Ezekiel 7 19

Ezekiel 7:19 kjv

They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

Ezekiel 7:19 nkjv

'They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the LORD; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.

Ezekiel 7:19 niv

"?'They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin.

Ezekiel 7:19 esv

They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.

Ezekiel 7:19 nlt

"They will throw their money in the streets,
tossing it out like worthless trash.
Their silver and gold won't save them
on that day of the LORD's anger.
It will neither satisfy nor feed them,
for their greed can only trip them up.

Ezekiel 7 verses

Ezekiel 7 19 meaning

Ezekiel 7:19 foretells the utter worthlessness of silver and gold in the face of God's impending judgment on Israel. What was once highly valued will be discarded and regarded as a defiling, abhorrent thing. Material wealth, often sought as a source of security and satisfaction, will prove powerless to deliver its owners from divine wrath, nor will it be able to alleviate their physical hunger or spiritual emptiness during the catastrophic period of famine and distress. The verse powerfully reveals that their riches, by becoming objects of idolatry and misplaced trust, became the very instruments of their downfall and a testament to their iniquity.

Ezekiel 7 19 Context

Ezekiel chapter 7 presents a stark and comprehensive prophecy of the imminent, universal, and unavoidable judgment on the land of Israel, specifically Jerusalem, prior to its final destruction by Babylon. The prophet announces that "the end has come" for Israel's unfaithfulness. The entire social fabric, from spiritual leadership to economic security, is collapsing under the weight of God's wrath. This judgment is depicted as a direct consequence of their widespread idolatry, violence, and defilement of sacred things, leading to a complete reversal of their fortunes. Verse 19 specifically details how their cherished material possessions, instead of providing security or comfort, will become objects of revulsion and uselessness during this severe day of the LORD, highlighting the vanity of their misplaced trust.

Ezekiel 7 19 Word analysis

• They will cast (יִשְׁלִיכוּ, yishlikhu): From the root שָׁלַךְ (shalakh), meaning to throw, cast away, or hurl. This action signifies not a voluntary offering or giving, but a desperate and contemptuous rejection of what was once treasured. It reflects a complete reversal of values, driven by panic and fear.
• their silver (כַסְפָּם, kaspeam): "Silver" universally represents wealth, currency, and value. Its rejection demonstrates the breakdown of all conventional economic and social order.
• into the streets (בַּחוּצוֹת, bakhutsot): Refers to public thoroughfares and open places, signifying public abandonment and desacralization. What was hoarded privately and displayed ostentatiously is now openly discarded, exposed to all as valueless.
• and their gold (וּזְהָבָם, uz'havam): Paired with silver, it signifies all precious metals and thus the totality of their material riches, often associated with luxury and supreme value. Its inclusion emphasizes the absolute worthlessness of all accumulated wealth.
• will be as an unclean thing (לְנִדָּה יִהְיֶה, l'niddah yihyeh): Niddah (נִדָּה) specifically refers to menstrual impurity (Lev 15:19ff) or anything that causes ritual defilement and necessitates isolation. This is an extremely potent metaphor for ultimate disgust and abomination. It's not merely worthless; it's repugnant and polluting, something to be vehemently discarded lest it contaminates. This strongly contrasts with how gold and silver were often fashioned into cultic objects for pagan worship, which in God's eyes were already unclean.
• will not be able to deliver them (לֹא יוּכַל לְהַצִּילָם, lo yukhal l'hatsilam): Hatzil (הִצִּיל) means to save, rescue, or deliver. This highlights the absolute failure of their trust in material possessions for security, refuge, or escape from impending doom.
• in the day of the wrath of the LORD (בְּיוֹם עֶבְרַת יְהוָה, b'yom evrat YHVH): "The day of the LORD" is a common prophetic motif signifying a time of divine judgment (e.g., Isa 2:12, Zeph 1:14-18). Evrat YHVH (עֶבְרַת יְהוָה) denotes the intense, overflowing, and righteous anger of God, indicating a period from which there is no human escape or appeal.
• they will not satisfy their souls (נַפְשָׁם לֹא יְשַׂבֵּעוּ, nafsam lo yesabbeu): Nafsam (נַפְשָׁם) refers to their inner self, life, appetite, or desire. Yesabbeu (שָׂבַע) means to be satisfied, satiated, or have enough. This shows wealth's failure to bring inner peace, contentment, or any true spiritual fulfillment.
• nor fill their stomachs (וּמֵעֵיהֶם לֹא יְמַלֵּאוּ, ume'eihem lo yemall'u): A direct and stark statement about physical hunger. Wealth will provide no food during the prophesied famine, leaving them literally starving despite their former riches. This points to a complete material deprivation, contrasting their abundant past.
• because it was the stumbling block (כִּי הָיָה מִכְשֹׁל, ki hayah mikshol): Mikshol (מִכְשֹׁל) means a snare, stumbling block, or an occasion of ruin/sin. Here, their silver and gold were not merely possessions but active agents that led them astray. It implies that wealth itself became an idol or a distraction from obedience to God.
• of their iniquity (עֲוֹנָם, avoneam): Avon (עָוֹן) signifies perversity, guilt, or sin, emphasizing a moral bending away from God's commands. Their wealth did not just contribute to sin; it was intimately intertwined with the nature of their sin – primarily idolatry and its accompanying social injustices.

• "They will cast their silver into the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing": This phrase encapsulates a dramatic reversal of societal values. What was cherished as a symbol of power, status, and security becomes an abhorrent object to be discarded, illustrating a profound shift from reverence to utter contempt. It highlights the fleeting nature of worldly possessions.
• "their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD": This powerful assertion emphasizes the ultimate impotence of human resources when faced with divine judgment. It underscores that material wealth offers no protection, no redemption, and no escape from God's justice, laying bare the illusion of human self-sufficiency.
• "they will not satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomachs": This duality speaks to both the spiritual and physical bankruptcy that accompanies God's judgment. It reveals that the objects of their pursuit failed to provide even the most basic human needs (food) and utterly lacked the capacity to provide true inner peace or contentment, exposing their inherent emptiness.
• "because it was the stumbling block of their iniquity": This phrase pinpoints the root cause of their judgment. Their wealth itself, far from being a neutral commodity, became an idol, a trap, and a catalyst for their departure from God. It was not merely the means but an active partner in their sin, fostering a sense of independence and self-reliance that contradicted their covenant relationship with the LORD.

Ezekiel 7 19 Bonus section

The concept of material possessions becoming a "stumbling block" (mikshol) is deeply rooted in the Law. Deuteronomy 7:25-26 specifically warned Israel not to covet the silver and gold from pagan idols, lest they be "ensnared" (a related concept to mikshol) by it and become "detestable" like the idols themselves. This verse in Ezekiel demonstrates the fulfillment of that warning: Israel, through their covetousness and idolatry (Eze 7:20 makes it explicit that they fashioned abominations from their silver and gold), allowed their riches to become defiling to them. The intense imagery of gold as niddah (menstrual impurity) signifies God's complete rejection and revulsion towards their idolized wealth, mirroring His abhorrence for their unfaithfulness and demonstrating that He will treat their idols and the means of their idolatry as the ultimate defilement, requiring removal and public scorn.

Ezekiel 7 19 Commentary

Ezekiel 7:19 serves as a powerful indictment against misplaced trust and idolatry of wealth. In the imminent "day of the wrath of the LORD," the people of Israel will discover, to their despair, that the very silver and gold they treasured will become utterly worthless and repugnant, even thrown into the streets as a defiled thing. This dramatic reversal highlights the illusion of security offered by material possessions. Their wealth will be powerless to save them from God's judgment, incapable of satisfying their profound hunger, whether physical or spiritual. The verse ultimately exposes the tragic truth: their silver and gold, by becoming idols and objects of their iniquity, functioned as a "stumbling block," actively leading them away from the true source of security and satisfaction in God. It underscores the spiritual principle that whatever competes with God for our devotion will ultimately prove futile and become a source of judgment.