Ezekiel6

Ezekiel is commanded to prophesy against the mountains of Israel, declaring God's impending judgment for their widespread idolatry. A sword will destroy their high places, altars, and idols, leading to the desolation of the land and many slain. However, a remnant will escape and be scattered among the nations, where they will remember God, loathe themselves for their abominations, and come to know His sovereignty.
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1
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Prophecy Against the Mountains of Israel

2
Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, ​
3
And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. ​
4
And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. ​
5
And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. ​
6
In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
7
And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. ​

The Promise of a Remnant

8
Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. ​
9
And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. ​
10
And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.

Prophetic Action and Comprehensive Judgment

11
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. ​
12
He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. ​
13
Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols. ​
14
So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the LORD. ​

Study Notes for Ezekiel 6

Verse 2

This chapter shifts the oracle from the surrounding nation (Ch. 5) to the physical land of Israel. The 'mountains' represent not just the geography, but the sites of pagan worship (the high places) which defiled the land.

Verse 3

The judgment is addressed to the whole physical environment (mountains, hills, rivers, valleys), emphasizing that the entire land has been corrupted by the people's idolatry and will suffer the consequences.

Verse 4

The destruction focuses on the 'high places,' the illicit altars for foreign gods. The ultimate desecration is placing the corpses of the worshippers directly before the idols they served, rendering the sites ritually unclean.

Verse 5

The practice of scattering bones prevented proper burial and ancestor worship, marking a profound final indignity and ensuring that the dead would find no rest, symbolizing the complete rejection of the covenant breakers by God.

Verse 7

This is a key theological phrase in Ezekiel (the recognition formula). The purpose of the severe judgment is not merely punishment, but the revelation of Yahweh’s sovereignty and holiness to Israel and the nations.

Verse 8

Despite the comprehensive judgment, God promises to preserve a small group (a remnant) who will survive the scattering among the nations. This ensures the survival of the covenant people and the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan.

Verse 9

The survivors will experience true repentance in exile, realizing the depth of their sin. Idolatry is consistently described using the metaphor of 'whorish heart' and 'eyes,' signifying spiritual adultery against the covenant relationship.

Verse 11

Ezekiel is commanded to perform a dramatic, public sign-act—clapping his hands and stamping his feet—to express divine fury, grief, and horror over the abominations of Israel.

Verse 12

God promises the classic threefold judgment (sword, famine, and pestilence), demonstrating that no one, regardless of location (near or far, besieged or free), will escape the comprehensive nature of the divine wrath.

Verse 13

The places where Israel offered pagan sacrifices ('every green tree,' 'thick oak') will become the sites of their death, linking the specific sin directly to the specific punishment. The idols are powerless to save them.

Verse 14

The destruction will render the land utterly desolate. 'Diblath' is uncertain, possibly referring to a location near the wilderness (like Riblah, a site of Babylonian judgment), emphasizing the extreme and unprecedented nature of the devastation.

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