Ezekiel 25:6 kjv
For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;
Ezekiel 25:6 nkjv
'For thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel,
Ezekiel 25:6 niv
For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,
Ezekiel 25:6 esv
For thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel,
Ezekiel 25:6 nlt
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you clapped and danced and cheered with glee at the destruction of my people,
Ezekiel 25 6 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference (Note) |
---|---|---|
Ezek 25:3 | ...Thus says the Lord GOD: Because you said, "Aha!"... | Ammon's vocal disdain for Israel. |
Obad 1:12 | But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother... nor rejoiced over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction... | Direct condemnation of rejoicing over Judah's fall. |
Job 31:29-30 | If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil befell him... | Personal ethics against malicious joy. |
Prov 17:5 | Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. | Wisdom against delighting in others' harm. |
Prov 24:17-18 | Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles... | Command against schadenfreude. |
Lam 2:15 | All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads... | Nations mocking Jerusalem's ruin. |
Ps 137:7 | Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, "Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!" | Call for justice against those who mocked Judah. |
Ps 83:6-8 | The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre... | Listing Ammon as a traditional enemy of Israel. |
Jer 49:1-2 | Concerning the Ammonites. Thus says the LORD: Has Israel no sons?... then I will cause the war cry to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites... | God's specific judgment on Ammon. |
Zeph 2:8-9 | I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, by which they have taunted my people and made boastful threats against their territory. | God's awareness of Ammon's malicious words. |
Neh 4:7-8 | But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites... | Ammon actively opposing Israel's rebuilding. |
Isa 11:14 | But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. Edom and Moab shall be subject to them, and the Ammonites shall obey them. | Prophecy of Israel's future dominance over Ammon. |
Zech 1:15 | and I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they contributed to the disaster. | God's anger at nations who over-inflicted punishment. |
Zech 2:8 | For thus said the LORD of hosts, after glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye. | God's protective love for Israel. |
Rom 1:28-29 | ...full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness... | Listing malice as a human sin. |
Col 3:8 | But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander... | Call for believers to renounce malice. |
Eph 4:31 | Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. | Command to remove malice. |
1 Pet 2:1 | So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. | Exhortation against malice in Christian life. |
Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Principle of divine retribution. |
Rev 18:20 | Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her! | Contrast: Justified rejoicing over God's enemies' judgment. |
Deut 23:3-6 | An Ammonite or a Moabite may not enter the assembly of the LORD... | Long-standing prohibition due to their actions against Israel. |
Gen 19:37-38 | The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab... The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day. | Origin of Ammonites (from Lot, via incest) in historical context. |
Ezekiel 25 verses
Ezekiel 25 6 Meaning
This verse conveys God's stern condemnation of the Ammonites for their celebratory and deeply malicious reaction to Israel's downfall. It highlights that their sin was not merely witnessing suffering, but actively rejoicing in it with outward, physical displays and an inward, profound sense of hatred and contempt towards the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 25 6 Context
Ezekiel chapter 25 initiates a series of divine judgments against the nations surrounding Judah, particularly those who rejoiced over its downfall following the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC. At this time, Israel and Judah were suffering immensely, Jerusalem was destroyed, and many people were exiled. Instead of offering sympathy or aid, nations like Ammon saw an opportunity to express their long-held animosity, exploit the vulnerable situation, and even expand their territories. This specific verse condemns Ammon for their jubilant and malicious reaction. The prophecies against these nations serve to underscore God's sovereignty over all kingdoms, assuring the despondent Israelite exiles that their God remained in control and would ultimately deal with those who gloated over His people's misfortune. Ammon, a persistent foe from Lot's lineage, frequently contended with Israel throughout its history.
Ezekiel 25 6 Word analysis
- For thus says the Lord GOD: This prophetic formula authenticates the message as a direct, authoritative divine declaration, stressing its gravity and truth as spoken by God Himself.
- Because you have clapped your hands (הִכֵּית כַף֙ - hikkeith kaph): This is a public, physical gesture. Here, it denotes an overt and triumphant expression of malicious delight and mockery, celebrating an enemy's misfortune with contempt.
- and stamped your feet (וְרַקַּ֙עַתְּ בְּרַ֔גֶל - w'raqqa`at b'regel): This second physical act reinforces the intensity and demonstrative nature of their perverse joy. It suggests uncontrolled, boisterous, and almost scornful celebration. The combined gestures portray a highly public and exaggerated display of ridicule.
- and rejoiced (וַתִּשְׂמַ֣ח - w'tismach): The verb explicitly names the emotion: gladness or joy. However, its context within this verse clarifies that it is an unethical, inappropriate, and condemned form of rejoicing over suffering.
- with all the malice of your soul (בְּנֶ֗פֶשׁ בְּכָל־שִׁקְלֶ֔הָ - b'nephesh b'chol-shiqleha): This deeply qualifies their joy. Nephesh (soul) signifies the core of their being. Shiqleha (from sheqel) refers to the full measure or totality. It means their joy was not superficial but sprung from the deepest, most complete, and consuming hatred, a deliberate, inherent malevolence. It reveals a joy utterly saturated with evil intent.
- against the land of Israel: This pinpoints the precise object of their hatred. It emphasizes that their celebration was a direct act of hostility towards God's chosen people and their God-given territory, highlighting a deep-seated spiritual and national antagonism.
Word-groups/phrases analysis:
- "clapped your hands and stamped your feet": These twin actions represent a dramatic, unbridled, and public spectacle of triumph and ridicule. They are outward manifestations of inner contempt and perverse celebration of Israel's calamity, demonstrating flagrant schadenfreude. Such open mockery is an offense against both the afflicted people and God.
- "rejoiced with all the malice of your soul": This phrase unmasks the profound, corrupt nature of Ammon's joy. It was not casual; it was rooted in the entirety of their being (soul) and expressed in its full, deliberate measure of wickedness (malice). Their very spirit delighted in Israel's ruin, leaving no room for empathy or compassion.
Ezekiel 25 6 Bonus section
The ancient Near East, much like today, used specific body language to convey powerful emotions. Clapping and foot-stamping, though sometimes signs of genuine joy, are here perverted into tools of derision and gloating, illustrating a culturally resonant image of malicious celebration. This particular prophecy reminds Israel that while they experienced divine judgment, their adversaries were not exempt from God's overarching justice. The consistent enmity from nations like Ammon towards Israel, despite shared familial roots (through Lot), underscores a spiritual rebellion often camouflaged in geopolitical rivalry. The thoroughness of God's anger ("all the malice of your soul") highlights that hidden motives and deep-seated animosities are fully known and judged by Him.
Ezekiel 25 6 Commentary
Ezekiel 25:6 illuminates God's severe displeasure with the Ammonites, not for a physical assault, but for their depraved emotional response to Israel's devastation. The combined actions of "clapping hands and stamping feet" depict a scene of unrestrained, almost frenzied celebration—a public spectacle of joy over another's ruin. The most damning indictment comes with "rejoiced with all the malice of your soul," signifying that their happiness was not fleeting or external, but stemmed from the deepest, darkest parts of their being. Their very essence was filled with complete malevolence towards Israel. This judgment underscores that God holds nations accountable not only for their actions but also for the underlying attitudes of hatred, contempt, and the wicked satisfaction taken in the suffering of others. Such malicious joy is a profound affront to divine justice and demonstrates a fundamental rejection of empathy and reverence for life.