Ezekiel 23:29

Translation
King James Version
And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And they shall deal H6213 with thee hatefully H8135, and shall take away H3947 all thy labour H3018, and shall leave H5800 thee naked H5903 and bare H6181: and the nakedness H6172 of thy whoredoms H2183 shall be discovered H1540, both thy lewdness H2154 and thy whoredoms H8457.
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Complete Jewish Bible
and they will deal with you in hatred, seize everything you have worked for, and leave you naked and exposed - the full shame of your whoring will be exposed, your lewdness and your fornicating.
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Berean Standard Bible
They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity
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American Standard Version
and they shall deal with thee in hatred, and shall take away all thy labor, and shall leave thee naked and bare; and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be uncovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
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World English Bible Messianic
and they shall deal with you in hatred, and shall take away all your labor, and shall leave you naked and bare; and the nakedness of your prostitution shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your prostitution.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And they shall handle thee despitefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leaue thee naked and bare, and the shame of thy fornications shalbe discouered, both thy wickednes, and thy whoredome.
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Young's Literal Translation
And they have dealt with thee in hatred, And they have taken all thy labour, And they have left thee naked and bare, And revealed hath been the nakedness of thy whoredoms, And the wickedness of thy whoredoms.
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See also
Ezekiel 16:39Ezekiel 23:45Ezekiel 23:47Ezekiel 23:25Ezekiel 23:26Ezekiel 23:18Deuteronomy 28:47
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Oholah and Oholibah
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In the KJVVerse 21,037 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezekiel 23:29 delivers a stark prophetic indictment against Jerusalem (Oholibah), vividly depicting the severe and humiliating divine judgment awaiting her due to persistent spiritual infidelity. The verse foretells how the very nations with whom Judah formed illicit political and religious alliances would turn against her with intense animosity, plundering her wealth and exposing her utter nakedness and shame. This divine retribution underscores the inescapable consequences of abandoning God's covenant for idolatry and worldly schemes, culminating in public disgrace, complete desolation, and the full revelation of her pervasive sin.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 23 functions as an extended and powerful allegory, portraying the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria, personified as Oholah) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem, personified as Oholibah) as two sisters who engaged in spiritual prostitution. Their "whoredom" symbolizes their persistent idolatry and their unholy political alliances with pagan nations like Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon, rather than maintaining exclusive trust in the Lord. Verse 29 specifically details the climactic and devastating judgment against Oholibah (Jerusalem), following a detailed indictment of her escalating unfaithfulness, as seen in passages like Ezekiel 23:5-21. It serves as the direct consequence of God's declaration that He would stir up her former lovers against her, as articulated in Ezekiel 23:22. The verse thus functions as a grim summary of the impending devastation and public humiliation that awaits Jerusalem as a result of her profound covenant betrayal.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecies of Ezekiel were delivered during the Babylonian exile, a period of immense national crisis and theological reckoning for Judah. At the time of this particular prophecy, Jerusalem, though not yet utterly destroyed, was under severe threat from the burgeoning power of the Babylonian Empire. Historically, Judah had repeatedly demonstrated a wavering loyalty to Yahweh, seeking security through treaties and alliances with dominant regional empires such as Egypt and Assyria, often adopting their idolatrous practices and religious syncretism. This spiritual and political apostasy is precisely what the prophet condemns as "whoredom." Culturally, nakedness and public exposure in the ancient Near East constituted the ultimate forms of humiliation, disgrace, and loss of honor, frequently inflicted upon conquered enemies or those found guilty of severe moral transgressions. The vivid imagery of being "naked and bare" and having "whoredoms discovered" would have resonated deeply with Ezekiel's audience as a profound statement of utter shame, complete vulnerability, and the stripping away of all dignity, mirroring the historical reality of Jerusalem's impending siege, destruction, and the subsequent exile by the Babylonians.

  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes pervasive within the book of Ezekiel and broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it highlights the theme of Divine Judgment for Unfaithfulness, emphasizing that God's justice is an inescapable reality for those who betray His covenant. Judah's spiritual adultery and political apostasy inevitably lead to her downfall, demonstrating God's righteous indignation against persistent sin and rebellion. Secondly, the verse underscores the theme of Public Shame and Exposure of Sin. The act of being "left naked and bare" and having "whoredoms discovered" signifies not only physical desolation but also the complete stripping away of dignity and the public revelation of hidden sins, a common prophetic motif found in passages like Isaiah 47:3 and Nahum 3:5. This serves as a stark reminder that God will ultimately bring all hidden things to light, as affirmed in Luke 12:2. Thirdly, the phrase "take away all thy labour" speaks to the theme of Loss and Desolation, indicating the complete plundering of Jerusalem's wealth, resources, and all the achievements born of her national existence. It portrays the utter ruin that accompanies divine judgment, leaving the nation desolate and barren, a severe fulfillment of the curses for disobedience outlined in Deuteronomy 28.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Hatefully (Hebrew, sinʼâh', H8135): Derived from the root meaning "to hate," this word conveys an intense, active enmity and profound hostility. In this context, it describes the deep animosity with which Judah's former allies, now instruments of God's judgment, would turn upon her. It emphasizes the complete reversal of their relationship from desired partners to vengeful adversaries, reflecting the depth of God's righteous anger being channeled through these nations.
  • Labour (Hebrew, yᵉgîyaʻ', H3018): This term refers to the product of toil, work, or effort, encompassing one's produce, property, or accumulated wealth. The phrase "take away all thy labour" signifies the complete plundering and confiscation of Jerusalem's material possessions, economic achievements, and the very fruit of her national existence. It speaks to the utter desolation and impoverishment that would result from the Babylonian conquest, leaving the nation stripped of all its resources and accomplishments.
  • Discovered (Hebrew, gâlâh', H1540): A primitive root meaning "to denude," "to reveal," or "to uncover," often specifically in a disgraceful sense. When applied to "the nakedness of thy whoredoms," it powerfully depicts the public exposure of Jerusalem's spiritual infidelity and moral depravity. This is not merely a private revelation but a public unveiling of her shame, signifying that her hidden sins and illicit alliances would be laid bare for all to see, leading to utter humiliation and the profound loss of honor.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And they shall deal with thee hatefully": This clause signifies a dramatic and hostile shift in the relationship between Jerusalem and the very nations she had courted (primarily Babylon, but also referencing past alliances with Assyria and Egypt). Instead of receiving favor, protection, or benefit from these alliances, these nations, now acting as agents of God's judgment, would treat her with intense animosity and active hostility, reflecting the divine wrath against her profound unfaithfulness.
  • "and shall take away all thy labour": This refers to the comprehensive plundering of Jerusalem's wealth, resources, and all the material gains she had accumulated through her efforts and national life. It speaks to the complete economic devastation and confiscation of property that would accompany the invasion, leaving the city and its inhabitants utterly destitute and deprived of all their possessions and the fruit of their toil.
  • "and shall leave thee naked and bare": This vivid and graphic imagery portrays Jerusalem stripped of all protection, dignity, and material possessions. "Naked" implies extreme vulnerability and profound shame, while "bare" emphasizes utter destitution, exposure, and the absence of any covering or defense. It symbolizes the complete loss of national honor, security, and material comfort, leaving her utterly defenseless and publicly disgraced.
  • "and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms": This climactic phrase reveals the ultimate, humiliating purpose of the judgment: the public exposure of Jerusalem's spiritual prostitution and moral depravity. "Nakedness of thy whoredoms" refers to the shameful reality of her idolatry and unholy alliances being laid bare for all to see. The emphatic repetition of "lewdness" (Hebrew: zimmâh, signifying moral depravity, wicked schemes, or heinous crime) and "whoredoms" (Hebrew: taznûwth, referring to harlotry, especially spiritual idolatry) underscores the pervasive, scandalous, and undeniable nature of her sin, which would be openly revealed for all to witness her profound disgrace and the justness of her judgment.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 23:29 is rich in literary devices that amplify its message of severe judgment and profound disgrace. The entire chapter employs Allegory, where the two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, personify the kingdoms of Samaria and Jerusalem, respectively, allowing complex theological concepts of covenant infidelity to be conveyed through a relatable, albeit shocking, narrative. Personification is evident as Jerusalem (Oholibah) is vividly portrayed as a woman engaging in prostitution, making her unfaithfulness tangible, morally reprehensible, and deeply offensive to God. The central Metaphor of "whoredom" is consistently used to describe Israel and Judah's spiritual idolatry and their illicit political alliances, equating covenant breaking with sexual infidelity, thereby highlighting its profound severity and offensive nature to a holy God. Furthermore, the verse utilizes powerful Imagery of "nakedness and bareness" and the "discovery of whoredoms." This imagery viscerally conveys humiliation, vulnerability, destitution, and public shame, evoking a strong emotional reaction in the audience and underscoring the utter disgrace of Jerusalem's downfall. The Repetition of "whoredoms" at the end of the verse ("both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms") serves to emphasize the pervasive, undeniable, and comprehensive nature of Judah's sin, reinforcing the justice and inevitability of the impending divine judgment.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 23:29 powerfully articulates the theological principle that God is a jealous God who demands exclusive devotion from His covenant people. The severe judgment meted out to Jerusalem is a direct consequence of her spiritual idolatry and her reliance on human alliances rather than divine faithfulness. This passage underscores the truth that sin, particularly covenant unfaithfulness and spiritual apostasy, inevitably leads to devastating consequences, including public shame, loss of dignity, and material desolation. It reveals God's unwavering commitment to justice, demonstrating that He will not tolerate persistent rebellion and that what is done in secret will ultimately be exposed. The imagery of nakedness and plundering serves as a stark reminder of the spiritual and material ruin that results from a broken relationship with God, highlighting the sanctity of the covenant and the gravity of its breach.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 23:29 serves as a timeless and potent warning against spiritual compromise and divided loyalties, resonating deeply with believers today. It compels us to critically examine the objects of our ultimate trust and devotion. Any pursuit or alliance—be it wealth, power, human approval, worldly ideologies, or self-sufficiency—that supplants God as our primary source of security, identity, and worship constitutes a contemporary form of spiritual "whoredom." While believers in Christ are under grace and not under the law, this passage reminds us that persistent unfaithfulness and rebellion, even within a covenant relationship, can lead to painful natural consequences, a loss of spiritual vitality, and a fractured relationship with God. God's justice ensures that all hidden sin will eventually be exposed, which should motivate us to live lives of integrity, genuine repentance, and unwavering devotion to Him. Our call is to maintain an exclusive and passionate commitment to the Lord, recognizing that true security, lasting fulfillment, and genuine honor are found only in Him.

Questions for Reflection

  • What "alliances" or sources of security might I be trusting in more than God in my life today, subtly or overtly?
  • In what areas of my life might I be engaging in "spiritual whoredom" by compromising my exclusive devotion to Christ and His kingdom?
  • How does the biblical concept of God exposing hidden sin motivate me toward greater integrity, transparency, and genuine repentance?
  • What concrete steps can I take to cultivate a more exclusive, passionate, and unwavering devotion to God in my daily life?

FAQ

What is the significance of "nakedness" in this verse?

Answer: In the ancient Near East, nakedness was a profoundly powerful symbol of utter humiliation, shame, vulnerability, and destitution. When God declares that Jerusalem will be left "naked and bare" and that the "nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered," it signifies far more than a physical stripping away of possessions. It represents a complete loss of honor, dignity, and protection. It means her spiritual infidelity and moral depravity would be publicly exposed for all to see, bringing about ultimate disgrace and an irreversible loss of reputation. This imagery is a common and potent motif in prophetic literature to depict the consequences of idolatry and covenant breaking, as vividly seen in passages like Isaiah 47:3 and Lamentations 1:8.

Does "whoredoms" in Ezekiel 23:29 refer to literal sexual immorality?

Answer: While the term "whoredoms" (Hebrew: zânûwn or taznûwth) can certainly refer to literal sexual immorality, in the context of Ezekiel 23 and much of the prophetic literature, it is primarily employed as a powerful and graphic metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness. It describes Israel and Judah's idolatry—their worship of other gods and participation in pagan cults—and their illicit political alliances with pagan nations. These actions were seen as a profound betrayal of their covenant relationship with Yahweh, who was metaphorically depicted as their husband. Just as physical adultery breaks a marriage covenant, spiritual "whoredom" broke the divine covenant, representing the gravest form of rebellion against God's exclusive claim on His people. This metaphorical usage is central to understanding the theological message of books like Hosea and Jeremiah 3.

Who are "they" who will deal hatefully and take away Jerusalem's labor?

Answer: "They" refers to the very nations with whom Jerusalem (Oholibah) had formed unholy alliances and sought security, particularly the Babylonians and their allied forces. God explicitly declares that He would stir up these "lovers" against her, as stated in Ezekiel 23:22, turning them into instruments of His divine judgment. This highlights the profound irony and just nature of God's retribution: those Judah trusted in more than God would become the very agents of her destruction, plundering her wealth, exposing her shame, and bringing about her desolation. This judgment culminated historically in the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, as meticulously recorded in 2 Kings 25.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 23:29, with its stark portrayal of divine judgment, public nakedness, and the exposure of sin, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment not in a direct messianic prophecy, but in the ultimate solution Christ provides for humanity's pervasive spiritual "whoredom" and its devastating consequences. Humanity, like Oholibah, has continually turned away from God, pursuing idols, false securities, and self-serving alliances, leaving us spiritually naked and utterly exposed before a holy and just God (Romans 3:23). The "labour" of our self-righteousness, our attempts to earn favor, and our efforts to cover our shame are utterly insufficient and are "taken away" in the face of divine judgment (Isaiah 64:6). Christ, however, is the perfectly faithful covenant partner whom Israel failed to be. He bore the full weight of humanity's sin and shame, enduring public nakedness and profound humiliation on the cross, so that our "nakedness of whoredoms" might be covered by His perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His sacrificial death, the "lewdness and whoredoms" of our rebellion are not merely exposed but are fully atoned for, allowing us to be clothed with His salvation and righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). Thus, while Ezekiel 23:29 depicts the just and terrifying consequences of unfaithfulness, Christ offers the pathway to radical restoration, covering our shame, redeeming our brokenness, and reconciling us to God through His ultimate act of covenant faithfulness (Hebrews 9:14).

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Commentary on Ezekiel 23 verses 22–49

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

Jerusalem stands indicted by the name of Aholibah, for that she, as a false traitor to her sovereign Lord the God of heaven, not having his fear before her eyes, but moved by the instigation of the devil, had revolted from her allegiance to him, had compassed and imagined to shake off his government, had kept up a correspondence had joined in confederacy with his enemies, and the pretenders to a deity, in contempt of his crown and dignity. To this indictment she has pleaded, Not guilty: I am not polluted; I have not gone after Baalim. But it is found against her by the notorious evidence of the fact, and she stands convicted of it, nor has any thing material to offer why judgment should not be given and execution awarded according to law. In these verses, therefore, we have the sentence.

I. Her old confederates must be her executioners; and those whom she had courted to be her leaders in sin are now to be employed as instruments of her punishment (Eze 23:22): "I will raise up thy lovers against thee, the Chaldeans, whom formerly thou didst so much admire and covet an acquaintance with, but from whom thy mind is since alienated and with whom thou hast perfidiously broken covenant." They are called thy lovers (Eze 23:22) and yet (Eze 23:28) those whom thou hatest. Note, It is common for sinful love soon to turn into hatred; as Amnon's to Tamar. Those of headstrong and unreasonable passions are often very hot against those persons and things that a little before they were as hot for. Fools run into extremes; nay, and wise men may see cause to change their sentiments. And therefore, as we should rejoice and weep as if we rejoiced not and wept not, so we should love and hate as if we loved not and hated not. Ita ama tanquam osurus - Love as one who may have cause to feel aversion.

II. The execution to be done upon her is very terrible.

1.Her enemies shall come against her on every side (Eze 23:22), those of the several nations that constituted the Chaldean army (Eze 23:23), all of them great lords and renowned, whose pomp, and grandeur, and splendid appearance made them look the more amiable when they came as friends to protect and patronise Jerusalem, but the more formidable when they came to chastise its treachery and aimed at no less than its ruin. (1.) They shall come with a great deal of military force (Eze 23:24), with chariots and wagons furnished with all necessary provisions for a camp, with arms and ammunition, bag and baggage, with a vast army, and well armed. (2.) They shall have justice on their side: "I will set judgment before them" (they shall have right with them as well as might; for the king of Babylon had just cause to make war upon the king of Judah, because he had broken his league with him), "and therefore they shall judge thee, not only according to God's judgments, as the instruments of his justice, to punish thee for the indignities done to him, but according to their judgments, according to the law of nations, to punish thee for thy perfidious dealings with them." (3.) They shall prosecute the war with a great deal of fury and resentment. It being a war of revenge, they shall deal with thee hatefully, Eze 23:29. This will make the execution the more severe that their swords will be dipped in poison. Thou hatest them, and they shall deal hatefully with thee; those that hate will be hated and will be hatefully dealt with. (4.) God himself will lead them on, and his anger shall be mingled with theirs (Eze 23:25): I will set my jealousy against thee; that shall kindle this fire, and then they shall deal furiously with thee. If men deal ever so hatefully, ever so furiously, with us, yet, if we have God on our side, we need not fear them; they can do us no real hurt. But if men deal furiously with us, and God set his jealousy against us too, what will become of us?

2.The particulars of the sentence here passed upon this notorious adulteress are, (1.) That all she has shall be seized on. The clothes and the fair jewels, with which she had endeavoured to recommend herself to her lovers, these she shall be stripped of, Eze 23:26. All those things that were the ornaments of their state shall be taken away: "They shall take away all thy labour, all that thou hast gotten by thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare," Eze 23:29. Both city and country shall be impoverished and all the wealth of both swept away. (2.) That her children shall go into captivity. "They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and make slaves of them (Eze 23:25); for they are children of whoredoms, unworthy the dignities and privileges of Israelites," Hos 2:4. (3.) That she shall be stigmatized and deformed: "They shall take away thy nose and thy ears, shall mark thee for a harlot, and render thee for ever odious," Eze 23:25. This intimates the many cruelties of the Chaldean soldiers towards the Jews that fell into their hands, whom, it is probable, they used barbarously. Some will have this to be understood figuratively; and by the nose they think is meant the kingly dignity, and by the ears that of the priesthood. (4.) That she shall be exposed to shame: Thy lewdness and thy whoredoms shall be discovered (Eze 23:29), as, when a malefactor is punished, all his crimes are ripped up, and repeated to his disgrace; what was secret then comes to light, and what was done long since is then called to mind. (5.) That she shall be quite cut off and ruined: "The remnant of thy people that have escaped the famine and pestilence shall fall by the sword; and the residue of thy houses that have not been battered down about thy ears shall be devoured by the fire," Eze 23:25. And this shall be the end of Jerusalem.

III. Because she has trod in the steps of Samaria's sins, she must expect no other than Samaria's fate. It is common, in giving judgment, to have an eye to precedents; so has God in passing this sentence on Jerusalem (Eze 23:31, etc.): "Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister, notwithstanding the warning thou hast had given thee, by the fatal consequences of her wickedness; and therefore I will give her cup, her portion of miseries, into thy hand, the cup of the Lord's fury, which will be to thee a cup of trembling." Now, 1. This cup is said to be deep and large, and to contain much (Eze 23:32), abundance of God's wrath and abundance of miseries, the fruits of that wrath. It is such a cup as that which we read of, Jer 25:15, Jer 25:16. The cup of divine vengeance holds a great deal, and so those will find into whose hand it shall be put. 2. They shall be made to drink the very dregs of this cup, as the wicked are said to do (Psa 75:8): "Thou shalt drink it and suck it out, not because it is pleasant, but because it is forced upon thee (Eze 23:34); thou shalt break the shreds thereof, and pluck off thy own breasts, for indignation at the extreme bitterness of this cup, being full of the fury of the Lord (Isa 51:20), as men in great anguish tear their hair, and throw every thing from them. Finding there is no remedy, but it must be drank (for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God), thou shalt have no manner of patience in the drinking of it." 3. They shall be intoxicated by it, made sick, and be at their wits' end, as men in drink are, staggering, and stumbling, and ready to fall (Eze 23:33): Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow. Note, Drunkenness has sorrow attending it, to such a degree that the utmost confusion and astonishment are here represented by it. Who would think that that which is such a force upon nature, such a scandal to it, which deprives men of their reason, disorders them to the last degree, and is therefore expressive of the greatest misery, should yet be with many a beloved sin, that they should damn their own souls to distemper their own bodies? Who has woe and sorrow like them? Pro 23:29. 4. Being so intoxicated, they shall become, as drunkards deserve to be, a laughing-stock to all about them (Eze 23:32): Thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision, as acting ridiculously in every thing thou goest about. When God is about to ruin a people he makes their judges fools and pours contempt on their princes, Job 12:17, Job 12:21.

IV. In all this God will be justified, and by all this they will be reformed; and so the issue even of this will be God's glory and their good. 1. They have been bad, very bad, and that justifies God in all that is brought upon them (Eze 23:30): I will do these things unto thee because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and (Eze 23:35) because thou hast forgotten me and cast me behind thy back. Note, Forgetfulness of God, and a contempt of him, of his eye upon us and authority over us, are at the bottom of all our treacherous adulterous departures from him. Therefore men wander after idols, because they forget God, and their obligations to him; nor could they look with so much desire and delight upon the baits of sin if they did not first cast God behind their back, as not worthy to be regarded. And those who put such an affront upon God, how can they think but that it should turn upon themselves at last? Therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms; that is, thou shalt suffer the punishment of them, and thou alone must bear the blame. Men need no more to sink them than the weight of their own sins; and those who will not part with their lewdness and their whoredoms must bear them. 2. They shall be better, much better, and this fire, though consuming to many, shall be refining to a remnant (Eze 23:27): Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee. The judgments which were brought upon them by their sins parted between them and their sins, and taught them at length to say, What have we to do any more with idols? Observe, (1.) How inveterate the disease was: Thy whoredoms were brought from the land of Egypt. Their disposition to idolatry was early and innate, their practice of it was ancient, and had gained a sort of prescription by long usage. (2.) How complete the cure was notwithstanding: "Though it has taken root, yet it shall be made to cease, so that thou shalt not so much as lift up thy eyes to the idols again, nor remember Egypt with pleasure any more." They shall avoid the occasions of this sin, for they shall not so much as look upon an idol, lest their hearts should unawares walk after their eyes. And they shall abandon all inclinations to it: "They shall not remember Egypt; they shall not retain any of that affection for idols which they had from the very infancy of their nation." They got it, through the corruption of nature, in their bondage in Egypt, and lost it, through the grace of God, in their captivity in Babylon, which this was the blessed fruit of, even the taking away of sin, of that sin; so that whereas, before the captivity, no nation (all things considered) was more impetuously bent upon idols and idolatry than they were, after that captivity no nation was more vehemently set against idols and idolatry than they were, insomuch that at this day the image-worship which is practised in the church of Rome confirms the Jews as much as any thing in their prejudices against the Christian religion.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 22–49. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Ver. 23, 24 onwards) Again, I raised my hand against them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the lands, because they had not performed my judgments, and had rejected my commandments, and had violated my Sabbaths, and their eyes had been after the idols (or thoughts) of their fathers. Therefore, I also gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they would not live, and I defiled them in their offerings (or transgressions), as they offered (or led astray) everything that opens the womb because of their sins (for which the Septuagint translated, to destroy them and what they had overlooked): and they will know that I am the Lord. Where in the Old Testament, against their children, who fell in the wilderness, the Lord lifted up His hand to scatter them among the nations, Scripture does not say; but it is to be believed that this was done in accordance with what is reported here. Or he signifies by this, that after they entered the promised land, they were given over at various times, for many sins, to different nations and kings, and at that time the commandments of the Lord, which were good according to their nature, and the judgments by which believers could live, were made not good for them, since they were in no way able to keep the precepts of the law in captivity, and to do what the divine word commanded. He did not say, 'I gave them evil commandments,' but, 'not good commandments.' For it does not immediately follow that what is not good is evil, as the Apostle teaches, it is good for a man not to touch a woman; but because of incontinence, let each possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor (I Cor. VII). And if he does not do this, it is neither good nor evil. Therefore, God gave them, dispersed among the nations, not good commandments, that is, he allowed them to follow their own thoughts and desires, to do what is not appropriate. And he defiled them in his gifts: just as a Priest separates lepers from the people, and shows that they are defiled; while they offer to idols what they should offer to God. And they pass everything that opens the womb through the fire of Baal, that is, the firstborn; so that after they have deserted God and been handed over to the worship of idols, then they may understand that He is the Lord whom they have provoked to anger by their own fault. Symmachus interpreted this passage more explicitly, treating the future as past. Therefore, I will also give them bad precepts and judgments for which they will not live, and I will defile them because of their gifts, as they consecrate and offer everything that opens the womb, so that I may destroy them, and they will know that I am the Lord. And the meaning is this: because I have seen the sons of the fathers equaling the wickedness of their ancestors and doing the same things for which they offended God, I wanted to divide them into nations and disperse them throughout the whole world, and give them bad precepts and judgments in which they would not live, so that I may defile them with their gifts, for they consecrated everything that opens the womb to idols, and I may destroy them forever, and they will know that I am the Lord. Through which he showed that he had not given them good commandments who dwelt in the wilderness, but to those whom he wanted to scatter among the nations, and to make foreigners in the whole world, he gave them a desire for things that he did not give: so that there they would do good commandments of God, not good because of their own fault, while they exhibited to idols what God had commanded to be exhibited. This can also be said, that before the offense, they received only the Ten Commandments; but after idolatry and blasphemy, they received multiple ceremonies of the law, so that they would offer victims to God rather than to demons, and by comparison with sacrilege, what was not good in itself became lighter, and by no means evil, because it was offered to God, and yet not good, because they offended the author of good.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 27, 29 onwards) Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: Moreover, your fathers have blasphemed against me and have treated me with contempt, even as they spurned me. And I brought them into the land that I had lifted my hand to give them ((Vulgate adds: that land)): they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices and presented there the irritation of their offerings, and they placed there the fragrance of their sweetness, and they poured out their ((Vulgate is silent on this)) libations there. And I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you are going?' And its name was called the High Place until this day. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: As for your fathers, they have provoked Me to anger by their iniquities, by the fact that they have fallen away from Me. So I brought them into the land that I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them.' They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. They also presented there the provocation of their gifts, and they set there their pleasing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. And I said to them: What is abbana, because you enter there? And they called its name abbana until this day. I wanted, he said, to scatter them in the wilderness, and to give them not good precepts, so that they would sacrifice to idols what they should have offered to me, and consecrate all their first-fruits to them by fire, so that I might kill them and destroy them. But when he says, I wanted, he shows that he did not do what he wanted. And that which follows: 'And they shall know that I am the Lord,' is not found in the Septuagint. For it did not seem fitting to them to know after their destruction that he himself is the Lord. But you, son of man, speak again to them, that is, to the elders of the house of Israel, who have come to inquire of you: Your fathers, from whom you have descended, have also blasphemed against me and held me in contempt; after I brought them into the land which I had given them to possess, they turned against me to provoke me. For when they saw every high hill and leafy tree, they would sacrifice on the mountains and in the groves and thickets, and offer victims to the idols, and pour out libations. And when I saw this, I said to them: What is this, Bama? for it is called high: or why do you enter into such a place which you have chosen for yourselves in all the hills, so that even today these places are called Bamoth, and the ancient error retains its original name? Regarding Bama, which we translate as excelsum, there is an error in the Septuagint edition, where it is written as ἀββανὰ, which does not resonate in the Hebrew language. Bama can mean 'in which' if the two syllables are divided into two words, but in the present context, that sense does not fit. However, wherever it is written in the Books of Kings and Chronicles: 'The people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places,' Bama in the singular and Bamoth in the plural mean 'high places.'
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 28 and following) For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom your soul is sated. And they will deal with you in hatred, and they will take away all your labors, and they will leave you naked and full of shame, and the shame of your fornications will be revealed. Your wickedness and your fornications have done this to you, because you have prostituted yourself to the nations, among whom you have defiled yourself with their idols. You have walked in the way of your sister, and I will give her cup into your hand. Thus says the Lord God: You shall drink the deep and wide cup of your sister. You shall be a laughingstock and a mockery, a very large mock. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of mourning and sadness, the cup of your sister Samaria. And you will drink it and gulp it down to the dregs, and you will devour its fragments, and you will tear your breasts (or as the Septuagint translated: I will take away her feasts and new moons); for I have spoken, says the Lord God (Vulgate adds God). Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself also bear your wickedness and your adulteries. It is profitable for Jerusalem to have enmity against the Assyrians and the Chaldeans, and to not remember Egypt; but rather, to be delivered into their hands for punishment, those who hated her: to whom it is not given before, unless their souls are satisfied with them, so that after repenting of their old sins, then they may be cleansed with punishments, and may destroy all the works which she acquired by her harlotry: and may see her nakedness and shame; and may know that the Lord did not do all these things for her, but rather her adulteries, by which she committed adultery among the nations whom she enumerated above, so that she would worship their idols. In the streets, she says, you have walked with your sister Samaria: therefore you must drink the cup of her sins, which you have followed. However, there are many examples of the cup, which is often received for punishments and torments, among which is this: The cup in the hand of the Lord is full of mixed wine, and He poured from this into that: but its dregs were not emptied, all the sinners of the earth will drink from it (Psalm 75:8, 9). And in Isaiah it is called the cup of ruin and the goblet of fury (Isaiah 51:17). And God spoke to Jeremiah, saying: Take the cup of wine from my hand, and you shall drink to all the nations, to whom I will send you. And they shall drink, and vomit, and become mad (Jerem. XXV, 15). Just as certain purgatives are given, so that the harmful humor that is in the body may be expelled: so the Lord also gives the most bitter cup of torments, so that he may take away from sinners whatever is of gall and bitterness, and restore them to their former health. And the cup itself will be deep and wide. Deep, in the magnitude of punishment; wide, in the length of captivity. But when, he says, you have become drunk and been seized by pain, and you drink the cup even to the dregs, and you have drunk so much that you devour even the fragments of the cup itself: then you will be disgusted by your former fornication, and you will tear the breasts that were broken in Egypt, and those that were subdued and bruised by your lovers: whether I take away all your feasts and new moons, so that instead of celebration and joy, you will have eternal lamentation and sorrow. Since you have done these things, and have forgotten about me, and have cast me behind your body, or backwards, because of the sins of the body, or behind the genitals, which indicate the filthiness of shame: Therefore, you are the gate of your own wickedness and impiety, namely the punishments that you have deserved because of your impiety and wickedness. This can be understood significantly in regard to Jerusalem, which drinks the cup of her sister Samaria to the last drop, and has drunk the dregs of her torments to the very bottom.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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