Ezekiel 24 9

Ezekiel 24:9 kjv

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.

Ezekiel 24:9 nkjv

'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the bloody city! I too will make the pyre great.

Ezekiel 24:9 niv

"?'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "?'Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the wood high.

Ezekiel 24:9 esv

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

Ezekiel 24:9 nlt

"This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,
the city of murderers!
I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.

Ezekiel 24 verses

Ezekiel 24 9 Meaning

Ezekiel 24:9 is a pronouncement of divine woe and intensified judgment against Jerusalem, referred to as the "bloody city." Following the parable of the boiling pot, this verse directly states that the Lord God Himself will increase the fuel for the fire of judgment, indicating a severe and complete destruction for the city's extensive and persistent guilt, especially for the innocent blood shed within its walls and its deeply ingrained idolatry.

Ezekiel 24 9 Context

Ezekiel 24:9 immediately follows the powerful parable of the boiling pot (Ezek 24:1-8). This chapter was given to Ezekiel on the very day Nebuchadnezzar began the final siege of Jerusalem (10th day of the 10th month in the 9th year of exile, 588 BCE). The pot symbolizes Jerusalem, its inhabitants are the "choice cuts" (meat), and the intense fire underneath represents the Babylonian siege and the consuming judgment of God. Verses 6-8 specifically detail the city's impurity ("filth") and blood-guilt, which will not be cleansed even by the scorching fire unless the fire is increased. Therefore, verse 9 directly declares God's intensified action against this "bloody city" that has stubbornly resisted cleansing. Historically, Jerusalem was steeped in idolatry, injustice, and the shedding of innocent blood, repeatedly defying God's warnings.

Ezekiel 24 9 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן - lakhen): A conjunction indicating consequence or conclusion, linking this divine declaration directly to Jerusalem's deep-seated wickedness described in the preceding verses. It marks a transition from parabolic description to direct pronouncement of judgment.
• thus says (כֹּה אָמַר - koh amar): Standard prophetic formula introducing a direct message from God, emphasizing the divine authority and certainty of the pronouncement. It signifies that the following words are not Ezekiel's, but God's own.
• the Lord GOD (אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה - Adonai YHWH): Combines two primary names for God. Adonai signifies sovereign Mastership, while YHWH (the unpronounceable divine name, often rendered "LORD" in all caps) represents God's covenant faithfulness and self-existent nature. This combination underscores His absolute authority and righteous judgment over His unfaithful covenant people.
• Woe (הוֹי - hoy): An interjection of lament, warning, and impending doom. It is an utterance of sorrow, judgment, and condemnation, commonly used by prophets to signify dire consequences for sin. It often expresses both the prophet's sorrow and God's anger.
• to the bloody city (עִיר דָּמִים - 'ir damim): A forceful and significant phrase. עִיר ('ir) means "city," and דָּמִים (damim) literally means "bloods," the plural form emphasizing the multiplicity and severity of blood shed, implying gross guilt for murders, unjust killings, and even child sacrifice associated with idolatry (e.g., in the valley of Hinnom). It refers to the pervasive violence, oppression, and idol worship involving human sacrifice. This description pinpoints the core reason for the "Woe."
• I also (גַּם־אֲנִי - gam-'ani): The emphatic use of gam (also, even) followed by ani (I) highlights God's personal, sovereign, and direct involvement in intensifying the judgment. It underscores that this destruction is not merely an external event but God's active, deliberate will. He is not just allowing it but orchestrating it.
• will make great (אַגְדִּיל - agdil): From the root ג.ד.ל (gadal), meaning "to make large, to magnify, to make great." Here, it signifies increasing the size or intensity of something already present or begun. God will amplify the judgment already underway.
• the pile (הַמְּדוּרָה - hammedurah): Refers to a heap of wood for burning, a pyre or fuel pile. In the context of the boiling pot parable, this is the fuel for the fire. "Making the pile great" means adding more wood to make the fire burn hotter and longer, symbolizing an intensified and more prolonged divine judgment and destruction upon Jerusalem.

Words-group analysis

• Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Establishes the divine origin and authoritative nature of the ensuing severe pronouncement. It declares God's final and certain verdict on Jerusalem.
• Woe to the bloody city!: This is a direct, emphatic condemnation of Jerusalem. The epithet "bloody city" powerfully encapsulates the deep-seated moral corruption, violence, and unrighteousness that permeated Jerusalem, which warranted such a severe divine sentence.
• I also will make the pile great: God directly claims agency and responsibility for the escalation of the city's impending doom. This is not just a human consequence but a divinely orchestrated, intensified punishment, adding more "fuel" to the "fire" of judgment already kindled by the city's sins, ensuring a complete and unescapable destruction.

Ezekiel 24 9 Bonus section

The "bloody city" is a recurring motif in prophetic literature, indicating not just physical violence but deeply ingrained social and religious unrighteousness, often linked to the shedding of righteous blood, injustice, and idolatrous practices including child sacrifice. The intensification of fire in judgment imagery resonates deeply with purification metaphors; however, for a city as stained as Jerusalem, it became an instrument of utter destruction rather than mere refining. This verse, delivered on the very day of the siege, served as both an indictment and an immediate prophetic sign, confirming to the exiles that their homeland's doom was certain and orchestrated by God Himself.

Ezekiel 24 9 Commentary

Ezekiel 24:9 is a pivotal statement in the allegory of the boiling pot, marking the direct divine judgment after the description of Jerusalem's persistent impurity. God pronounces a "Woe" on Jerusalem, directly labeling it the "bloody city," highlighting its grievous guilt for widespread violence, oppression, and particularly the shedding of innocent blood and idol worship involving human sacrifice. The previous verses established that the city's moral "filth" was so ingrained that ordinary cleansing fire wouldn't suffice. Therefore, this verse declares God's own resolve to intensify the judgment. The phrase "I also will make the pile great" vividly portrays God's active involvement in the unfolding catastrophe. He is not a passive observer but the orchestrator, adding more "fuel" (intensifying the Babylonian siege and the suffering) to ensure that the "filth" is indeed consumed and the city thoroughly purged or destroyed. It speaks to the severity of God's holy justice against unrepentant, deeply corrupt people, underscoring that His patience has run out, and the full extent of His righteous wrath is about to be unleashed. The fate of Jerusalem serves as a powerful warning against chronic unfaithfulness and injustice.