Ezekiel 23:35

Translation
King James Version
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069; Because thou hast forgotten H7911 me, and cast H7993 me behind H310 thy back H1458, therefore bear H5375 thou also thy lewdness H2154 and thy whoredoms H8457.
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Complete Jewish Bible
"Therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because you forgot me and flung me behind your back, you will bear the guilt of your lewdness and whoring.'"
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Berean Standard Bible
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’”
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American Standard Version
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.
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World English Bible Messianic
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore you also bear your lewdness and your prostitution.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behinde thy backe, therefore thou shalt also beare thy wickednes and thy whoredome.
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Young's Literal Translation
Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast forgotten Me, And thou dost cast Me behind thy back, Even thou also bear thy wickedness and thy whoredoms.'
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See also
1 Kings 14:9Ezekiel 22:12Jeremiah 3:21Isaiah 17:10Jeremiah 32:33Numbers 14:34Hosea 8:14
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Oholah and Oholibah
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In the KJVVerse 21,043 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Ezekiel 23:35 delivers a potent divine judgment against Judah and Israel, personified as the unfaithful sisters Oholah and Oholibah. This verse climactically declares the inevitable consequences of their profound spiritual infidelity, specifically their deliberate rejection of Yahweh, their covenant God, and their embrace of idolatry and illicit foreign alliances. It underscores the severe principle that forgetting God and casting Him aside directly leads to bearing the full, painful weight of one's own depravity and spiritual prostitution.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel chapter 23 continues the prophet's extended and often graphic use of allegorical imagery to expose the spiritual adultery of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (represented by Oholah, Samaria) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (represented by Oholibah, Jerusalem). Building upon the detailed indictment of Jerusalem's unfaithfulness in Ezekiel 16, this chapter intensifies the metaphor of prostitution to describe their escalating depravity. The narrative meticulously chronicles their illicit political and religious alliances with powerful foreign empires—Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt—and their adoption of pagan worship practices. These acts are portrayed as a profound betrayal of their covenant vows to Yahweh, their divine husband. Verse 35 marks a critical turning point in this extended indictment, serving as a definitive pronouncement of judgment. It signals the exhaustion of God's forbearance and the commencement of their just recompense, flowing logically and severely from the detailed accounts of their "whoredoms" in the preceding verses.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop for Ezekiel's prophecy is the turbulent period leading up to and during the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE). Both the Northern Kingdom (Samaria, fallen in 722 BCE) and the Southern Kingdom (Jerusalem, facing imminent destruction) repeatedly sought security through political and military alliances with dominant regional powers like Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon, rather than placing their trust solely in the Lord. This strategic maneuvering was invariably accompanied by the adoption of the foreign nations' gods, cultic practices, and idolatrous rituals, a direct and egregious violation of the Mosaic covenant's fundamental command for exclusive worship of Yahweh (e.g., Exodus 20:3-5). The "whoredoms" described in the text are primarily spiritual, symbolizing Israel's and Judah's idolatry and their abandonment of the covenant relationship with God. In the ancient Near East, covenants were frequently conceptualized using marriage imagery, making spiritual infidelity a profound betrayal, akin to adultery in a human marriage, and thus deserving of severe societal and divine punishment. Ezekiel's audience, intimately familiar with both covenant theology and the societal disgrace associated with prostitution, would have powerfully understood the depth of the accusation.

  • Key Themes: Ezekiel 23:35 encapsulates several major theological and narrative themes that permeate the book of Ezekiel and the broader prophetic literature. A central theme is Divine Judgment for Spiritual Adultery, where God's righteous wrath is unleashed against His covenant people for their persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness. This is a recurring motif, powerfully echoed in other prophetic books such as Hosea 1-3, where Israel's unfaithfulness is similarly depicted as harlotry. Another crucial theme highlighted is the Consequences of Forgetting God. The phrase "Because thou hast forgotten me" identifies the root sin: a deliberate and active disregard for God's commands, His past acts of deliverance, and His very existence as the supreme authority in their national life. This spiritual amnesia leads inevitably to severe penalties, a warning found throughout the Torah (e.g., Deuteronomy 8:11). Furthermore, the command "therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms" emphasizes the principle of Bearing One's Own Sins and individual and corporate accountability, signifying that the nations will face the full, unmitigated weight of the consequences of their own sinful choices. They will reap what they have sown, a principle clearly articulated in Ezekiel 18:20. Finally, the verse powerfully affirms God's Sovereignty and Justice, demonstrating that despite His people's rebellion, God remains in control, executing justice according to His holy character, ensuring His judgments are not arbitrary but a direct and just response to their actions.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • forgotten (Hebrew, shâkach', H7911): This term signifies more than a mere lapse of memory. It implies a deliberate disregard or neglect, a turning away from what one should remember, honor, and obey. In this context, it speaks to a profound spiritual amnesia and an active rejection of God's covenant, His commands, and His past acts of deliverance and provision. It is a willful act of ignoring God's rightful place and authority in their lives.
  • cast (Hebrew, shâlak', H7993): This primitive root means "to throw out, down or away" (literally or figuratively). When paired with "behind thy back," it forms a powerful idiom. It conveys an act of profound contempt, disdain, and utter rejection. To "cast me behind thy back" means to treat God's laws, His presence, and His covenant as worthless, irrelevant, and something to be discarded without a second thought, indicative of profound rebellion and disrespect.
  • lewdness (Hebrew, zimmâh', H2154): This word denotes a plan, especially a bad one; a heinous crime, mischief, or wicked device. While it can be associated with sexual immorality, here it is applied to the spiritual perversion and idolatry of Israel and Judah. It speaks to the corrupt nature of their actions, not merely as isolated sins but as a deliberate, calculated pattern of evil thought and behavior, demonstrating a depraved mind.
  • whoredoms (Hebrew, taznûwth', H8457): This term directly means "harlotry" or "fornication." In the prophetic books, it is consistently used figuratively to describe spiritual infidelity, idolatry, and the breaking of the covenant with God by seeking alliances with foreign gods and nations. It underscores the depth of their betrayal, likening their spiritual unfaithfulness to the most debased and shameful form of human betrayal and moral corruption.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD;": This opening phrase powerfully establishes the divine authority and unwavering certainty of the pronouncement that follows. It is not a human opinion or a prophetic lament but a direct, authoritative word from Yahweh (H3069), the sovereign Lord (H136, H559), indicating that what follows is an unalterable decree of judgment from the ultimate judge of all the earth.
  • "Because thou hast forgotten me,": This clause identifies the foundational sin: a profound and willful spiritual amnesia. Israel and Judah had deliberately chosen to disregard God, His covenant, His commands, and His past acts of faithfulness and provision towards them. This "forgetting" is not accidental but an active turning away from their divine relationship, a conscious neglect of their covenant obligations.
  • "and cast me behind thy back,": This idiomatic expression intensifies the previous charge, signifying utter contempt and defiant rejection. To cast God behind one's back (H310, H1458) is to treat Him as inconsequential, to dismiss His authority and presence, and to turn one's attention fully towards other, forbidden pursuits. It speaks to a deliberate and defiant act of spiritual abandonment, demonstrating a complete lack of reverence and respect for the Holy One of Israel.
  • "therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.": This final clause pronounces the just and inescapable consequence (H5375, nâsâʼ). Because of their deliberate forgetting and contemptuous rejection of God, they will now be forced to "bear" the full weight and responsibility of their own wicked schemes ("lewdness," H2154) and spiritual prostitution ("whoredoms," H8457). This is a declaration of divine retribution, where the punishment directly fits the crime, emphasizing their accountability and the inevitability of reaping the bitter harvest of their own sinful choices.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 23:35 is rich in Allegory and Symbolism, as the entire chapter employs the extended metaphor of two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, as wives to God who commit "whoredoms" (spiritual adultery). This verse brings the allegorical judgment to a climactic declaration. The phrase "cast me behind thy back" is a powerful Idiom, conveying profound contempt and rejection through a vivid physical action, illustrating the nations' disdain for God's covenant. The verse also employs a striking form of Parallelism in its structure, first stating the cause ("Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back") and then the direct, unavoidable effect ("therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms"), reinforcing the direct and just link between sin and its consequences. The use of the divine title "Lord GOD" (Adonai Yahweh) is a form of Divine Epithet, emphasizing God's absolute sovereignty, authority, and covenant faithfulness in delivering this righteous judgment. The stark, direct language and the culmination of the preceding narrative create a powerful sense of Climax within the chapter's unfolding narrative of escalating sin and impending divine retribution.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 23:35 powerfully articulates the unwavering principle of divine justice and accountability within the covenant relationship. It underscores that God's covenant with His people was not one-sided; it demanded exclusive devotion, loyalty, and obedience. When Israel and Judah repeatedly violated this covenant through spiritual idolatry, reliance on foreign powers, and the adoption of pagan practices, they effectively "forgot" God and "cast Him behind their back." This verse reveals that such deliberate and contemptuous unfaithfulness inevitably leads to bearing the full, painful consequences of one's own sin. God, in His righteousness and holiness, does not allow sin to go unpunished, especially when it involves a profound betrayal of His steadfast love and covenant faithfulness. This judgment serves not only as retribution but also as a stark lesson on the severity of spiritual compromise and the sanctity of the divine-human relationship, highlighting the non-negotiable nature of exclusive worship and obedience to Yahweh.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 23:35 serves as a timeless and profoundly sobering warning for all who claim to be in covenant with God, whether ancient Israel or contemporary believers. In a world brimming with distractions, competing allegiances, and subtle temptations, it is alarmingly easy to "forget" God—not necessarily by denying His existence, but by neglecting His presence, His commands, His Word, and His rightful place as the supreme authority and object of our devotion. We "cast Him behind our back" when we prioritize personal desires, worldly success, fleeting pleasures, human approval, or even legitimate relationships above our wholehearted devotion to Him. This verse calls us to a radical self-examination, prompting us to identify any "lewdness" (wicked schemes, corrupt desires, or self-serving plans) or "whoredoms" (spiritual idolatry, compromise with worldly values, or seeking security apart from God) that might be subtly eroding our faithfulness. The consequence is clear: we will bear the fruit of our choices. While believers in Christ are liberated from the eternal penalty of sin through His atonement, a life of deliberate spiritual unfaithfulness can still lead to divine discipline, a diminished experience of God's presence, broken fellowship, and the painful natural consequences of our actions in this life. This verse compels us to cultivate a vibrant, active memory of God, to continually choose Him above all else, and to live in faithful obedience, understanding that true freedom, joy, and blessing come only from wholehearted devotion to Him.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what practical ways might I be "forgetting" God or "casting Him behind my back" in my daily life or decision-making?
  • What are the modern-day "lewdness" (corrupt thoughts/plans) or "whoredoms" (spiritual idolatry/compromises) that tempt me to dilute my exclusive devotion to God?
  • How can I actively cultivate a deeper, more consistent remembrance of God's presence, commands, and past faithfulness to avoid spiritual complacency?
  • What consequences, if any, am I currently experiencing that might be linked to past or present spiritual unfaithfulness, and how can I respond in repentance and renewed devotion?

FAQ

What does "forgotten me" mean in this context?

Answer: In Ezekiel 23:35, the phrase "forgotten me" (Hebrew: shâkach) goes far beyond a simple lapse of memory. It signifies a deliberate and active disregard, a willful turning away from God, His covenant, and His commands. It implies that Israel and Judah consciously chose to ignore their divine relationship and the obligations that came with it, instead pursuing their own desires and illicit alliances with foreign powers and their gods. This "forgetting" is an act of spiritual rebellion, indicative of a profound rejection of God's authority, His love, and His past acts of deliverance, as seen in other warnings against spiritual amnesia throughout Scripture, such as in Deuteronomy 6:12.

What is the significance of "lewdness and whoredoms" in this verse?

Answer: In Ezekiel 23:35, "lewdness" (Hebrew: zimmâh) refers to wicked schemes, depraved thoughts, or heinous crimes, while "whoredoms" (Hebrew: taznûwth) is an allegorical term for spiritual prostitution or idolatry. These terms are not primarily about literal sexual immorality in this context, but rather describe Israel and Judah's profound spiritual infidelity to God. Their pursuit of political and religious alliances with foreign nations and their eager adoption of pagan gods and practices are depicted as acts of betrayal against their covenant "marriage" with Yahweh. The use of such strong, vivid language emphasizes the depth of their sin and the abhorrence with which God views their unfaithfulness, likening it to the most debased forms of human betrayal and moral corruption, as also powerfully portrayed in Jeremiah 3:8.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 23:35, with its stark declaration of judgment for sin and the imperative for the unfaithful to "bear thy lewdness and thy whoredoms," finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound resolution in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament consistently highlights humanity's inherent inability to bear the full weight of its sin and survive God's righteous judgment. The very "lewdness" and "whoredoms"—the spiritual rebellion, idolatry, unfaithfulness, and moral depravity—that Israel and Judah were condemned to bear are the same sins that plague all humanity, separating us from a holy God. However, the glorious good news of the Gospel is that Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, stepped in to bear what we could not. He became the ultimate sin-bearer, taking upon Himself the full wrath and just consequences of our spiritual infidelity and moral depravity. As Isaiah 53:6 prophesied, "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus bore our "lewdness" and "whoredoms," enduring the separation from God that our sin deserved, so that we might not have to. 2 Corinthians 5:21 powerfully declares that "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Thus, while Ezekiel 23:35 pronounces a divine sentence of bearing one's own sin, Christ offers a glorious substitution, inviting us to find forgiveness, freedom, and reconciliation from that crushing burden by trusting in the One who bore it all for us, thereby fulfilling the just demands of God's holiness and extending His boundless grace.

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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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