persistent spiritual unfaithfulness. The verse states that Jerusalem will receive the just recompense for her deep depravity – the "lewdness" of her idolatrous worship. This is not arbitrary punishment but a direct reflection of her actions, designed to underscore the absolute gravity of breaking her covenant with God through pursuing other gods (represented as 'dung idols'). The phrase "you shall bear the sins of your idols" highlights full accountability; Judah will carry the guilt and experience the full defilement associated with her false worship, with no evasion possible. Crucially, the ultimate aim of this painful retribution is not merely punitive but redemptive. The "knowing" of "the Lord GOD" is a central theological purpose in Ezekiel: it means that through the suffering of judgment, Judah would be brought to an inescapable and experiential recognition of Yahweh's unique, absolute sovereignty and identity as the only true God, thus ending the spiritual ambiguity and self-deception that led to her downfall.