Ezekiel 7:23 kjv
Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
Ezekiel 7:23 nkjv
'Make a chain, For the land is filled with crimes of blood, And the city is full of violence.
Ezekiel 7:23 niv
"?'Prepare chains! For the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence.
Ezekiel 7:23 esv
"Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.
Ezekiel 7:23 nlt
"Prepare chains for my people,
for the land is bloodied by terrible crimes.
Jerusalem is filled with violence.
Ezekiel 7 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 7:23 | "Make a chain, For the land is full of bloodshed, And the city is full of violence." | Introduction to judgment, thematic repetition |
| Jeremiah 7:34 | "Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, The voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. For the land shall be a desolation." | Echoes desolation and absence of joy |
| Jeremiah 25:10 | "Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp." | Reinforces the silencing of joy |
| Isaiah 5:12 | "They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute, and wine at their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the LORD, Nor consider the operation of His hands." | Contrasts enjoyment with disregard for God |
| Amos 5:23 | "But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream." | Highlights the absence of justice and righteousness |
| Micah 3:10 | "Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with iniquity." | Points to the foundation of corruption |
| Hosea 4:2 | "By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break out, And blood touches blood." | Lists the sins leading to judgment |
| Proverbs 1:11-12 | "If they say, 'Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;" | Depicts plotting for violence |
| Psalm 58:2 | "Yes, in weight they ponder wickedness in their hearts on the earth; They violently issue injustice." | Describes inherent iniquity |
| Jeremiah 3:8 | "I gave her [Israel] a certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries." | God's rejection due to unfaithfulness |
| Deuteronomy 28:63 | "And it shall be, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and to bring you to nought; and you shall be plucked from the land which you are entering to possess." | Parallels God's rejoicings in blessing and judgment |
| Lamentations 1:1 | "How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal." | Depicts Jerusalem's desolate state |
| Isaiah 1:7 | "Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire; Your land—strangers devour it in your presence; And it is desolate, As overthrown by strangers." | Imagery of devastation and foreign rule |
| Jeremiah 14:7 | "O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do the work, O LORD, for Your name’s sake; Though our backslidings are many, We have sinned against You." | Confession of sin and plea for mercy |
| Nahum 3:1 | "Woe to the bloody city! It is wholly full of lies and plunder. Its victim never departs." | Parallel judgment on a wicked city |
| Ezekiel 33:26 | "You offer your sacrifices in every village; You perform your rites on the hills. And you worship at the high places. And you slaughter your sons and make your children pass through the fire. But you still cling to your idols." | Points to corrupted worship and evil practices |
| Jeremiah 5:29 | "Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “Shall I not avenge Myself on a nation such as this?" | God's avenging justice |
| Zechariah 7:10 | "And do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.” | Exhortation against oppression |
| Matthew 23:35 | "that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar." | Jesus speaking of accumulated bloodshed |
| Romans 1:29-31 | "...full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." | List of similar destructive sins |
| Revelation 18:20 | "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment on her on your account!” | Call to rejoice at divine judgment |
| Psalm 11:5 | "The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates." | God's hatred for violence and the wicked |
Ezekiel 7 verses
Ezekiel 7 23 Meaning
The verse describes the consequence of Judah's deep-seated corruption: the complete demolition of their fortified cities, leaving the land desolate. It emphasizes the abandonment of the people's "treasured possession," the land of Israel, and declares that the Lord's judgment will bring ruin.
Ezekiel 7 23 Context
Ezekiel 7 marks the conclusion of a series of oracles against Judah, preceding the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. This chapter emphatically declares the imminence and totality of God's judgment. The people had filled the land with violence and corruption, disregarding God's laws and resorting to immoral practices. This verse serves as a summary statement, detailing the consequence of their iniquity: the utter desolation of their fortified cities and the loss of their cherished land, a direct result of God's righteous wrath against their sins.
Ezekiel 7 23 Word Analysis
Hebrew word: עָרִים (
arim)- Transliteration:
arim - Meaning: cities. This plural form signifies the extensive nature of the judgment, affecting not just one city but all their urban centers.
- Transliteration:
Hebrew word: חוֹמָה (
chomah)- Transliteration:
chomah - Meaning: wall, rampart, fortress. This refers to the defensive structures designed to protect their cities. The destruction of these walls implies the complete vulnerability and conquest of the cities.
- Transliteration:
Hebrew word: מִפְלֶטֶת (
miphletheth)- Transliteration:
miphletheth - Meaning: escape, refuge. In this context, it signifies that there is no place of escape or refuge left from God's impending judgment. The cities, their presumed havens, offer no safety.
- Transliteration:
Group of words: "וּפָרַץְתִּי מַחֲסֶה בְּעָרִים" (
ufarats'ti machaseh be'arim)- Meaning: "and I will break open into cities." This phrase vividly describes the forceful and overwhelming nature of the invasion. The fortifications, intended as barriers, will be breached. It speaks of penetration and total takeover.
Hebrew word: שְׁבִי (
shevi)- Transliteration:
shevi - Meaning: captivity, captive. This refers to the people themselves who will be taken captive. Their future is not freedom within their land but exile.
- Transliteration:
Group of words: "וּבְכָל־מִבְצָרִים כִּישׁ מַחְסֵר"` (uvchol-mivtsarim kish machser)
- Meaning: "and into all fortresses, for destruction." This emphasizes that even the strongest fortresses will not be spared. The term "kish machser" strongly indicates a complete wiping out, a state of needing something (destitute, destitute), leading to their removal and the land's devastation. The judgment extends to the very foundations and protective structures.
Ezekiel 7 23 Bonus Section
The imagery of the land becoming "desolate" and "overthrown by strangers" (Isaiah 1:7) echoes the profound loss that captivity entailed. For ancient Israelites, the land was not merely real estate but the tangible evidence of God's covenant and blessing. Its desolation represented the withdrawal of God's favor and the devastating failure of the covenant relationship due to their sin. The phrase "treasured possession" points to God's view of Israel (Exodus 19:5) and also Israel's pride in their land, a pride that was to be extinguished by God's hand when they defiled it through their actions.
Ezekiel 7 23 Commentary
This verse succinctly portrays the ultimate consequence of Judah's persistent rebellion and ingrained sinfulness. The "chain" (mentioned in the preceding verse, though not explicitly here) symbolizes the impending destruction and subjugation. The fortified cities, symbols of security and human strength, will be breached, leaving no refuge. The people will be led away captive, their cherished land abandoned, stripped bare of its inhabitants and their "treasured possession." This is not just a military defeat but a total reversal of God's covenantal promises due to their disobedience. The completeness of the judgment is stressed, indicating that every city and fortress will succumb. The utter desolation signifies the severing of God’s presence and protection from a people who chose to disregard Him.