Ezekiel 33:23 kjv
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 33:23 nkjv
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Ezekiel 33:23 niv
Then the word of the LORD came to me:
Ezekiel 33:23 esv
The word of the LORD came to me:
Ezekiel 33:23 nlt
Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 33 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 33:24 | "Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance." | Ezekiel 33:24 |
| Leviticus 26 | "If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;" and its subsequent blessings and curses. | Leviticus 26:3, 14-16 |
| Deuteronomy 28 | Conditional blessings and curses for obedience and disobedience to God's covenant. | Deuteronomy 28:15, 45-46 |
| Romans 2:28-29 | "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither that is circumcision, which is outward in the flesh;" | Romans 2:28-29 |
| Galatians 3:7 | "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." | Galatians 3:7 |
| Galatians 3:29 | "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." | Galatians 3:29 |
| Jeremiah 7:4 | "But go ye not unto these places. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these." | Jeremiah 7:4 |
| Isaiah 1:11 | "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats." | Isaiah 1:11 |
| John 8:33-47 | Jesus tells the Jews that their claim to be Abraham's children is false due to their actions. | John 8:33, 39-40, 44 |
| 1 John 2:4 | "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." | 1 John 2:4 |
| Deuteronomy 11:18-19 | God commands the people to keep His words and teach them diligently. | Deuteronomy 11:18-19 |
| Joshua 1:8 | "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:" | Joshua 1:8 |
| Matthew 7:21-23 | "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." | Matthew 7:21-23 |
| Ezekiel 18:30 | "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." | Ezekiel 18:30 |
| Ezekiel 18:2 | "What mean ye, that ye use this proverb by the house of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?" | Ezekiel 18:2 |
| Deuteronomy 30:15-20 | The choice between life and death, blessing and curse, based on obedience. | Deuteronomy 30:15-20 |
| 2 Corinthians 5:17 | "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." | 2 Corinthians 5:17 |
| 1 Peter 2:9 | "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" | 1 Peter 2:9 |
| Romans 9:6-8 | "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:" | Romans 9:6-8 |
| Ezekiel 37:11-14 | The vision of the dry bones coming to life, signifying national resurrection and identity. | Ezekiel 37:11-14 |
| Matthew 3:8-10 | John the Baptist calls for repentance and warns against boasting in lineage. | Matthew 3:8-10 |
| 1 Corinthians 10:11 | "Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." | 1 Corinthians 10:11 |
Ezekiel 33 verses
Ezekiel 33 23 Meaning
The people of Israel in Jerusalem, who remained after the judgment, are being told that they are claiming to be the true inheritors of the land, considering themselves the descendants of Abraham. However, God, through Ezekiel, states that this claim is false because their actions do not reflect their supposed lineage. Their persistent rebellion against God, despite witnessing the severe consequences faced by their forefathers and kin, proves they are not living according to the covenant. Thus, their supposed inheritance of the land and their claims to true Israelite identity are void because they do not follow the statutes and righteousness commanded by God.
Ezekiel 33 23 Context
This verse is part of Ezekiel's prophecy directed to the remnant of Israel residing in the desolated land after the Babylonian conquest and exile. Ezekiel has been given the role of a watchman for the house of Israel. In this chapter, he is responding to the claims of the survivors in Jerusalem. These people, while physically present in the land of their ancestors, have evidently not learned from the severe judgments that befell the majority of the nation. They are prideful, attributing their survival and claim to the land to their lineage from Abraham and their possession of the sacred city and temple remnants, despite their continued sinful practices. Ezekiel's message serves as a severe indictment against their self-righteousness and their misuse of religious and national identity. The overall context is God's sovereign judgment and his unfailing covenant faithfulness, clarifying that true relationship with Him and inheritance are based on obedience, not just outward affiliation or ancestry.
Ezekiel 33 23 Word Analysis
"Son of man": (Hebrew:
ben-adamben-adam) - A frequent and direct address by God to Ezekiel. It emphasizes Ezekiel's humanity, his mortal status in contrast to God's divinity, and underscores that he is delivering a divine message entrusted to him. This term highlights his role as a messenger representing the people, while receiving a message from the Divine."they that inhabit": (Hebrew:
ha-yoshvimha-yoshvim) - Refers to the residents, the dwellers. This highlights their physical presence in the land, the very land they claim as inheritance."those wastes": (Hebrew:
asherotasherot) - This term refers to desolate places, ruins, or uninhabited areas, signifying the devastation brought upon the land by God's judgment. It starkly contrasts with their claims of a legitimate inheritance."of the land of Israel": Identifies the specific geographic and national context.
"speak, saying": (Hebrew:
leemorleemor) - Introduces their direct speech or pronouncement. It points to their verbal claim or declaration."Abraham was one": (Hebrew:
Ebrah·am echadEbrah·am echad) - They base their claim on the singular, foundational patriarch. Abraham received the promise of inheritance."and inherited the land": (Hebrew:
va-yinas-ha·hen et-ha-aretzva-yinas-ha·hen et-ha-aretz) - States the promise of land possession fulfilled for Abraham."but we are many": (Hebrew:
va-anach·nu rabimva-anach·nu rabim) - Their argument relies on numerical strength, a common humanistic viewpoint, contrasting their multitude with Abraham's singularity. They presume their numbers give them rights."the land is given us for inheritance": (Hebrew:
nikteh-la·nu ha-aretz la·nach·alahnikteh-la·nu ha-aretz la·nach·alah) - This is their assertion, their perceived right to the land passed down to them. This highlights their misunderstanding of inheritance as purely based on lineage and presence, rather than covenant faithfulness.Words Group Analysis:
- "they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel": This group identifies those remaining, highlighting their dwelling within the ruined landscape. Their presence amidst devastation makes their subsequent claim to inherited land all the more ironic and hollow.
- "Abraham was one, and inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.": This phrase encapsulates the core of their fallacious reasoning. They leverage Abraham's foundational status and God's promise to him, but pervert it by emphasizing their collective number ("we are many") and presuming automatic, unqualified inheritance, ignoring the covenant stipulations that accompanied the promise.
Ezekiel 33 23 Bonus Section
This verse, alongside others in Ezekiel (like chapter 18), addresses the dangerous theological concept of inherited guilt and undeserved entitlement. The people were using a faulty proverb ("The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge") to shift blame. Here, they flip it: they believe they automatically inherit the blessings and land due to their lineage, ignoring the curses their forefathers incurred through disobedience. God, through Ezekiel, corrects this by emphasizing individual responsibility and the conditional nature of covenant blessings. The ultimate fulfillment of Abrahamic inheritance for all people comes through faith in Jesus Christ, who embodies obedience and establishes a new covenant (Galatians 3:14, 29).
Ezekiel 33 23 Commentary
The people remaining in the devastated land of Israel are making a presumptuous claim to their inheritance based on their numbers and their connection to Abraham. They seem to believe that simply being descendants of Abraham and being physically present in the land is enough to guarantee them possession. Ezekiel's response is a stern refutation of this superficial understanding of inheritance. God's promises of land and blessing were always conditional upon obedience to His covenant. Their sinfulness and rebellion, which led to the land's destruction in the first place, mean they have forfeited their right to claim it based on lineage alone. True inheritance, as New Testament believers understand through Christ, is not based on ethnic descent but on faith and adherence to God's commands. Those who reject God's authority and continue in disobedience, regardless of their heritage, cannot claim God's blessings. Their assertion is self-serving and divorced from the divine mandate.