Ezekiel 16:23

And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)

And it came to pass after {H310} all thy wickedness {H7451},(woe {H188}, woe {H188} unto thee! saith {H5002} the Lord {H136} GOD {H3069};)

"'So, after all this wickedness of yours - woe, woe to you!' says Adonai ELOHIM -

Woe! Woe to you, declares the Lord GOD. And in addition to all your other wickedness,

And it is come to pass after all thy wickedness (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord Jehovah),

Commentary

Context of the Verse

Ezekiel 16 is a powerful and extended allegory where God vividly portrays Jerusalem as a foundling child, rescued, nurtured, and adorned by Him, only to become an unfaithful harlot. The chapter details Jerusalem's spiritual adultery and idolatry, comparing her actions to the most depraved prostitution. Verse 23 follows a lengthy indictment, specifically after God recounts the city's abominable practices, including the sacrifice of her own children to pagan idols (Ezekiel 16:20-21). This verse serves as a climactic pronouncement of divine judgment, a direct consequence of the extreme wickedness described.

Meaning and Key Themes

The phrase "And it came to pass after all thy wickedness" directly links the impending judgment to the accumulated sins of Jerusalem. It emphasizes that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a just response to persistent and severe unfaithfulness. The repeated exclamation "(woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)" is a profound expression of divine grief, lament, and condemnation. It signifies the certainty and severity of the impending doom.

  • Divine Judgment: The verse underscores God's righteous judgment against sin, particularly spiritual idolatry and covenant breaking. This is not a sudden outburst but a measured response to continuous rebellion.
  • Consequences of Sin: It highlights the inevitable and dire consequences of turning away from God and engaging in deep-seated wickedness. The "woe" signifies ruin and disaster.
  • God's Authority: The title "Lord GOD" (Adonai Yahweh) emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and His covenant relationship, asserting His right and power to execute judgment upon His unfaithful people.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "woe" is 'oy or hoy, an interjection that can express sorrow, lament, or a dire threat. Its repetition, "woe, woe," intensifies the pronouncement, indicating a profound and inescapable calamity. This double "woe" carries a weight of grief combined with a declaration of certain punishment, similar to other prophetic pronouncements of judgment (Isaiah 5:20).

Spiritual Application

While specifically addressed to ancient Jerusalem, Ezekiel 16:23 holds timeless spiritual lessons. It reminds us that God is holy and just, and there are serious consequences for persistent sin and spiritual unfaithfulness. For believers, it serves as a solemn warning against spiritual idolatry—anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts—and encourages a life of genuine devotion and obedience. It also reveals God's lament over His people's choices, showing that His judgment is not without sorrow. This verse calls us to examine our own hearts and lives, ensuring our allegiance is solely to the Lord God, and to repent where we have fallen short.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Matthew 23:13

    But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

  • Matthew 23:29

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

  • Revelation 8:13

    And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

  • Ezekiel 13:18

    And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the [women] that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive [that come] unto you?

  • Ezekiel 13:3

    Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

  • Revelation 12:12

    ¶ Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

  • Jeremiah 13:27

    I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, [and] thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when [shall it] once [be]?
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