Ezekiel 24 6

Ezekiel 24:6 kjv

Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.

Ezekiel 24:6 nkjv

'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the bloody city, To the pot whose scum is in it, And whose scum is not gone from it! Bring it out piece by piece, On which no lot has fallen.

Ezekiel 24:6 niv

"?'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "?'Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now encrusted, whose deposit will not go away! Take the meat out piece by piece in whatever order it comes.

Ezekiel 24:6 esv

"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.

Ezekiel 24:6 nlt

"Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,
the city of murderers!
She is a cooking pot
whose corruption can't be cleaned out.
Take the meat out in random order,
for no piece is better than another.

Ezekiel 24 verses

Ezekiel 24 6 Meaning

Ezekiel 24:6 delivers a scathing divine pronouncement of judgment against Jerusalem, metaphorically depicted as a city brimming with bloodguilt and likened to a rusty, filthy pot whose deep-seated impurities (scum) have stubbornly adhered, rendering it beyond cleansing. The verse commands the violent, piece-by-piece extraction of its inhabitants for destruction, emphasizing an unsparing, indiscriminate judgment without mercy or distinction.

Ezekiel 24 6 Context

Ezekiel chapter 24 is a pivotal chapter, occurring on the very day (the tenth day of the tenth month) Nebuchadnezzar began the final siege of Jerusalem (Eze 24:1-2). This prophetic word serves as an oracle of doom, confirming for the exiles in Babylon that the final, devastating judgment upon Jerusalem has begun. It presents two primary metaphors: the boiling pot (vv. 3-14) and the sudden death of Ezekiel's wife (vv. 15-27), both signaling the destruction of Jerusalem and the desolation of the temple, "the desire of their eyes." Verse 6 is part of the boiling pot parable, which vividly portrays Jerusalem as a city destined for fiery judgment, where its inhabitants ("choice pieces") will be consumed, and its deep-seated defilement ("scum") will be exposed and removed through destruction rather than purification. The historical context is critical; despite decades of prophetic warnings through Jeremiah and earlier stages of exile, Jerusalem refused to repent, culminating in this irreversible divine wrath.

Ezekiel 24 6 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן - lāḵēn): Functions as a causal conjunction, linking this pronouncement directly to the previous descriptions of Jerusalem's rebellion and sin, particularly its extensive shedding of innocent blood. It signifies divine judgment as a just and logical consequence.
• thus says the Lord GOD: An authoritative prophetic formula. This phrase underscores that the message originates directly from the sovereign, covenant-keeping God (Yahweh Adonai), giving it absolute certainty and inevitability.
• Woe (הֹוי - hōy): An interjection typically used to introduce a lament or a prophetic oracle of doom and judgment. It conveys intense sorrow, impending disaster, and divine displeasure, often aimed at a nation or individual's sin.
• bloody city (עִיר דָּמִים - ‘îr dāmîm): Lit. "city of bloods." This vivid phrase indicates a city thoroughly steeped in the guilt of shedding innocent blood, oppression, violence, and likely idolatrous child sacrifice. It highlights persistent moral and ritual defilement that has reached its full measure, violating covenant standards (cf. Num 35:33).
• to the pot (סִיר - sîr): Metaphor for Jerusalem. While a pot can symbolize safety or nurturing (cooking), here, in context with "scum" and "pieces," it implies a place of fiery judgment and consumption. The city is likened to a pot containing its inhabitants, being boiled in their own sin, awaiting utter destruction. It can also suggest Jerusalem as a melting pot of corruption or the receptacle for the impending destruction.
• whose scum (חֶלְאָהּ - ḥel'āh): The scum or filth, often translated as "rust" or "corrosion." This represents the deep-seated, persistent, and unyielding moral and spiritual impurity of Jerusalem – its sins of idolatry, injustice, bloodshed, and spiritual rebellion – that had not been removed by previous chastisements or cleansing efforts (Jer 2:22). It clings stubbornly.
• is in it and whose scum has not gone out of it: This emphasizes the stubborn, internal, and unpurified nature of the city's corruption. It illustrates that Jerusalem had refused repeated opportunities for repentance and spiritual cleansing, becoming hardened in its sin. The impurity wasn't superficial but pervasive.
• Bring it out (הוֹצִיאָהּ - hôṣî'āh): A divine imperative, signaling a direct command for action against the city. This command is directed, implicitly, towards Babylon, as the agent of God's wrath, to forcefully remove its inhabitants.
• piece by piece (לִנְתָחִים לִנְתָחִים - lintaḥîm lintaḥîm): Literally "by its pieces, by its pieces" (Hebrew intensifier, repeating the word). This denotes a brutal, indiscriminate, and violent dismemberment or breaking up. It suggests that the city's inhabitants will be brought out like chunks of meat from the pot – not carefully, not ceremonially, but violently, without honor or mercy, each one destined for destruction. No consideration of social status or personal worth.
• no lot is cast for it: In ancient Israel, lots were often cast to distribute land, settle disputes, or determine the selection of individuals for a specific purpose or sacrifice. This phrase declares that there will be no distinction, no choice, no sparing, and no allocation of survivors for Jerusalem's inhabitants. All are equally condemned, and none will escape this wholesale, preordained destruction by chance or selection. It signifies total, indiscriminate judgment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Woe to the bloody city, to the pot": Establishes the subject of judgment (Jerusalem, characterized by violence) and introduces the central metaphor of the boiling pot of destruction. This immediately sets a tone of despair and condemnation.
• "whose scum is in it and whose scum has not gone out of it!": Describes the deep-rooted, unrepentant nature of Jerusalem's wickedness. It is a city that refused to be cleansed, its impurity is inherent and pervasive. This highlights the justice of the impending harsh judgment.
• "Bring it out piece by piece; no lot is cast for it.": This twin command/declaration prescribes the method and totality of judgment. It is violent, indiscriminate, and without any possibility of escape or mercy. Every "piece" (person) is destined for destruction, regardless of status.

Ezekiel 24 6 Bonus section

The timing of this prophecy, specifically on the very day the siege of Jerusalem began, provided irrefutable proof to the exiles that Ezekiel was a true prophet speaking God's word. This exact correspondence of divine prophecy with historical event solidified his authority and brought crushing reality to their lingering hopes of Jerusalem's invincibility. For the exiled community, it clarified that their suffering was not arbitrary, but a righteous divine response to deep-seated covenant disobedience. Furthermore, the pot imagery connects to earlier prophetic pronouncements regarding Jerusalem (e.g., Ez 11:3, 7, 11), where it was used by the city's corrupt leaders as a defiant assertion of their security (Jerusalem is "the pot," and we are the "meat" protected within). Ezekiel, however, reverses the meaning, turning their boast into a metaphor of impending doom where the inhabitants are indeed the "meat," but for fiery consumption rather than protection. This reappropriation of a common idiom for judgment demonstrates God's sovereignty over even human defiance and misinterpretation.

Ezekiel 24 6 Commentary

Ezekiel 24:6 encapsulates the depth of Jerusalem's corruption and the unwavering severity of God's final judgment. The metaphor of the "pot" powerfully illustrates Jerusalem as a vessel where inhabitants were steeped in their sins, accumulating moral "scum" (bloodshed, idolatry, injustice) that stubbornly resisted purification. This "scum" represents the intrinsic, unrepentant wickedness of the city, which even God's earlier warnings and disciplinary actions could not remove. The divine command to "Bring it out piece by piece" signifies a brutal and complete dismemberment, devoid of the dignity associated with a proper burial or even careful handling. The inhabitants are treated as mere chunks of meat to be violently extracted from a stew, rather than individuals to be protected or rescued. The concluding declaration, "no lot is cast for it," powerfully underlines the indiscriminate and absolute nature of this judgment. There will be no lucky escapes, no selections of who might be spared, no division of spoils, nor any chance of deliverance. Every individual within the "pot" of Jerusalem is subject to this overwhelming, predestined destruction. It reveals God's patient long-suffering reaching its boundary, and His righteous justice unleashing its full measure upon a city that continually spurned grace and clung to its depravity. This passage served as a sobering confirmation to the exiles, justifying God's actions and foreshadowing the full catastrophe about to befall their homeland.