Ezekiel 9 9

Ezekiel 9:9 kjv

Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

Ezekiel 9:9 nkjv

Then He said to me, "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!'

Ezekiel 9:9 niv

He answered me, "The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.'

Ezekiel 9:9 esv

Then he said to me, "The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.'

Ezekiel 9:9 nlt

Then he said to me, "The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, 'The LORD doesn't see it! The LORD has abandoned the land!'

Ezekiel 9 verses

Ezekiel 9 9 Meaning

Ezekiel 9:9 articulates the divine justification for the severe judgment soon to befall Jerusalem. The verse states that the moral and spiritual corruption of both Israel and Judah has reached an extraordinary degree. This immense "iniquity" is tangibly demonstrated by the land being filled with bloodshed and the city permeated by perverse justice and wickedness. The root cause and aggravating factor of this state is the people's defiant and skeptical belief that the LORD has abandoned the earth, and crucially, that He is oblivious to their actions and injustices. This profound spiritual blindness and denial of God's active presence and moral oversight effectively dismisses divine accountability.

Ezekiel 9 9 Context

Ezekiel 9:9 is part of a series of visions (Ezek 8-11) given to the prophet Ezekiel in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's exile (Ezek 8:1), around 593 BC. These visions reveal the pervasive apostasy within the Temple in Jerusalem and detail the divine judgment about to be executed upon the city. Chapter 8 graphically describes the "great abominations" being practiced by the elders and women within the Temple precincts, ranging from idolatry to sun worship. Chapter 9 transitions to God's response: the summoning of six executioners and one scribe, marking those who lament the abominations for protection, and striking down all others. Verse 9 is God's direct declaration to Ezekiel, justifying this impending destruction. Historically, this occurs just prior to Nebuchadnezzar's final siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The people, despite warnings from prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, persisted in idolatry, moral decay, and political maneuvering, often in direct rebellion against God's explicit commands and covenant. Their spiritual arrogance and denial of divine justice highlighted in this verse explain why God's mercy was withdrawn and why judgment was so absolute.

Ezekiel 9 9 Word analysis

• Then said he unto me: Establishes the divine origin of the message, distinguishing it from Ezekiel's own thoughts. "He" refers to the glorious divine figure or the LORD Himself (Ezek 8:4). This is a direct prophetic revelation.
• The iniquity (Heb. ʿawon): More than just "sin," ʿawon often carries the sense of "guilt" or "punishment for sin," implying the ethical distortion, twistedness, or perversion of one's actions, and their culpable state. It encompasses the moral depravity and its inherent consequences. It reflects a bending or twisting away from the right path.
• of the house of Israel and Judah: Refers to the entire covenant community, emphasizing a comprehensive and corporate responsibility for sin, bridging the historical division between the northern kingdom (Israel) and southern kingdom (Judah). It signifies that sin pervaded all God's people.
• is exceeding great: An emphatic Hebrew construction, a double intensive (gadal-gadol, literally "great, great") underscoring the extreme, overwhelming nature of their sin. It indicates that the measure of their transgression was full.
• and the land is full of blood (Heb. dam): Not only refers to literal bloodshed, violence, and murder but also metaphorically to the guilt and stain of innocent blood shed through oppression, legal injustice, and abuse of power (e.g., judicial murders). It denotes a deep violation of covenantal justice.
• and the city full of perverseness (Heb. hoqef / hoqeph or hawa') : This term often implies a perversion of justice, social oppression, and wickedness, sometimes connected to hawwah (ruin, destruction, iniquity). It signifies a moral crookedness or distortion that has permeated all aspects of urban life, particularly judicial and social structures. The city's very fabric has become warped by injustice and oppression.
• for they say: Points to the core spiritual sin – a conscious, active declaration and belief system that contradicts God's nature. This is not ignorance, but willful rebellion.
• The LORD hath forsaken (Heb. ʿazav) the earth (Heb. ha'aretz): Expresses their cynical belief that God has abandoned or ceased to care about the world and its affairs. It denies God's immanence, providence, and moral governance. Ha'aretz can mean both the specific land of Israel and the broader earth, implying a universal dismissal of God's reach.
• and the LORD seeth not (Heb. lo' ro'eh): Denies divine omniscience and justice. They believe God is either unaware of their evil deeds or chooses to ignore them. This fatal error makes them feel free to indulge in greater sin without fear of consequence, creating a self-deceptive delusion.

Words-group analysis:

• "The iniquity...is exceeding great": This phrase highlights the insurmountable guilt and corruption of the people, stressing that divine patience had reached its limit, necessitating intervention.
• "the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness": These twin descriptions reveal the two major societal manifestations of their iniquity: rampant physical violence and systemic social/judicial corruption. It depicts a society consumed by lawlessness and injustice.
• "for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not": This identifies the theological root of their pervasive sin. Their distorted view of God as absent, impotent, or indifferent became the justification for their continued wickedness and rejection of accountability. This mindset made repentance impossible without a fundamental shift in their understanding of God.

Ezekiel 9 9 Bonus section

The denial expressed in Ezekiel 9:9, "The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not," is a recurring theme of skepticism and apostasy found throughout the prophetic books and Psalms. It represents a common human temptation to dismiss divine accountability. This mindset not only justifies the people's continuation in sin but also acts as a powerful polemic against the surrounding pagan beliefs that often involved distant or indifferent deities. By contrast, Yahweh is always presented as an immanent and just God, actively involved in His creation and His covenant people's lives. This verse directly counters any notion that God is a detached observer. It clarifies that judgment is not merely punishment for isolated acts of sin but a response to a deep-seated spiritual rebellion that distorts the very nature of God and, consequently, leads to profound moral collapse. This belief system also undermines the role of the prophets, as their messages of warning would be considered irrelevant by a populace convinced of God's apathy.

Ezekiel 9 9 Commentary

Ezekiel 9:9 stands as a pivotal verse, offering divine rationale for the unfolding judgment against Jerusalem. It reveals God's perfect justice: He does not act arbitrarily but responds to the profound spiritual and moral decay of His people. The verse outlines both the depth of their corporate sin—described as "exceeding great iniquity" and manifest in "blood" and "perverseness"—and the root cause of this degeneracy: their willful denial of God's active presence and His discerning eye. Their declaration, "The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not," signifies a hardened heart and a practical atheism. They assumed that their actions would go unpunished because God was either absent, uncaring, or blind. This verse demonstrates that God does see, God has not forsaken, and God will indeed judge the deeds of humanity, especially those within His covenant. It emphasizes that rejection of God's authority and belief in His indifference is a dangerous foundation for societal evil and inevitably leads to divine retribution.