Ezekiel 25 7

Ezekiel 25:7 kjv

Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 25:7 nkjv

indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the LORD."

Ezekiel 25:7 niv

therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.'?"

Ezekiel 25:7 esv

therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 25:7 nlt

I will raise my fist of judgment against you. I will give you as plunder to many nations. I will cut you off from being a nation and destroy you completely. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 25 verses

Ezekiel 25 7 Meaning

Ezekiel 25:7 declares a direct and severe divine judgment against the nation of Ammon. Because of their malicious joy and taunting over the downfall of Judah, God proclaims that He will act against them, handing them over as spoil to foreign invaders. Their people will be cut off, leading to their utter destruction and their eradication from their lands. This comprehensive destruction is ordained by God to unequivocally demonstrate His sovereign power and justice to Ammon and all nations, confirming that He alone is the LORD.

Ezekiel 25 7 Context

Ezekiel chapter 25 initiates a series of prophecies against the nations surrounding Judah, which include Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. These prophecies immediately follow the extended judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem (chapters 1-24), signifying that while God judged His own people, He would also judge those who took malicious pleasure in Judah's suffering or exploited their weakness.

Specifically, verses 1-7 address Ammon. Their primary offense, as detailed in verses 3 and 6, was expressing "Aha!" – a sound of mocking satisfaction – at the desecration of God's sanctuary and the desolation of Israel's land. They also rejoiced over Judah's ruin and encroached upon Israel's territory. This malicious glee and opportunism violated the principle of kin, as Israel and Ammon shared distant ancestry through Lot. God views their actions as directed not merely against Judah, but against His own holy name and plan, thus invoking His fierce wrath. Verse 7 is the culmination of this pronouncement of judgment, detailing the severe, irreversible consequences for Ammon's sin.

Ezekiel 25 7 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן, lakhen): Signals a consequence directly tied to the preceding reasons. It establishes a cause-and-effect relationship based on Ammon's actions outlined in Eze 25:3, 6.
• Behold (וְהִנְנִי, v'hinneni): An interjection drawing immediate attention, often to a divine declaration or action that is about to occur. It emphasizes certainty and imminence.
• I stretch out My hand (נוֹטֶה יָדִי, noteh yadi): A powerful anthropomorphism depicting divine action, almost always in judgment in this context. It signifies the initiation of God's direct, irresistible power and punitive will. This is a common biblical idiom for powerful intervention.
• Against you (עָלֶיךָ, 'aleikha): Directly specifies Ammon as the target of this divine wrath, making the judgment personal and unmistakable.
• And deliver you (וּנְתַתִּיךָ, u'n'tatikha): Literally, "and I will give you." This term implies surrender, handing over, or consignment. It underscores God's sovereign control over Ammon's fate.
• To the nations (לַגּוֹיִם, lagoyim): Signifies that God will use other foreign powers as instruments of His judgment. This often means Ammon's geopolitical enemies or major empires would invade and destroy them.
• As plunder (לָבַז, labaz): Denotes that Ammon will become spoil, loot, or prey. Their wealth and people will be seized by invaders without resistance, mirroring how they desired to plunder Judah's land.
• And I will cut you off (וְהִכְרַתִּיךָ, v'hikh'ratikha): A severe judgment term meaning to exterminate, annihilate, or entirely remove. It signifies the end of their national existence, or at least a radical depopulation and loss of identity.
• From the peoples (מֵעַמִּים, me'ammim): This specifies that their distinct ethnic and national identity will cease, they will no longer exist as a recognized "people" among the nations. It's a national and social obliteration.
• And cause you to perish (וְהַאֲבַדְתִּיךָ, v'ha'avad'tikha): To utterly destroy, bring to ruin, or render lost. This strong verb reinforces the totality of the coming judgment, leaving no hope for restoration or survival.
• From the lands (מִן־הָאֲרָצוֹת, min-ha'aratzot): Indicates a complete displacement and removal from their territory. They will lose their homeland, signifying a deep blow to their national existence and ancestral claim.
• I will destroy you (וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּיךָ, v'hish'mad'tikha): The final and strongest term for destruction, implying total annihilation or eradication. The Hebrew verb used here signifies comprehensive destruction, leaving nothing remaining. Its repeated usage alongside "cut off" and "perish" emphasizes irreversible doom.
• And you shall know (וְיָדַעְתָּ, v'yada'ta): Points to the educational purpose of the judgment. The outcome will undeniably teach Ammon, or any observer, a profound theological truth.
• That I am the LORD (כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה, ki ani YHVH): This is the recurring "recognition formula" throughout Ezekiel. It is the ultimate goal of God's judgments – not merely punishment, but the revelation of His singular, supreme deity, sovereignty, and justice over all created order, including nations.

Ezekiel 25 7 Bonus section

The Hebrew phrase "I stretch out My hand" (נוֹטֶה יָדִי, noteh yadi) when used in divine judgment against nations, consistently points to a devastating and complete act that reshapes their history, often leading to their political or literal disappearance. This is a recurring motif across prophetic literature to denote irreversible doom brought by the direct agency of God, not just human warfare.

The triple use of distinct Hebrew verbs for destruction – karat (cut off), 'abad (perish), shamad (destroy) – in this single verse is an instance of Hebrew rhetoric employing amplification. It emphasizes the absolute totality and finality of Ammon's impending ruin. This is not simply a military defeat; it's an existential obliteration from multiple dimensions: social (from the peoples), territorial (from the lands), and personal/collective (cut off, perish, destroy).

Historically, the Ammonites did suffer significant blows, particularly from Nebuchadnezzar's forces around 582 BCE, not long after Jerusalem's fall. Later, they continued to exist in a diminished form and are last mentioned in Maccabean times. However, their distinct national identity did eventually fade, absorbed by Arab tribes or Hellenistic influences, fulfilling the spirit of the prophecy concerning their erasure "from the peoples." This illustrates the long-term, unfolding nature of prophetic fulfillment beyond immediate events.

Ezekiel 25 7 Commentary

Ezekiel 25:7 serves as a powerful declaration of God's retributive justice against the nation of Ammon. The verse highlights three key aspects of this divine judgment: its origin, its nature, and its ultimate purpose. Its origin is solely with God, emphasized by the repeated first-person pronouns "I" and the idiom "I stretch out My hand," signifying direct, undeniable intervention. The nature of the judgment is comprehensive and irreversible. Ammon will not just be defeated; they will be stripped of their resources, losing their identity as a distinct people, and utterly eradicated from their homeland. The three powerful verbs – "cut off," "cause to perish," and "destroy" – escalate the intensity of their demise, assuring no hope of recovery. The purpose is not mere punishment but the revelation of divine identity: "you shall know that I am the LORD." This is the foundational theological statement in Ezekiel, teaching that all historical events, especially judgments, are ultimately instruments for YHWH to manifest His unparalleled power and rightful claim as the sovereign God over all creation and nations.

For instance, much like Egypt experienced judgment through the plagues so they would know the LORD (Exo 7:5), or as Judah's seventy years of exile were intended to lead to repentance and a renewed understanding of God's ways, Ammon's obliteration serves as a stark testament to the consequences of despising God's people and profaning His holy name. This principle applies not only to nations but also implicitly to any individual or group who mocks the sacred or delights in the misfortune of the innocent.