Ezekiel 25:3

KJV

And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;

KJV (with Strong's)

And say {H559} unto the Ammonites {H1121}{H5983}, Hear {H8085} the word {H1697} of the Lord {H136} GOD {H3069}; Thus saith {H559} the Lord {H136} GOD {H3069}; Because thou saidst {H559}, Aha {H1889}, against my sanctuary {H4720}, when it was profaned {H2490}; and against the land {H127} of Israel {H3478}, when it was desolate {H8074}; and against the house {H1004} of Judah {H3063}, when they went {H1980} into captivity {H1473};

Complete Jewish Bible

say to the people of 'Amon, 'Hear the word of Adonai ELOHIM. Adonai ELOHIM says, "Because you gloated when my sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Isra'el was laid waste, and when the house of Y'hudah went into exile;

Berean Standard Bible

Tell the Ammonites to hear the word of the Lord GOD, for this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you exclaimed, “Aha!” when My sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Israel was laid waste, and when the house of Judah went into exile,

American Standard Version

and say unto the children of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity:

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Ezekiel 25:3 delivers a severe prophetic indictment from the Lord GOD against the Ammonites, condemning their malicious glee and contemptuous "Aha!" expressed when God's sanctuary was profaned, the land of Israel lay desolate, and the people of Judah were led into captivity. This divine pronouncement underscores God's unwavering sovereignty over all nations and His righteous indignation towards those who rejoice in the suffering and humiliation of His covenant people and the desecration of His holy dwelling place, even when such suffering is a consequence of divine judgment.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Ezekiel 25:3 marks a significant pivot in the book of Ezekiel, initiating a new major section (chapters 25-32) that shifts focus from prophecies primarily concerning Judah and Jerusalem (chapters 1-24) to a series of oracles against surrounding nations. This transition is strategically placed after the devastating fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, a cataclysmic event that validated Ezekiel's earlier warnings of divine judgment against Judah's unfaithfulness. Having established God's justice in punishing His own people, the narrative now turns to the nations that observed, and often celebrated, Judah's demise. The oracle against Ammon serves as the inaugural judgment in this sequence, immediately followed by similar condemnations against Moab, Edom, and Philistia within the same chapter. This structural arrangement highlights God's universal dominion and His commitment to holding all nations accountable for their actions and attitudes, particularly concerning His covenant people.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Ammonites were a Semitic people inhabiting the region east of the Jordan River, descended from Ben-Ammi, a son of Lot (cf. [Genesis 19:38](/genesis/19-38 "Genesis 19:38 - Origin of the Ammonites")). Throughout Israel's history, the Ammonites were frequently hostile neighbors, engaging in conflicts from the period of the Judges (e.g., their oppression of Israel in [Judges 10:6-9](/judges/10-6-9 "Judges 10:6-9 - Ammonite Oppression")) through the monarchy (e.g., King Nahash's aggression against Jabesh-Gilead in [1 Samuel 11](/1_samuel/11 "1 Samuel 11 - Saul Defeats the Ammonites")). When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonian Empire, the Ammonites, rather than extending sympathy or restraint, exploited Judah's profound weakness. Their actions were likely driven by a desire to expand their own territory into the now-vacant Israelite lands and a triumphalist belief that Judah's collapse signified the superiority of their own deities or the impotence of Yahweh. The "Aha!" expressed in the verse was not merely an emotional outburst but a culturally significant expression of derision and gloating, common among ancient Near Eastern nations celebrating the downfall of an enemy. The "profanation" of the sanctuary refers specifically to the destruction and looting of Solomon's Temple, which was the physical manifestation of God's presence among His people and a profound theological and national trauma for Judah.
* **Key Themes:** Ezekiel 25:3 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prevalent in Ezekiel and the broader prophetic corpus. Firstly, it emphatically reinforces the theme of **Divine Sovereignty and Universal Justice**. Even as God disciplined Judah, He simultaneously asserted His authority over the surrounding nations, demonstrating that His justice is not confined to His covenant people but extends to all humanity, holding them accountable for their moral choices and attitudes, particularly concerning His people and His holy name. Secondly, the verse highlights the theme of **Consequences of Malicious Joy and Contempt**. The Ammonites' primary sin here was not military aggression during the fall, but their cruel and disrespectful attitude, epitomized by their "Aha!" This underscores that God judges not only overt actions but also the intentions and dispositions of the heart, particularly when they involve celebrating the misfortune of others. Thirdly, it underscores **God's Vindication of His Name and People**. Despite Israel's temporary humiliation and the profanation of His sanctuary, God would not allow their enemies to mock Him or His people without consequence. His impending judgment on the Ammonites would serve to vindicate His holiness and demonstrate His unwavering commitment to His covenant, even amidst discipline. This theme resonates with other prophetic pronouncements against nations, such as the strong condemnation of Edom for similar actions in [Obadiah 1:12-14](/obadiah/1-12-14 "Obadiah 1:12-14 - Do Not Gloat Over Your Brother's Misfortune").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Aha (Hebrew, _heʼâch'_):** This onomatopoeic exclamation (H1889) is a direct, vocal expression of scorn, malicious joy, or triumph. It encapsulates the essence of derision and gloating, frequently used in the Old Testament to depict the contempt of enemies towards God's people or God Himself (e.g., [Psalm 35:21](/psalm/35-21 "Psalm 35:21 - Enemies Mocking David")). Its prominent inclusion in this verse emphasizes that God judges not only overt hostile actions but also the underlying attitudes and intentions of the heart, particularly when they involve celebrating the misfortune and humiliation of others.
* **sanctuary (Hebrew, _miqdâsh'_):** Derived from the root *qadash* (H4720), meaning "to be holy," this term refers to a consecrated place, specifically the Temple in Jerusalem. It was the physical dwelling place of God's presence among His people, the tangible symbol of His covenant, and the central hub of Israelite worship. The Ammonites' "Aha!" directed against the profaned sanctuary was a direct affront to God's holiness and His very presence, demonstrating a profound disrespect for the sacred and the divine name associated with it.
* **profaned (Hebrew, _châlal'_):** This verb (H2490) signifies "to bore," "to wound," or "to dissolve," and figuratively, "to profane" or "to defile." It describes the act of treating something sacred as common, unholy, or worthless. The Temple was profaned by the Babylonian invaders through its destruction and plunder. The Ammonites' sin was not the act of profaning itself, but their malicious joy *when* it was profaned, revealing their utter lack of reverence for God and His holy dwelling, and their spiritual blindness to the sacredness of the divine.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD;"**: This opening clause establishes the absolute divine authority and imperative nature of the message. Ezekiel is commanded to deliver a direct, unambiguous word from God Himself to the Ammonites. The repetition of "Lord GOD" (Adonai Yahweh, H136, H3069) underscores God's supreme authority and sovereignty over all nations, including Ammon (H5983), emphasizing that this is not a human pronouncement but a divine decree (H1697).
* **"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned;"**: This segment reveals the specific and primary charge against the Ammonites. Their sin was not merely passive observation but an active, vocal expression of malicious pleasure ("Aha!" H1889) directed at God's sanctuary (H4720), the Temple, at the very moment it was being desecrated and defiled (H2490) by foreign invaders. This highlights the severity of their disrespect towards God's holy dwelling place and, by extension, God Himself.
* **"and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate;"**: The Ammonites' contempt extended beyond the Temple to the entire land of Israel (H3478). Their "Aha!" was also directed at the desolation (H8074) of the land (H127), which was a visible and painful sign of God's judgment and Israel's profound suffering. This indicates a broader rejoicing in the national calamity and perceived downfall of God's people.
* **"and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;"**: Finally, the Ammonites' malicious joy was directed at the people of Judah (H3063) themselves, specifically at the moment they were led away (H1980) into exile and captivity (H1473). This demonstrates a complete lack of compassion and an active celebration of the profound suffering, humiliation, and displacement of God's covenant people (H1004). Their gloating over Judah's captivity was a direct affront to God's relationship with His chosen nation.

#### Literary Devices
Ezekiel 25:3 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of divine condemnation. The most prominent is **Direct Address**, as God speaks directly to the Ammonites through Ezekiel, creating an immediate, personal, and confrontational tone. The **Repetition** of "Lord GOD" (Adonai Yahweh) at the beginning of the oracle and again before stating the reason for judgment serves to emphasize God's absolute authority and the divine origin of the condemnation, reinforcing that this is not a mere human opinion but a sovereign decree. The use of the onomatopoeic exclamation "**Aha!**" (Hebrew: *he'ach*) is a vivid and precise choice, capturing the very sound of malicious glee, scorn, and contempt. This single word encapsulates the depth of the Ammonites' sin—not just an action, but a heart attitude of derision and triumphalism. Furthermore, there is an implicit element of **Irony** in the Ammonites' celebration: they believe they are witnessing the definitive defeat of Israel's God, yet their very gloating becomes the precise basis for their own impending judgment by that same sovereign God. The verse also implicitly uses **Personification** by portraying God as personally offended and insulted by the "Aha!" directed against His sanctuary, His land, and His people, highlighting the intimate and covenantal connection between God and His possessions.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 25:3 profoundly illustrates God's active involvement in the affairs of all nations, not just Israel. It reveals that while God may use foreign powers as instruments of His discipline against His own people, He holds those nations fully accountable for their motives and actions, especially when they harbor malicious joy and contempt towards His suffering people or His desecrated holy places. The Ammonites' "Aha!" was a direct affront to God's honor and a demonstration of their spiritual blindness to His ultimate sovereignty and His enduring covenant with Israel, even in their state of humiliation. This passage underscores that God's justice is comprehensive, extending to the attitudes of the heart, and that He will ultimately vindicate His name and His people, even when they are in a state of humiliation and exile. It serves as a timeless warning against schadenfreude and a powerful call for compassion and reverence, reminding us that God sees and judges all expressions of malice and disrespect towards His divine purposes and His beloved.

* [Obadiah 1:12](/obadiah/1-12 "Obadiah 1:12 - Do Not Gloat Over Your Brother's Misfortune")
* [Psalm 35:21](/psalm/35-21 "Psalm 35:21 - Enemies Mocking David")
* [Lamentations 2:15-16](/lamentations/2-15-16 "Lamentations 2:15-16 - Enemies Hiss and Scoff at Jerusalem")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 25:3 provides a profound mirror for self-examination, challenging our own responses to the suffering of others, particularly those who are undergoing difficult times, even if those difficulties are perceived as consequences of their own choices. The Ammonites' sin was not direct military aggression during Judah's fall, but their cruel and disrespectful attitude—their "Aha!"—a malicious pleasure at the misfortune of God's people and the perceived impotence of God Himself. This teaches us a vital spiritual truth: God judges not only overt actions but also the underlying attitudes and intentions of the heart. As believers, we are called to cultivate empathy and compassion, never to gloat over the struggles or perceived failures of others, for such an attitude is an affront to the God who sees and judges the heart. Furthermore, the passage reminds us of the paramount importance of reverence for what is sacred to God, whether it be His holy name, His covenant people, or His dwelling place (which for Christians is now the church, the body of Christ, and individual believers as temples of the Holy Spirit). Even when God's people face discipline or trials, His ultimate justice prevails, and He remains committed to His covenant, ensuring that those who mock or rejoice in their suffering will ultimately face His righteous judgment, while His faithful will experience His enduring vindication.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what subtle or overt ways might I, like the Ammonites, express "Aha!" (malicious joy or contempt) towards others' struggles or failures, even those I believe are self-inflicted or deserved?**
* **How does this passage challenge my understanding of God's comprehensive justice, particularly concerning those outside of my immediate faith community, nation, or social circle?**
* **How can I actively cultivate a heart of genuine compassion and empathy, especially towards those experiencing hardship, rather than succumbing to judgmentalism, schadenfreude, or indifference?**

### FAQ

**Why was God so angry at the Ammonites' "Aha!"?**

Answer: God's anger stemmed from the Ammonites' malicious joy and contempt ("Aha!") directed at three specific things: His sanctuary when it was profaned, the land of Israel when it was desolate, and the house of Judah when they went into captivity. This was not merely passive observation but an active, vocal celebration of Israel's profound suffering and humiliation. It was a direct affront to God's honor, a sign of profound disrespect for His holy dwelling place, and a complete lack of compassion for His covenant people. Even though Judah was under divine judgment for their sins, God did not permit their enemies to gloat without consequence, as it demonstrated a heart opposed to Him and His divine purposes. This attitude was a direct challenge to God's sovereignty and His continued faithfulness to His people, even in their discipline.

**How does this passage relate to God's discipline of Israel?**

Answer: This passage is crucial because it clarifies that while God used foreign powers like Babylon to discipline Israel for their unfaithfulness, His justice extends far beyond His covenant people. The Ammonites' reaction revealed their own grave sin, demonstrating that God's discipline of Israel was not an invitation for other nations to mock, exploit, or revel in their misfortune. Instead, God holds all nations accountable for their moral conduct and attitudes. The Ammonites' "Aha!" showed a profound misunderstanding of God's character and His ongoing commitment to Israel, even in their exile. It highlights that God's discipline is ultimately for restoration and purification, not for the permanent triumph of His enemies, and He will ultimately vindicate His name and His people, as seen in later prophecies of Israel's restoration (e.g., [Ezekiel 36](/ezekiel/36 "Ezekiel 36 - Israel's Restoration and Renewal")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 25:3, with its condemnation of malicious joy over the suffering of God's people and the profanation of His sanctuary, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment. While the Ammonites mocked the physical desolation of Judah and the Temple, the ultimate "sanctuary" that was profaned and the "house of Judah" that went into ultimate suffering was Jesus Christ Himself. He is the true Temple, the very dwelling place of God among humanity, whose body was broken and desecrated on the cross (cf. [John 2:19-21](/john/2-19-21 "John 2:19-21 - Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple")). The "Aha!" of the Ammonites foreshadows the scorn and malicious glee of those who mocked Christ during His crucifixion, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself! He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him" (cf. [Matthew 27:42](/matthew/27-42 "Matthew 27:42 - Mockery of Jesus on the Cross")). Yet, just as God promised judgment on those who rejoiced in Judah's suffering, so too does He promise ultimate vindication for Christ and His body, the Church. The Church, as the new "house of Judah" and God's spiritual temple composed of living stones (cf. [1 Peter 2:5](/1_peter/2-5 "1 Peter 2:5 - Living Stones, a Spiritual House")), often faces persecution, mockery, and perceived desolation in this world. However, the Lord Jesus, who endured the ultimate "desolation" and "captivity" of death, rose again, demonstrating God's ultimate sovereignty and justice over all evil. His resurrection and the establishment of His eternal kingdom ensure that those who mock His suffering or the trials of His people will ultimately face His righteous judgment, while His followers will experience eternal vindication, restoration, and glory (cf. [Philippians 2:9-11](/philippians/2-9-11 "Philippians 2:9-11 - Christ's Exaltation and Universal Lordship")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Ezekiel 36:2

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:

Proverbs 17:5

¶ Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: [and] he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

Psalms 70:2

Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.

Psalms 70:3

Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.

Micah 7:8

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me.

Ezekiel 25:6

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped [thine] hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;

Proverbs 24:17

¶ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: