Ezekiel 24:7 kjv
For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;
Ezekiel 24:7 nkjv
For her blood is in her midst; She set it on top of a rock; She did not pour it on the ground, To cover it with dust.
Ezekiel 24:7 niv
"?'For the blood she shed is in her midst: She poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground, where the dust would cover it.
Ezekiel 24:7 esv
For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust.
Ezekiel 24:7 nlt
For the blood of her murders
is splashed on the rocks.
It isn't even spilled on the ground,
where the dust could cover it!
Ezekiel 24 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (note) |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:10-11 | The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground. Now... cursed. | Blood crying from ground |
| Num 35:33-34 | So you shall not pollute the land... blood defiles the land. | Land defilement by innocent blood |
| Deut 21:1-9 | Ritual for an unsolved murder... cleanse the guilt of innocent blood. | Ritual for cleansing land from blood |
| 2 Kgs 24:3-4 | Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them... Manasseh's blood... Jerusalem with innocent blood. | Jerusalem judged for shedding innocent blood |
| Job 16:18 | O earth, cover not my blood, And let my cry have no resting place! | Blood crying for vengeance/justice |
| Ps 9:12 | For He who avenges blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble. | God avenges blood |
| Isa 1:15 | when you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes... Your hands are full of blood. | Unheeded prayers due to blood-guilt |
| Isa 3:9 | ...they parade their sin like Sodom. They do not hide it. | Flagrant, unhidden sin |
| Isa 26:21 | For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place to punish... and the earth will disclose her blood and will no more cover her slain. | Earth exposing blood; divine judgment for it |
| Jer 2:34 | Also on your skirts is found The blood of the poor innocent ones... not broken in. | Innocent blood found on Judah's garments |
| Jer 7:6 | If you do not oppress the alien... nor shed innocent blood... | Righteous living includes not shedding innocent blood |
| Lam 4:13 | Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in the midst of her The blood of the righteous. | Leaders' role in Jerusalem's bloodguilt |
| Eze 7:23 | Make the chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence. | City and land filled with bloody crimes |
| Eze 9:9 | The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great... The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversity. | Jerusalem's great iniquity and bloodshed |
| Mic 7:2 | The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no upright among men. They all lie in wait for bloodshed; Every man hunts his brother. | Widespread readiness for bloodshed |
| Hab 2:12 | Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And establishes a town by iniquity! | City built on bloodshed |
| Matt 23:35 | That on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth... | Jesus' pronouncement of accumulated blood guilt on Jerusalem |
| Luke 11:50-51 | ...the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be charged against this generation. | Generation charged with prophets' blood |
| Heb 12:24 | to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel. | Abel's blood cries, Jesus' blood purifies |
| Rev 6:9-10 | I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain... And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge... avenge our blood...?" | Martyrs' blood crying out for vengeance |
| Rev 16:6 | For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink; for it is their due. | Divine judgment as repayment for shedding blood |
Ezekiel 24 verses
Ezekiel 24 7 Meaning
Ezekiel 24:7 describes Jerusalem's egregious and unrepentant sin of bloodshed. The imagery signifies that the city's pervasive guilt, born from violent acts and murders, is not only internal but has been deliberately and openly displayed without any attempt to hide or atone for it. This flagrant defiance makes her defilement visible and deeply ingrained, precluding any easy absolution or spiritual covering.
Ezekiel 24 7 Context
Ezekiel 24 marks a pivotal point in the prophet's ministry. On the very day the siege of Jerusalem begins (v. 1-2), Ezekiel receives this oracle against the city. It functions as a direct confirmation of its impending doom and the irreversible nature of God's judgment. The preceding verses (v. 3-6) introduce the "Parable of the Boiling Pot," where Jerusalem is depicted as a pot boiling with the defiled flesh of its inhabitants and the persistent "rust" (sin and bloodshed). Verse 7, therefore, elaborates on the nature of this rust—it specifically identifies it as Jerusalem's pervasive and unhidden blood-guilt, directly addressing why the city is condemned and its defilement so deep that it cannot be cleansed without total destruction.
Ezekiel 24 7 Word analysis
- For (כִּֽי - kî): This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for the judgment announced in the preceding verses. It links Jerusalem's actions directly to her coming destruction, presenting her guilt as undeniable justification for divine wrath.
- her blood (דָּמָהּ - dāmāh): The singular "blood" represents not just a few isolated acts but the aggregate, persistent, and unpunished bloodshed (murders, violence) that characterizes Jerusalem. In ancient Israelite culture, blood was life, and its wrongful shedding invoked serious moral and ritual defilement.
- is in the midst of her (בְתוֹכָהּ הָיָה - bəṯōḵāh hāyāh): Signifies that the blood-guilt is not external or incidental, but inherent and deeply entrenched within the city itself. It has permeated the very core and character of Jerusalem, making corruption intrinsic to her existence.
- she set it (שָׂמָה אֹתוֹ - śāmāh ʾōṯô): Implies deliberate and active agency. Jerusalem isn't merely passively guilty; she intentionally placed or displayed her blood-guilt, underscoring her direct responsibility and choice.
- upon the top of a rock (עַל צֶחִי סֶלַע - ʿal ṣechî selaʿ): "Rock" (selaʿ) is a hard, exposed, and unabsorbent surface. "Top" or "bare height" (tsechi) emphasizes the visibility and brazenness. This imagery vividly conveys that Jerusalem's guilt is openly displayed, unable to be hidden, and cannot be absorbed, cleansed, or forgotten naturally. It also suggests defiance and a refusal to acknowledge shame.
- she poured it not (לֹא שְׁפָכַתְהוּ - lō šəp̄āḵaṯhū): Highlights a deliberate negation of what should have been done. This isn't an accidental omission but a conscious refusal to follow prescribed customs regarding blood, further compounding her offense.
- upon the ground (לָאָרֶץ - lāʾāreṣ): The natural, absorptive surface where spilled blood, especially from ritual sacrifices or game animals, would typically be poured out and covered, signifying the removal of defilement or acknowledgement of guilt.
- to cover it with dust (לְכַסּוֹת עָלָיו עָפָר - ləḵassôṯ ʿālāw ʿāp̄ār): This phrase describes the customary act of hiding or purifying the land from defiling blood. Refusing to cover it with dust indicates Jerusalem's utter lack of remorse, her complete disregard for moral decency and the spiritual laws of God concerning the defilement of life and land.
Ezekiel 24 7 Bonus section
The image of blood on a "barren rock" not only emphasizes visibility and defiance but also the unremovable nature of Jerusalem's defilement. Unlike blood on the ground which might eventually soak in or be covered, blood on bare rock is permanently visible and leaves an indelible stain, unable to be washed away or purged through ordinary means. This symbolizes that Jerusalem's guilt has become intrinsic and impossible to cleanse without an utterly drastic, divinely executed act of judgment and purification, represented by the burning pot and the complete destruction of the city. The refusal to cover the blood suggests not merely neglect, but a challenging posture, an active indifference to the standards of divine justice and the sanctity of life, indicating that the city saw its bloody past not as shame but perhaps as a normalized, unconfessed reality.
Ezekiel 24 7 Commentary
Ezekiel 24:7 powerfully illustrates Jerusalem's spiritual depravity through the striking image of unhidden blood. This verse exposes not merely the existence of violence and bloodshed within the city but emphasizes its persistent and deliberate exposure. By "setting it upon the top of a rock" and refusing "to cover it with dust," Jerusalem is portrayed as making her atrocities conspicuous and her guilt undeniable. This act signifies an active rejection of any attempt at remorse, confession, or purification, effectively daring God to ignore her defilement. It underscores a profound spiritual hardening where sin is no longer viewed as shameful, thus rendering any superficial cleansing futile and necessitating a total, destructive judgment. The exposed blood is a perpetual cry for divine vengeance, affirming that Jerusalem’s deep-seated and unrepentant iniquity has sealed her fate for a complete and thorough judgment.