Ezekiel 6:6 kjv
In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
Ezekiel 6:6 nkjv
In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
Ezekiel 6:6 niv
Wherever you live, the towns will be laid waste and the high places demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols smashed and ruined, your incense altars broken down, and what you have made wiped out.
Ezekiel 6:6 esv
Wherever you dwell, the cities shall be waste and the high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and ruined, your idols broken and destroyed, your incense altars cut down, and your works wiped out.
Ezekiel 6:6 nlt
Wherever you live there will be desolation, and I will destroy your pagan shrines. Your altars will be demolished, your idols will be smashed, your places of worship will be torn down, and all the religious objects you have made will be destroyed.
Ezekiel 6 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 6:6 | "...that your altars may be desolate and your high places broken..." | Ezekiel 6:6 |
| Isaiah 17:1-2 | "...The cities of Aroer are deserted; they are left to flocks, which lie down, and no one disturbs them. Your fortifications will disappear, your cities will be abandoned to flocks, and there you will seek no one." | Isaiah 17:1-2 (desolation) |
| Jeremiah 7:14 | "Therefore I will do to this temple, which bears my Name and on which you rely, and to this place that I gave you and your fathers, what I did to Shiloh." | Jeremiah 7:14 (destruction of worship sites) |
| Jeremiah 51:45 | "Go out of her midst, my people! Each of you save his life from the fierce anger of the LORD." | Jeremiah 51:45 (exhortation to escape judgment) |
| Micah 5:10-11 | "I will cut off your horses from among you and destroy your chariots. I will cut off the works of your hands and you will have no more sorcerers." | Micah 5:10-11 (destruction of pagan practices) |
| 1 Kings 13:2 | "...against the altar he cried out by the word of the LORD, 'O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: "Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who offer incense on you, and human bones shall be broken upon you."'" | 1 Kings 13:2 (prophecy against an altar) |
| 2 Kings 23:19 | "Josiah also removed the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, and he did to them according to all that he had done in Bethel." | 2 Kings 23:19 (destruction of high places) |
| Amos 5:5 | "But do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal; do not pass over to Beersheba, for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing." | Amos 5:5 (warning against seeking places of false worship) |
| Hosea 10:2 | "Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. He will break down their altars and destroy their pillars." | Hosea 10:2 (judgment on altars and pillars) |
| Isaiah 2:18 | "The idols will vanish completely." | Isaiah 2:18 (idols vanishing) |
| Psalm 115:4-7 | "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear; they have noses, but do not smell; they have hands, but do not feel; they have feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throat." | Psalm 115:4-7 (description of idols' impotence) |
| Revelation 18:5 | "for her sins are inseparably linked together up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities." | Revelation 18:5 (iniquity and remembrance) |
| Lamentations 5:16 | "The joy of our heart has ceased; our dances have turned into mourning." | Lamentations 5:16 (loss of joy) |
| Psalm 9:12 | "For he who avenges blood remembers them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted." | Psalm 9:12 (God remembers the afflicted) |
| Leviticus 26:30 | "And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars, and I will cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul will abhor you." | Leviticus 26:30 (consequences for idolatry) |
| Deuteronomy 28:36 | "The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known; and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone." | Deuteronomy 28:36 (exile to foreign gods) |
| Isaiah 28:16 | "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'He who believes will not be in haste.'"" | Isaiah 28:16 (contrasting foundation) |
| Jeremiah 44:21 | "And should we distinguish your offerings and the incense from our little altars? Did not your fathers and kings and princes do the same, and did not your fathers inquire of them?" | Jeremiah 44:21 (false inquiries) |
| Psalm 79:1 | "O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins." | Psalm 79:1 (desecration of the holy) |
| Nahum 3:12 | "Your fortresses also will be like fig trees with first-ripe figs—if they are shaken, they will fall into the mouth of the eater." | Nahum 3:12 (sudden destruction) |
Ezekiel 6 verses
Ezekiel 6 6 Meaning
This verse signifies the destruction of idols and the places where the people of Israel worshipped them, along with the personal suffering and realization of God's judgment that the survivors would experience.
Ezekiel 6 6 Context
This verse is part of a prophecy concerning the destruction of Israel. Ezekiel is commanded to prophesy against the mountains of Israel, predicting severe judgment due to the people's pervasive idolatry and sin. The preceding verses (Ezekiel 6:1-5) detail the desolation and judgment that will come upon the land and its inhabitants for their transgressions, particularly their worship at high places and altars. The immediate context emphasizes the comprehensive nature of this judgment, affecting not only the people but also the very places of their sinful worship. The historical context is during the Babylonian exile, a time when Jerusalem had already been destroyed, and the people of Israel were facing the consequences of their unfaithfulness to God. This prophecy serves as a continuation of the divine indictment against idolatry that is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, reminding Israel of God's righteousness and the penalties for forsaking Him.
Ezekiel 6 6 Word analysis
So - A consequential word, indicating that what follows is a result of the previously mentioned judgment or divine declaration.
you - Refers to the people of Israel, specifically those in the land during the time of Ezekiel's prophecy and facing divine judgment.
shall - A strong modal verb indicating certainty and future certainty; a decree from God.
know - In this context, "know" means to experience, understand through consequence, or become intimately acquainted with something. It’s not just intellectual knowledge, but experiential realization.
that - Introduces a clause explaining the "knowing" – what it is that they will know.
I - Refers to the LORD God, the speaker and the active agent of judgment and salvation.
am - A statement of present being, asserting God's existence and action.
the - A definite article.
LORD - (Hebrew: Yahweh) The personal, covenant name of God, emphasizing His relationship with Israel and His faithfulness to His promises (both of blessing and judgment).
when - Introduces a time clause, setting the condition or circumstance under which they will "know" Him.
I - The LORD God.
lay - To set, place, or strike. Here it signifies God inflicting judgment or judgment striking.
my - Possessive pronoun belonging to God.
sword - A symbol of judgment, warfare, and execution by God.
upon - Indicates the target or recipient of the action.
their - Refers to the people of Israel and their pagan places of worship.
destroyers - Those who bring destruction, implying instruments of God's wrath, whether human armies or divine forces. This could also refer to those who physically carry out the destruction described.
and - Connects the two parallel phrases describing the effects of God's action.
your - Possessive pronoun of the people of Israel.
altars - Sacred places where sacrifices were offered, in this case, altars dedicated to idolatrous worship, which God will make desolate.
may - Expresses possibility or purpose, but in this context, it’s more declarative of a future reality—these altars will be made...
be - The infinitive verb "to be".
desolate - Empty, abandoned, ruined, uninhabited. A state of utter ruin and emptiness.
and - Connects two clauses about the fate of the places of worship.
your - Possessive pronoun of the people of Israel.
high - Referring to elevated places used for worship.
places - Sacred sites or spots, often used for pagan religious practices, especially in contrast to the designated place of worship at the Temple.
be - The infinitive verb "to be".
broken - Shattered, ruined, destroyed.
Group Analysis: "I lay my sword upon their destroyers" signifies that God will send His instruments of judgment to utterly defeat and ruin those associated with Israel's sinful practices and worship sites. "And your altars may be desolate and your high places broken" describes the ultimate fate of these sites of idolatry – they will be left empty and utterly destroyed, becoming visible testament to God's judgment. The parallelism emphasizes the complete obliteration of both the perpetrators (in a broader sense, as well as the symbols of their sin).
Ezekiel 6 6 Bonus section
The "destroyers" mentioned could encompass invading armies (like the Babylonians), but also the consequences of their sin which would destroy their own community and spiritual life. The destruction of the high places and altars serves as a symbolic cleansing and a re-establishment of God's sole authority. This emphasis on the tangible destruction of religious artifacts and sites reflects the ancient Near Eastern concept that the god of a conquering army could humiliate the defeated nation by destroying its sacred objects and places. However, for Ezekiel, it is Yahweh alone who exercises this power, proving His supremacy over all gods and all religious systems. The desolation and breaking of these sites also serve as a prophetic foreshadowing of the utter destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in fulfillment of God's judgment for ongoing sin.
Ezekiel 6 6 Commentary
Ezekiel 6:6 reveals God's unwavering justice against idolatry. The sword of destruction is laid not just upon the idolaters themselves, but symbolically upon those who facilitated or were agents of their corrupt worship. This devastation will extend to their very places of illicit religious assembly – the altars and high places. These were erected to honor false gods, but under God's pronouncement, they will become empty and shattered monuments to His power and judgment. The people of Israel will "know" the LORD through the tangible experience of this ruin, understanding the severe consequences of their covenant unfaithfulness. It underscores the comprehensive nature of God's response to sin, leaving no trace of the detestable practices that offended Him. The verse echoes a consistent theme in the Old Testament, where national prosperity was often tied to faithfulness and judgment followed apostasy.
- Practical application: Recognizing that all aspects of life, including places and practices of devotion, are accountable to God. When we dedicate our efforts or build our spiritual lives on faulty foundations or outside of God's revealed will, even those structures are subject to His dismantling for our ultimate good and His glory.