Ezekiel 24 8

Ezekiel 24:8 kjv

That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.

Ezekiel 24:8 nkjv

That it may raise up fury and take vengeance, I have set her blood on top of a rock, That it may not be covered."

Ezekiel 24:8 niv

To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.

Ezekiel 24:8 esv

To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered.

Ezekiel 24:8 nlt

So I will splash her blood on a rock
for all to see,
an expression of my anger
and vengeance against her.

Ezekiel 24 verses

Ezekiel 24 8 Meaning

Ezekiel 24:8 states that God has poured out His wrath upon the ungodly. The imagery of poured out blood signifies intense and complete judgment. This wrath is not arbitrary but a direct consequence of their sinful actions, particularly their idolatry and bloodshed. The verse highlights the severe nature of divine retribution for persistent rebellion against God.

Ezekiel 24 8 Context

Chapter 24 of Ezekiel portrays the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians as a divine judgment. The prophet is given a series of visions and parabolic actions to illustrate the severity and finality of this judgment, which is a consequence of Israel's deep-seated idolatry and covenant disobedience. Verse 8 is part of a larger analogy where the cooking pot symbolizes Jerusalem, and its contents represent the people within. The "blood" that the pot has been filled with refers to the sinfulness of the people, particularly the innocent blood shed within the city due to violence and injustice, which God will not allow to be cleansed by sacrifice or offering due to the depth of their corruption. The impending Babylonian invasion will fully reveal and execute this judgment.

Ezekiel 24 8 Word Analysis

• וְגַם (ve gam) - "and also." This conjunction links this statement to what preceded it, emphasizing that further action, in this case, the outpouring of God's wrath, is happening.
• דַּמְעַ֤תָּה (dam-mah-tah) - "its blood." Refers to the blood that is within the pot. In the context of the city, this blood symbolizes the innocent blood shed within Jerusalem as a result of sin and violence. The phrase implies the pervasive nature of this sin.
• בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ (be-tokh-ah) - "within it." Specifies the location of the blood – inside the pot, signifying that the impurity and guilt are contained within the city itself.
• לֹ֥א (lo) - "not." A direct negation, indicating that a certain action will not occur.
• הֻשְׁפַּ֥ךְ (hush-pakh) - "was poured out." The Hebrew is in the passive voice, Niphal conjugation, "it was poured out." However, here it seems to be a more active statement of fact, as if the blood was poured into it, or that it contains poured-out blood. Some interpret it as God causing it to be poured out. However, the verse speaks of God not having it poured out. The subsequent interpretation points to the removal of impurity by pouring out its contents.
• אֵ֖שׁ (esh) - "fire." In the analogy of the pot, fire is used to cook the contents, symbolizing the heat of God's judgment and wrath.
• עָלֶ֙יהָ (al-e-hah) - "upon it." Refers back to the pot, meaning the fire is directed onto the pot, symbolizing God's judgment being brought upon Jerusalem.

Words Group Analysis:

• "וְגַם־דַּמְעָתָה בְתוֹכָ֔הּ לֹ֥א הֻשְׁפַּךְ אֵ֖שׁ עָלֶ֙יהָ": This phrase highlights the inability of ordinary means (like fire or any purification) to cleanse Jerusalem. The blood represents the accumulated sin and bloodshed. Normally, fire in a pot would purify it. However, here, it's not about purifying the pot with fire but rather about God not having His fire poured on it in a purifying sense. Instead, the fire of His wrath is to be consumed. The crucial interpretation lies in the understanding that God's intended action with this bloodied pot is to bring His consuming judgment (fire of wrath) not to cleanse it, but to destroy its contents, signifying the complete judgment. Some scholars emphasize that God did not cause the blood to be poured out initially but it happened because of their sins. Then, God declares He will not pour His fire out on it to cleanse it, but to consume.

Ezekiel 24 8 Bonus Section

The understanding of "poured out" needs careful attention. While "hushpakh" can mean "poured out," the theological nuance here is that God's wrath, fueled by the accumulated sins (represented by the blood), will not be poured out in a manner of cleansing or purging, as a ritualistic offering might aim to do. Instead, the destruction signifies God's righteous indignation consuming the sin and sinners. The "fire" is the expression of this wrath. This concept echoes later theological discussions about atonement where sacrifice deals with sin, but in this case, the unpunished shedding of blood prevents such sacrifice from having its intended purifying effect, leading instead to complete judgment. The verse signifies that the guilt of bloodshed is a potent stain that God will not overlook or cleanse through mere ritual, but will judge.

Ezekiel 24 8 Commentary

Ezekiel 24:8 depicts the grim reality of divine judgment on a sin-laden city. The imagery of blood-filled pot that God will not cleanse underscores the finality of judgment for persistent sin and bloodshed. Jerusalem's sins, particularly its shedding of innocent blood and its persistent idolatry, had reached a point where no earthly or spiritual purification could avert God's wrath. The "fire" mentioned is not for purification but for consumption – God's judgment will fully consume Jerusalem and its inhabitants. This verse serves as a powerful warning about the consequences of national sin and the certainty of divine retribution when repentance is absent. It communicates that the measure of Israel's sin had overflowed, requiring complete divine intervention.