Ezekiel 23 9

Ezekiel 23:9 kjv

Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.

Ezekiel 23:9 nkjv

"Therefore I have delivered her Into the hand of her lovers, Into the hand of the Assyrians, For whom she lusted.

Ezekiel 23:9 niv

"Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.

Ezekiel 23:9 esv

Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted.

Ezekiel 23:9 nlt

"And so I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers, whom she desired so much.

Ezekiel 23 9 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Ezekiel 16:60"Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you."God remembers covenant, promise of lasting covenant
Deuteronomy 7:9"Know therefore that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God, keeping covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,"God's faithfulness to covenant, covenant love
Leviticus 26:42"then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac, and I will remember my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land."God remembering covenant with patriarchs, for the land
Jeremiah 31:31-32"“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them from the land of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.”"God's covenant, people breaking covenant, comparison to new covenant
Hebrews 8:8-12"For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them from the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I abandoned them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they will not need to teach each neighbor his fellow citizen or his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”"New covenant, comparison to old covenant, forgiveness of sins
Genesis 17:7-8"I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you."Everlasting covenant with Abraham and offspring, God's identity
Psalm 105:8"He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, to a thousand generations,"God remembers covenant forever, God's command
Luke 1:72-73"to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,"God's mercy, remembrance of holy covenant, oath to Abraham
Nehemiah 9:32"Now therefore, our God, great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, do not let all the hardship seem small before you..."God keeps covenant and steadfast love
Amos 3:2"“Only you have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”"God's unique choice, consequences of sin
Hosea 10:6"Ephraim shall carry to Assyria as a present for a king of Jareb. Shame shall come to Samaria for her foolish idol."Consequences for Ephraim's idolatry, judgment
Romans 11:28"As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers,"Election based on fathers' sake, spiritual enmity
1 Kings 15:4"For when David was old, his heart turned away after foreign gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been."Kings not wholly true, like fathers' failings
Deuteronomy 4:31"The Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them."God's mercy, not forgetting covenant with fathers
Psalm 136:26"Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever."God's steadfast love, eternal nature
Isaiah 40:8"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."God's word, enduring nature
1 Corinthians 1:9"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."God's faithfulness, calling into fellowship
Revelation 21:3"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God."God dwelling with people, them being His people
2 Timothy 2:13"if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself."God's faithfulness, God's nature
Exodus 34:6-7"The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty..."God's attributes: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, faithful; justice for guilt

Ezekiel 23 verses

Ezekiel 23 9 Meaning

The verse speaks of how God remembers the covenant He made with Israel's ancestors. This remembrance isn't necessarily for immediate favor, but as a basis for His actions and judgments against their unfaithfulness. It highlights the enduring nature of God's promises, even when His people repeatedly break theirs. The "remembering" implies bringing to mind their past covenant, which has implications for their present and future dealings.

Ezekiel 23 9 Context

Ezekiel 23 is a powerful chapter where the prophet uses vivid and often graphic imagery to expose the spiritual adultery and deep-seated corruption of Israel, particularly focusing on the two sister kingdoms, Samaria (representing the northern kingdom of Israel) and Jerusalem (representing the southern kingdom of Judah). This chapter continues the theme of divine judgment and the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness.

Verse 9, specifically, arrives amidst the narrative detailing Jerusalem's (Oholibah's) history of unfaithfulness, even worse than her sister Samaria. God, speaking through Ezekiel, points out that despite their continuous actions against Him, His covenant remembrance will bring forth His judgment upon them, reflecting His consistent standard of justice that upholds His own covenant faithfulness. The historical backdrop is the Babylonian exile, where Judah had already been severely chastised, yet the chapter highlights that even more severe judgment is to come due to their ongoing rebellion. The polemic is against the prevalent idolatry, syncretism, and political entanglements that characterized their worship and alliances, which were direct violations of their covenant with Yahweh.

Ezekiel 23 9 Word Analysis

  • כִּ֤י (ki): A fundamental Hebrew conjunction, most often translated as "for," "because," "that." Here, it serves to introduce the reason or basis for God's knowledge and subsequent actions concerning Jerusalem's deep corruption. It signals a causal or explanatory relationship.
  • כָּרַ֫תִי (karati): From the root כָּרַת (karat), meaning "to cut," "to make," or "to cut a covenant" (literally "to cut"). When used with a covenant, it signifies establishing or ratifying a covenant, often through sacrifice or ritual. It implies a binding agreement.
  • בְּרִ֫יתִי (beriti): The possessive form of בְּרִ֫ית (berit), meaning "covenant." So, "my covenant." This refers to the covenant God made with Israel, established at Mount Sinai and also through their patriarchs.
  • וְאָֽשֵׁת) (ve'eshet): And (וְ - ve) woman/wife (אֵשֶׁת - eshet). In this context, "and I will appoint them as a wife," or "and I made them a wife." It refers back to God's original relationship and the establishment of His covenant people, signifying the intimate and exclusive bond intended in the covenant, as a marriage covenant.
  • זִ֫כְרוֹן (zikron): "remembrance," "memory." It refers to the act of remembering, or the memorial itself.
  • לַֽ֫מְרוּד) (lamrud): For (ל - lam) rebellion/to rebel (מֶרֶד - mered). This signifies the state or purpose of rebellion. The text states "remembrance of rebellion." This implies God's remembering of their continuous act of rebellion.

Word Group Analysis

  • "I will appoint them as a wife": This phrasing invokes the marriage metaphor central to the covenant relationship between God and Israel. God chose Israel and intended for her to be His exclusive bride, reflecting the sacred, intimate, and binding nature of the covenant. However, as the context shows, this intended fidelity was constantly broken through idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness.
  • "remember My covenant": God's remembrance of the covenant here is not primarily an act of unqualified favor towards the covenant-breaker, but rather a recollection that sets the stage for His judgment based on the covenant terms and Israel's violation of them. It’s remembering what was established and how it has been transgressed.

Ezekiel 23 9 Bonus Section

This verse powerfully illustrates the concept of God's sovereign action, even within the context of human sin. While Israel’s continuous rebellion is the immediate focus, God’s decision to act is rooted in His remembering His covenant. This speaks to God’s purposeful and ordered interaction with His creation, not a reaction. It underscores that divine judgment, though severe, operates within the overarching scope of God's redemptive plan and His enduring promises. The emphasis on "remembering my covenant" also connects to God's own self-attributes as a faithful God. Even when punishing unfaithfulness, His ultimate dealings are shaped by the covenant promises He made, pointing towards future faithfulness and restoration. This "remembrance" sets the stage for later prophecies of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36), where God will remember sins no more due to Christ's sacrifice.

Ezekiel 23 9 Commentary

Ezekiel 23:9 emphasizes God’s unwavering memory of His covenant with Israel, even as He condemns their actions. This verse serves as a crucial pivot in the prophetic oracle, demonstrating that God’s judgment is not arbitrary but is administered in light of the relationship He established. The covenant, intended to bind Israel to God in exclusive loyalty, becomes the very framework through which their infidelity is measured and judged. The imagery of God "appointing them as a wife" powerfully conveys the depth of intimacy and commitment He offered, making their subsequent adultery a profound betrayal. God's "remembrance" here underscores His faithfulness to the terms of the covenant, which includes both blessing for obedience and judgment for disobedience. This verse highlights a fundamental theological truth: God’s covenants are binding and have enduring consequences, irrespective of human fidelity. His faithful remembrance leads to accountability for actions taken within that covenant framework.