Ezekiel 28 24

Ezekiel 28:24 kjv

And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 28:24 nkjv

"And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or a painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel 28:24 niv

"?'No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.

Ezekiel 28:24 esv

"And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 28:24 nlt

No longer will Israel's scornful neighbors
prick and tear at her like briers and thorns.
For then they will know
that I am the Sovereign LORD.

Ezekiel 28 verses

Ezekiel 28 24 Meaning

Ezekiel 28:24 pronounces a divine promise of future peace and security for the nation of Israel. It declares an end to the harassment and suffering inflicted upon them by the surrounding nations, who are likened to "pricking briers" and "grieving thorns." This cessation of hostile oppression will serve as a profound demonstration of God's sovereignty and faithfulness, leading both Israel and the nations to acknowledge His identity as "the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel 28 24 Context

Ezekiel 28:24 concludes a lengthy section (chapters 25-32) containing oracles against the foreign nations surrounding Israel. Specifically, the preceding verses in chapter 28 focus on the arrogant king of Tyre, prophesying his fall and ultimate destruction due to his pride and perceived self-sufficiency. This verse serves as a climactic turn: after delineating the severe judgments to befall these hostile nations, God reaffirms His enduring covenant with Israel. It shifts the focus from the downfall of Tyre to the ultimate restoration and security of God's chosen people, promising a future free from external threats. This declaration underpins the subsequent chapters that deal with Israel's restoration. Historically, Israel had constantly endured harassment, military campaigns, and exploitation from neighboring states such as Philistia, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and the mercantile power of Tyre, who often rejoiced in Israel's misfortunes and despised them. The verse promises an end to this relentless cycle of oppression.

Ezekiel 28 24 Word analysis

• And there shall be no more: This phrase, particularly the negative particle "לֹא עוֹד" (lo' 'od - no longer, no more), emphasizes the definitive and permanent cessation of a past, problematic condition. It points to a decisive divine act that alters the future for Israel irreversibly.
• a pricking brier: Hebrew: ṣaraq ma'arim (שָׂרוֹן מַעֲרִים).
  • Ṣaraq (or sarov in similar contexts) denotes something sharp, thorny, or stinging.
  • Ma'arim reinforces the painful and irritating quality, suggesting a tearing or lacerating effect. Together, this vivid imagery symbolizes a source of constant, nagging pain, harassment, and physical harm. These are the actively hostile neighboring nations.
• unto the house of Israel: Designates the specific, covenantal beneficiary of this divine promise. It underscores God's unwavering faithfulness to His chosen people despite their periods of judgment and exile.
• nor any grieving thorn: Hebrew: qots mak'iv (קוֹץ מַכְאִב).
  • Qots is a common biblical word for a thorn, prickle, or bramble. It primarily conveys physical annoyance and discomfort.
  • Mak'iv is from the root כָּאַב (ka'av), meaning to cause pain, to grieve, or to distress. This powerfully parallels "pricking brier" and deepens the sense, emphasizing not just physical harm but also profound emotional suffering, distress, and psychological burden inflicted by the nations.
• of all that are round about them: Explicitly identifies the geographical source of the oppressors – the surrounding pagan nations that continuously encircled and troubled Israel. This defines the broad scope of the promised removal of external irritants.
• that despised them: Hebrew: habozim (הַבֹּזִים), "the despisers" (a participle). This highlights the specific motivation for the nations' hostile actions: their scorn, contempt, arrogance, and active disdain for Israel, born out of theological and national pride. This pride led them to exploit and oppress.
• and they shall know: Hebrew: v'yade'u (וְיָדְעוּ). This verb "know" (yada') in Ezekiel consistently signifies an experiential recognition and profound understanding, brought about by God's manifest actions. It implies a transformative shift in perception and acknowledgment, applicable to both Israel and the nations.
• that I am the Lord GOD: Hebrew: ki ani Adonai Yahweh (כִּי אֲנִי אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה). This is a foundational recognition formula used frequently throughout Ezekiel (over 60 times).
  • Adonai signifies sovereign Master or Lord.
  • Yahweh is God's unique, covenantal, and personal name, revealing His unchanging, faithful, and redeeming character.
  • The full phrase declares God's unparalleled authority, power, and faithfulness, which will be definitively demonstrated and affirmed through the promised peace and justice. This will confirm His status as the one true, living God to all observers.

Words-group analysis:

• "no more a pricking brier...nor any grieving thorn": This double imagery powerfully portrays the multifaceted nature of Israel's suffering. The "pricking brier" suggests persistent, sharp, irritating, and physically injurious actions, while the "grieving thorn" adds a layer of deep emotional pain, sorrow, and psychological distress. This vivid parallelism emphasizes the total and permanent cessation of external oppression. The "thorns" here are not passive but active agents of pain, reflecting the active malevolence of the surrounding nations.
• "of all that are round about them, that despised them": This phrase skillfully links the geographical reality of Israel's vulnerable position to the inherent and expressed animosity of their neighbors. Their "despising" of Israel was not merely a passive attitude but a driving force behind their active harassment and oppression. This clarifies both the specific location of the external threat and its underlying theological and psychological cause.
• "and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD": This serves as the overarching theological purpose and ultimate culmination of God's actions. The establishment of Israel's enduring peace and the just judgment on their oppressors are not merely ends in themselves, but divine means through which God's true identity, omnipotence, and covenant faithfulness are unveiled and definitively affirmed to Israel, to the observing nations, and to all creation. It marks the ultimate goal of God's self-revelation throughout human history.

Ezekiel 28 24 Bonus section

• This verse effectively functions as a thematic bridge, concluding the foreign nation oracles and anticipating the comprehensive prophecies of Israel's restoration that follow in Ezekiel's book, such as the renewed covenant (ch. 36) and the vision of the dry bones (ch. 37).
• The promise of future rest and security directly reverses the curses pronounced in texts like Numbers 33:55, which warned that unremoved native inhabitants would become "pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides" for Israel. Ezekiel 28:24 assures a definitive reversal of this historical reality.
• The phrase "they shall know that I am the Lord GOD" is often considered the overarching theological motif of the book of Ezekiel. It signifies that all of God's actions, whether in judgment or salvation, serve to teach and affirm His unparalleled divine authority and unique covenant relationship with His people, both to themselves and to the observing world. This knowledge is not intellectual assent alone but a profound, experiential recognition.
• While primarily focused on geopolitical security, the cessation of "grieving thorns" also alludes to a profound internal peace and emotional healing for the long-suffering house of Israel, encompassing both national and personal restoration.

Ezekiel 28 24 Commentary

Ezekiel 28:24 encapsulates a crucial shift in divine focus, moving from the judgment of hostile foreign powers to the glorious future of Israel. After depicting the fall of Tyre as an embodiment of worldly pride and the broader condemnation of nations who rejoiced in Israel's suffering, this verse pivots to declare a definitive end to Israel’s persistent affliction. The powerful metaphors of "pricking briers" and "grieving thorns" vividly represent the incessant irritation, physical harm, and emotional distress Israel endured from their surrounding, contemptuous neighbors. God promises a time when this era of vulnerability and suffering will irrevocably cease. Crucially, this divine act of securing Israel's peace and punishing their oppressors is not simply an act of retribution, but a profound self-revelation. It is designed to establish beyond doubt that "I am the Lord GOD" – demonstrating His absolute sovereignty, faithfulness to His covenant people, and ultimate control over human history, making His true identity known to Israel and all nations.