Ezekiel 6 4

Ezekiel 6:4 kjv

And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.

Ezekiel 6:4 nkjv

Then your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.

Ezekiel 6:4 niv

Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols.

Ezekiel 6:4 esv

Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain before your idols.

Ezekiel 6:4 nlt

All your altars will be demolished, and your places of worship will be destroyed. I will kill your people in front of your idols.

Ezekiel 6 verses

Ezekiel 6 4 Meaning

The verse signifies the divine judgment that will fall upon the mountains of Israel, causing them to experience devastation and emptiness. This destruction will serve as a consequence for the idolatry and sin practiced by the people, highlighting God's sovereignty and faithfulness to His pronouncements.

Ezekiel 6 4 Context

Chapter 6 of Ezekiel directly addresses the prophet to pronounce judgment against the mountains and hills of Israel. This imagery symbolizes the entire land and its people, which had become defiled by rampant idolatry and the apostate practices of the Israelites. God, through Ezekiel, declares His intention to bring devastation upon these places and the people who worshiped false deities there. This prophecy occurs within the broader context of Israel's exile, a direct consequence of their repeated unfaithfulness and disobedience to God's covenant. The mountains, often sites of pagan worship and syncretism, were particularly marked for destruction as a testament to God's singular sovereignty and His displeasure with the syncretic religious practices prevalent among the people.

Ezekiel 6 4 Word Analysis

• wə·‘al (and upon): This preposition indicates location and association, here marking the entities against which God's word is directed.
• hārîm (mountains): This Hebrew word refers to elevated landforms. In the prophetic context, mountains often represented places of pagan worship, altars, and sanctuaries, making them symbolic of the pervasive idolatry in the land.
• wə·‘al- (and upon): Repeats the preposition, extending the divine indictment to other elevated terrains.
• gə·ḇā‘ōṯ (hills): Similar to mountains, these elevated areas were also common sites for illicit worship and religious gatherings.
• wə·‘al- (and upon): Continues the enumeration of places under judgment.
• gĕ·‘ā·riym (ravines/valleys): These depressions or ravines could also be associated with cultic activities or settlements, bringing them under divine scrutiny.
• wə·‘al- (and upon): Further specifying the scope of judgment.
• nō·ḵə·ḵō·ḇāh (broken in pieces / leveled): This potent verb signifies thorough destruction, desolation, and annihilation. It conveys a sense of complete ruin, as if the very structure of these places will be broken.
• wə·‘at·tîḵ·kêm (and I will cut off): "Atah" (to cut off) signifies a severe and decisive act of removal or eradication, emphasizing the finality of the impending judgment.
• hō·mə·riys (destroyers/devourers): This noun implies agents or forces that bring about utter ruin and consumption, suggesting an invasive and complete destruction.
• lĕ·ma·‘aḵ wĕ·li·ṯ·ḇū·ṯên (from your side and toward your settlements): This phrasing indicates a sweeping, encompassing destruction, leaving nothing untouched from one end to the other, both in its high places and inhabited areas.

Words-Group Analysis

The repeated use of "and upon" (wə·‘al) binding together "mountains" (hārîm), "hills" (gə·ḇā‘ōṯ), and "ravines" (gĕ·‘ā·riym) emphatically declares God's judgment upon the entirety of the land and its geographical features. These locations were not neutral but were heavily imbued with the idolatrous practices of the Israelites. The subsequent declaration "I will break in pieces" (nō·ḵə·ḵō·ḇāh) and "I will cut off" (‘at·tîḵ·kêm) establishes a dual nature of judgment: physical devastation and a cessation of their existence or function. The mention of "destroyers" (hō·mə·riys) and the comprehensive scope ("from your side and toward your settlements") reinforces the thoroughness and severity of the divine retribution, leaving no refuge or aspect of their corrupted worship intact.

Ezekiel 6 4 Bonus Section

The specific mention of mountains, hills, and ravines emphasizes the ubiquity of Israel's apostasy. These were not isolated incidents but permeated the religious landscape of the nation. This imagery connects to the high places, or "bamoth," which were prohibited by God but widely used by the Israelites and surrounding nations for worship, often to Canaanite deities. The destruction prophesied here serves as a stark contrast to the promises of future restoration where the mountains of Israel would again experience God's presence (Ezekiel 36:1). The "destroyers" can be understood as the armies of the conquering nations, instruments of God's wrath, such as the Babylonians who would devastate the land. This verse also highlights the principle that sin has consequences, not only for the individuals who commit it but also for the land and its sacred places.

Ezekiel 6 4 Commentary

This verse vividly pronounces God's judgment upon the land of Israel, specifically targeting its elevated terrains. These "mountains, hills, and ravines" were not just geographical features but had become corrupted as centers of idolatrous worship, reflecting the deep apostasy of the people. God declares His intent to utterly destroy these places and, by extension, the practices associated with them. The language used, such as "break in pieces" and "cut off," speaks of a comprehensive and decisive judgment that will leave no vestige of the defilement. This is a warning that God will not tolerate syncretism and that His chosen land will bear the consequences of the people's unfaithfulness. The ultimate goal is to purify the land and, through this severe discipline, to turn the people back to Him.