Ezekiel 7:13 kjv
For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.
Ezekiel 7:13 nkjv
For the seller shall not return to what has been sold, Though he may still be alive; For the vision concerns the whole multitude, And it shall not turn back; No one will strengthen himself Who lives in iniquity.
Ezekiel 7:13 niv
The seller will not recover the property that was sold? as long as both buyer and seller live. For the vision concerning the whole crowd will not be reversed. Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve their life.
Ezekiel 7:13 esv
For the seller shall not return to what he has sold, while they live. For the vision concerns all their multitude; it shall not turn back; and because of his iniquity, none can maintain his life.
Ezekiel 7:13 nlt
Even if the merchants survive,
they will never return to their business.
For what God has said applies to everyone ?
it will not be changed!
Not one person whose life is twisted by sin
will ever recover.
Ezekiel 7 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 7:4 | "I will not spare them or pity them, but I will reckon their ways upon them, and their abominations shall be in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the LORD." | Direct statement of God’s resolve to judge. |
| Ezek 7:9 | "And I will not spare them, nor will I pity them. I will repay them for their ways, and for the abominations that are in their midst; and they shall know that I, the LORD, am their justly judging." | Reinforces the inevitability of judgment. |
| Amos 8:2 | "And he said, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the LORD said to me, “The end has come upon my people Israel; I will not pass by them again.” | Parallel concept of an appointed end that will not be delayed. |
| Isa 24:1-6 | "Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it barren and twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants." | Prophecy of universal desolation due to sin. |
| Jer 4:20 | "Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is ruined; suddenly are my tents destroyed, my curtains in an instant." | Depicts the suddenness and totality of judgment. |
| Ps 32:9 | "Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or they will not stay near you." | Emphasizes the need for wisdom to avoid God’s chastisement. |
| Prov 1:26-27 | "I will laugh at your destruction, and I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your disaster comes like a whirlwind, when tribulation and anguish come upon you." | God’s response to the unrepentant who mocked His warnings. |
| Eccl 8:8 | "No man has power to retain the spirit, or to keep the spirit in the day of death; nor has any man power over the day of death; nor is anyone released from service; nor shall wickedness deliver him who is impaled." | Human inability to escape death or divine judgment. |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Principle of sowing and reaping applied to divine justice. |
| Rom 11:22 | "Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off." | Highlights the severity of God against those who persist in sin. |
| Rev 18:7 | "As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, because she said in her heart, ‘I sit on a throne, I am no widow, I will never see mourning.’" | Judgment for pride and luxury mirroring sin. |
| Job 14:5 | "When his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass," | God's sovereignty over life's span and its end. |
| Luke 12:20 | "But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things that you have prepared, whose will they be?’" | Judgment can come unexpectedly, rendering earthly provisions useless. |
| Deut 32:35 | "The day of vengeance is mine, and their foot will slide in due time, for the time of their calamity is near, and their doom comes apace." | God's timing of vengeance and imminent destruction. |
| Lam 2:2 | "The Lord has swallowed them up; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger." | God's severe wrath depicted as a devouring action. |
| Ezek 5:11 | "Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, I will surely thrust you out. My eye will not spare, nor will I pity." | Similar pronouncement of God’s lack of pity due to defilement. |
| Zech 11:9 | "“So I said, ‘I will not feed you. What is to die, let it die! And what is to be devoured, let it be devoured! And let the survivors eat one another’s flesh!’”" | Figurative representation of extreme societal breakdown and judgment. |
| Jer 15:1-2 | "Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart goes out to this people; send them away from my presence! And if they say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: Those destined for death, to death; and those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’”" | Intercessors were not heard because judgment was inevitable. |
Ezekiel 7 verses
Ezekiel 7 13 Meaning
This verse declares that the impending judgment is irreversible and inescapable. God’s decree against Israel for their sin and rebellion has been finalized, and no amount of wealth or effort can avert the coming destruction. It highlights the completeness and certainty of God's wrath for unrepented sin.
Ezekiel 7 13 Context
Ezekiel 7 prophesies the final and complete destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians. The preceding verses (Ezek 7:1-4) have already established that judgment is imminent and will be comprehensive, affecting the entire land and all its inhabitants. The people had deeply ingrained their corrupt practices and idolatry, turning away from God’s covenant. This verse, occurring within this severe pronouncement, emphasizes the unchangeable nature of God’s decree. The historical context is the period leading up to and during the Babylonian conquest, where Jerusalem’s fall was a catastrophic event for Judah.
Ezekiel 7 13 Word Analysis
- כִּי (ki): "for" or "because." Introduces the reason or certainty for the preceding statement, emphasizing divine motivation.
- חִזַּקְתִּי (ḥizzaqti): "I have strengthened." In this context, it means God has strengthened His resolve or made firm His decree for judgment. It conveys absolute certainty.
- אֶת־יָדִי (et-yadi): "my hand." A common biblical idiom representing God's power, action, or intervention, especially in judgment.
- עָלֵיכֶם (ʿaleikhem): "upon you" or "against you." Refers to the people of Judah, the recipients of this prophetic pronouncement.
- וְלֹא־ (ve’lo-): "and not." A negative particle reinforcing the negation that follows.
- אוֹסִיף (o’siph): "I will add." In this context, it signifies refraining from adding further acts of mercy or grace in response to their situation. God’s hand of judgment is decisive, not meant to be compounded by any more opportunities for them.
- חֲמֹל (ḥamòl): "to pity" or "to have compassion." Indicates a cessation of divine mercy and leniency toward the people.
- עֲלֵיכֶם (ʿaleikhem): "upon you." Repetition emphasizes that the lack of pity is directly upon the addressed people.
Word Group Analysis
- "For I have strengthened my hand upon you...": This phrase signifies that God has committed Himself to the action of judgment. His decision is firm, His power is engaged, and the time for demonstration of His righteous anger has arrived. It’s not an indecisive action but a resolved and powerfully executed plan.
- "...and will not add to pity you.": This combines the actions of adding and pitying. It conveys that there will be no further opportunity for mercy, no mitigation of the sentence. God's decision is final; the course of judgment will not be altered or softened by any further acts of compassion towards them in their current state of rebellion.
Ezekiel 7 13 Bonus Section
This verse vividly portrays a critical aspect of divine sovereignty and justice in the Old Testament. God’s "strengthened hand" is a powerful image that contrasts with His often-described "outstretched hand" of invitation and deliverance. Here, it signifies the absolute resolve to execute a just and deserved punishment. Scholars often point out that this lack of pity is not due to a lack of inherent compassion in God, but rather the just consequence for continued, defiant sin against His revealed will. The cessation of mercy in this specific instance is the logical outcome of their accumulated iniquities. It serves as a principle that while God is merciful, His mercy has boundaries that are determined by the persistent unrepentant state of individuals and nations.
Ezekiel 7 13 Commentary
Ezekiel 7:13 underscores God's unwavering commitment to justice. His "hand" being strengthened signifies that His patience has reached its limit. He is actively applying His power for judgment. The phrase "will not add to pity you" means that God’s mercy for this generation has ceased due to their persistent disobedience and rejection of His ways. There will be no more extensions, no more chances; the judgment decreed is certain and complete. This highlights the seriousness of national sin and the solemnity of God's pronouncements when His grace is continually spurned. It serves as a stark warning about the finality of God's judgment when individuals or nations refuse to repent.