Ezekiel 6:3

Translation
King James Version
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.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And say H559, Ye mountains H2022 of Israel H3478, hear H8085 the word H1697 of the Lord H136 GOD H3069; Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 to the mountains H2022, and to the hills H1389, to the rivers H650, and to the valleys H1516; Behold, I, even I, will bring H935 a sword H2719 upon you, and I will destroy H6 your high places H1116.
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Complete Jewish Bible
'Mountains of Isra'el, hear the word of Adonai ELOHIM: here is what Adonai ELOHIM says about the mountains, hills, ravines and valleys: "I myself will bring a sword against you and destroy your high places.
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Berean Standard Bible
You are to say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.
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American Standard Version
and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
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World English Bible Messianic
and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And say, Ye mountaines of Israel, heare the worde of the Lord God: thus sayth the Lord God to the mountaines and to the hilles, to the riuers and to the valleis, Beholde, I, euen I will bring a sworde vpon you, and I will destroy your hie places:
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Young's Literal Translation
And thou hast said: Mountains of Israel, Hear ye a word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah To the mountains, and to the hills, To the streams, and to the valleys, Lo, I, I am bringing in against you a sword, And I have destroyed your high places.
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See also
Leviticus 26:30Jeremiah 3:23Ezekiel 36:1Ezekiel 36:4Ezekiel 36:8Jeremiah 2:20Jeremiah 3:6
In the KJVVerse 20,567 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezekiel 6:3 presents a solemn prophetic oracle from the Lord GOD, directed not only to the people of Israel but emphatically to the very landscape of the land—its mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys. This verse declares an imminent and devastating divine judgment, symbolized by the "sword," which will sweep across the land, specifically targeting and promising the absolute destruction of the "high places" where pervasive idolatrous worship and abominable rituals were practiced. It profoundly underscores God's unyielding resolve to purify His consecrated land from the deep-seated defilement of persistent spiritual rebellion and covenant infidelity.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 6:3 is an integral part of a comprehensive prophetic indictment against the rampant idolatry practiced throughout the land of Israel, as detailed in Ezekiel chapter 6. The preceding verses Ezekiel 6:1-2 set the stage by commanding Ezekiel to "set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them," thereby establishing the unique audience for this divine message. Verse 3 then delivers the direct pronouncement of judgment to these geographical features, emphasizing the pervasive nature of Israel's sin. The subsequent verses Ezekiel 6:4-7 elaborate on the horrific extent of this judgment, describing the desecration of altars, the scattering of bones around idols, and the utter desolation of the high places, culminating in the declaration that the survivors will "know that I am the LORD." This immediate literary context underscores the comprehensive and inescapable nature of the impending destruction, directly linking it to the deep-seated and widespread sin of idolatry that had corrupted every corner of the land.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Ezekiel prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, in the early 6th century BCE. The southern kingdom was facing its final demise at the hands of the Babylonian Empire, with Jerusalem having already endured one significant deportation in 597 BCE, which included Ezekiel himself. Despite repeated warnings from earlier prophets, the people remaining in the land continued their syncretistic religious practices, blending the worship of Yahweh with the idolatrous cults of Canaanite deities such as Baal and Asherah. The "high places" (Hebrew: bâmôt) were elevated sites, either natural hills or artificial mounds, that had historically served as places of worship. While some may have initially been dedicated to Yahweh, they increasingly became centers for forbidden pagan rituals, including child sacrifice, ritual prostitution, and the erection of altars and Asherah poles to foreign gods. The prophetic address to the physical land—mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys—reflects the deeply ingrained nature of this idolatry, which had permeated the very fabric of the territory. The "sword" was the common instrument of warfare and conquest in the ancient Near East, serving as God's chosen means of executing judgment through invading armies, a reality Judah was about to experience profoundly.
  • Key Themes: Ezekiel 6:3 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes present within the book of Ezekiel and the broader prophetic corpus. Firstly, it highlights Divine Judgment Against Idolatry, illustrating God's absolute intolerance for spiritual unfaithfulness and covenant infidelity. The destruction of the "high places" is a direct, unavoidable consequence of Israel's persistent rebellion, a theme consistently reinforced throughout the Old Testament, as seen in the commands to destroy such sites in Deuteronomy 12:2-3. Secondly, the verse underscores God's Sovereignty Over All Creation, demonstrating that His dominion extends not only over human actions but also over the physical land itself. The land, having been defiled by the inhabitants' sin, becomes an object of divine judgment, signifying the comprehensive reach of God's wrath against rebellion, a concept also found in Leviticus 18:25. Thirdly, the passage emphasizes the Consequences of Persistent Rebellion, showing that despite God's long-suffering patience and numerous prophetic warnings, unrepentant sin inevitably leads to severe and inescapable retribution. The "sword" here symbolizes the devastating outcome of rejecting God's covenant and commands, a motif frequently employed in prophetic warnings, such as in Jeremiah 9:16.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • High places (Hebrew, bâmâh', H1116): From an unused root meaning "to be high," this term (H1116) refers to an elevation, a height, or, in this context, specifically a cultic site. In Israel's history, bâmâh often denoted elevated locations used for worship, which, while sometimes initially dedicated to Yahweh, frequently became centers for syncretistic or purely pagan worship of foreign deities like Baal and Asherah. Their destruction signified the eradication of false worship and the purging of spiritual defilement from the land.
  • Sword (Hebrew, chereb', H2719): This word (H2719) denotes a cutting instrument, such as a knife, dagger, or sword, and is frequently used metaphorically in prophetic literature to represent war, destruction, and divine judgment. Here, it signifies the impending military invasion and devastation that God will bring upon the land of Israel as a direct consequence of its widespread idolatry and covenant infidelity.
  • Word (Hebrew, dâbâr', H1697): From a primitive root meaning "to speak," dâbâr (H1697) is a versatile term encompassing "a word," "a matter," "a thing," or "a decree." In this context, the command to "hear the word of the Lord GOD" emphasizes that the prophecy is not merely human utterance but a direct, authoritative, and binding message from the sovereign God, carrying the full weight of His divine will and the certainty of His impending action.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD;": This opening clause establishes the divine imperative given to Ezekiel, commanding him to address the literal geographical features of Israel. The personification of the mountains as recipients of God's word underscores the comprehensive nature of the impending judgment and God's absolute sovereignty over the land itself, which had been thoroughly defiled by idolatry. The use of "Lord GOD" (Adonai Yahweh) emphasizes God's supreme authority and His covenant faithfulness, even as He prepares to execute judgment.
  • "Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys;": This reiteration serves to reinforce the directness, solemnity, and undeniable certainty of the divine pronouncement. By explicitly listing various geographical features—mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys—God highlights that no part of the land, no corner where idolatry might have been practiced, would escape His notice or His impending judgment. It signifies a universal and inescapable decree, affecting the entire territory of Israel.
  • "Behold, I, [even] I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.": This is the stark and unambiguous declaration of judgment. The emphatic "I, even I" underscores God's personal agency, unwavering resolve, and sovereign power in executing this judgment. The "sword" symbolizes the devastating warfare, invasion, and destruction that would sweep through the land, while the specific target, "your high places," reveals the primary cause of this divine wrath: the pervasive and persistent idolatry that had corrupted the nation. The destruction of these cultic sites signifies God's decisive purification of the land from its spiritual defilement.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 6:3 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of impending judgment with dramatic force. The most prominent is Personification, where the inanimate geographical features of Israel—its mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys—are addressed as if they possess the capacity to hear and respond to the divine word. This technique not only adds a profound sense of dramatic urgency but also emphasizes the pervasive nature of Israel's sin, which had so thoroughly defiled the very land itself, and the comprehensive scope of God's judgment, which would impact every part of the territory. The "sword" functions as a powerful Metaphor for divine judgment, war, and widespread destruction, a common prophetic image that vividly portrays the violent and devastating consequences of Israel's rebellion. Furthermore, the Repetition of "Lord GOD" and the emphatic "I, even I" serve as forms of Anaphora and Intensification, underscoring God's absolute sovereignty, His unwavering resolve, and the undeniable certainty of His promised judgment. This rhetorical force leaves no doubt that the impending catastrophe is directly from the hand of the Almighty God.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 6:3 stands as a profound theological statement on God's unwavering justice, His absolute holiness, and His fierce opposition to idolatry. It reveals that God's concern extends beyond the actions of individuals to encompass the spiritual health of the entire nation and the purity of the land He has consecrated for Himself. The declared destruction of the "high places" signifies God's unyielding commitment to purging all forms of spiritual defilement and reclaiming His rightful place as the sole object of worship for His people. This judgment, though severe and devastating, is rooted in God's covenant faithfulness, holding His people accountable for their repeated and egregious breaches of His commands. It underscores the undeniable truth that persistent rebellion against divine truth and unrepentant sin inevitably lead to inevitable and comprehensive consequences, demonstrating that God's patience has limits and His justice will ultimately prevail.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 6:3 serves as a powerful and timeless call to profound self-examination regarding what constitutes "high places" in our lives today. While we may no longer erect physical altars to ancient deities, modern idolatry can manifest as anything that subtly or overtly displaces God from His rightful, supreme position in our hearts and lives. This could include an inordinate pursuit of wealth, social status, comfort, personal pleasure, relationships, or even self-righteousness, all of which can become objects of ultimate devotion that compete with our allegiance to God. The comprehensive nature of God's judgment upon the land of Israel reminds us that spiritual compromise and divided loyalties have far-reaching consequences, impacting not only our individual spiritual well-being but potentially our families, communities, and even broader society. This verse challenges us to diligently identify and courageously dismantle these spiritual "high places" within ourselves, to repent of any divided affections, and to cultivate a life of undivided and exclusive devotion to the Lord. It serves as a compelling call to purity of worship, urging us to ensure that our hearts, minds, and lives are truly consecrated to God alone, free from any competing allegiances or hidden idols.

Questions for Reflection

  • What "high places" or hidden idols might subtly or overtly exist in my own life, competing for the supreme devotion due to God alone?
  • How does the comprehensive nature of God's judgment in this verse deepen my understanding of His holiness, justice, and the seriousness of sin?
  • What practical and intentional steps can I take this week to dismantle any identified "high places" and ensure my worship and devotion are truly undivided and centered on God?
  • In what ways can I apply the principle of dismantling "high places" to areas of cultural or societal idolatry that impact my faith or the witness of the church?

FAQ

Why does God address the mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys, rather than just the people?

Answer: God addresses the physical landscape of Israel to powerfully emphasize the pervasive and deeply entrenched nature of the nation's idolatry. The "high places" (idolatrous altars and cultic sites) were often built on these natural elevations, thereby defiling the very land God had given to His people as a sacred trust. By speaking directly to the land itself, God underscores His absolute sovereignty over all creation, demonstrating that no part of the territory, no corner where sin had taken root, would escape His notice or His impending judgment. It signifies a comprehensive purification, as the land itself had become complicit in the nation's spiritual rebellion, having been polluted by their abominable practices (Leviticus 18:25). This personification also highlights the shame and desolation that would befall the land, mirroring the spiritual state of its inhabitants.

What exactly were "high places" and why were they so offensive to God?

Answer: "High places" (Hebrew: bâmâh) were elevated sites, often natural hills or man-made mounds, that were used for religious worship. While some may have initially been used for legitimate worship of Yahweh, over time they increasingly became centers for syncretistic worship, blending the worship of Yahweh with the pagan practices of surrounding Canaanite cultures. They were typically equipped with altars, sacred stones (massebot), and Asherah poles, and were associated with forbidden rituals, including child sacrifice, ritual prostitution, and the worship of foreign deities like Baal and Molech. They were profoundly offensive to God because they represented a direct and egregious violation of His command for exclusive worship (the First Commandment, Exodus 20:3) and a corruption of the unique covenant relationship He had established with Israel. God demanded pure, undivided, and exclusive devotion, and the high places symbolized Israel's spiritual infidelity and rebellion against His holiness.

Does this verse imply that God is destructive or vengeful?

Answer: While the language of "sword" and "destroy" certainly conveys severity and judgment, it is crucial to understand this within the broader biblical narrative of God's character, which encompasses both justice and profound love. God is indeed just and holy, and His judgment is a righteous and necessary response to persistent sin and unrepentant rebellion against His covenant. For centuries, God had patiently warned Israel through numerous prophets, offering repeated opportunities for repentance and restoration. The judgment pronounced in Ezekiel 6:3 is not arbitrary vengeance but a necessary consequence of Israel's unrepentant idolatry and spiritual infidelity. It serves to vindicate God's holiness, purify the land that had been defiled, and ultimately bring His people to a place of knowing Him truly. Even in judgment, God's ultimate purpose is often redemptive, aiming to bring His people back to Himself in genuine repentance and renewed covenant relationship, as seen in the promises of restoration later in Ezekiel (e.g., Ezekiel 36:24-28).

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 6:3, with its stark pronouncement of judgment against the "high places" of idolatry and the promise of a devastating "sword," finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound spiritual transformation in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament judgment brought a physical "sword" to destroy literal high places and their associated abominations, Christ's coming ushered in a new covenant where the battle against idolatry is waged definitively in the spiritual realm and within the human heart. Jesus, as the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, bore the full weight of God's righteous judgment against all sin, including every form of idolatry, on the cross. His sacrifice at Calvary was the ultimate "destruction" of the power of sin and false worship, making a way for reconciliation with a holy God. Through His resurrection and ascension, Christ established a new spiritual temple, not made with human hands, but composed of believers, where authentic worship is to be offered in spirit and truth. The Old Testament call to "destroy your high places" for the New Testament believer translates to the ongoing process of sanctification, where we are called to put to death what is earthly in us, casting down every idol, stronghold, and proud pretension that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). In Christ, the judgment against idolatry has been fully satisfied, and believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives of undivided devotion, presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is their true and spiritual act of worship.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 6 verses 1–7

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

Here, I. The prophecy is directed to the mountains of Israel (Eze 6:1, Eze 6:2); the prophet must set his face towards them. If he could see so far off as the land of Israel, the mountains of that land would be first and furthest seen; towards them therefore he must look, and look boldly and stedfastly, as the judge looks at the prisoner, and directs his speech to him, when he passes sentence upon him. Though the mountains of Israel be ever so high and ever so strong, he must set his face against them, as having judgments to denounce that should shake their foundation. The mountains of Israel had been holy mountains, but now that they had polluted them with their high places God set his face against them and therefore the prophet must. Israel is here put, not, as sometimes, for the ten tribes, but for the whole land. The mountains are called upon to hear the word of the Lord, to shame the inhabitants that would not hear. The prophets might as soon gain attention from the mountains as from that rebellious and gainsaying people, to whom they all day long stretched out their hands in vain. Hear, O mountains! the Lord's controversy (Mic 6:1, Mic 6:2), for God's cause will have a hearing, whether we hear it or no. But from the mountains the word of the Lord echoes to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; for to them also the Lord God speaks, intimating that the whole land is concerned in what is now to be delivered and shall be witnesses against this people that they had fair warning given them of the judgments coming, but they would not take it; nay, they contradicted the message and persecuted the messengers, so that God's prophets might more safely and comfortably speak to the hills and mountains than to them.

II. That which is threatened in this prophecy is the utter destruction of the idols and the idolaters, and both by the sword of war. God himself is commander-in-chief of this expedition against the mountains of Israel. It is he that says, Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you (Eze 6:3); the sword of the Chaldeans is at God's command, goes where he sends it, comes where he brings it, and lights as he directs it. In the desolations of that war,

1.The idols and all their appurtenances should be destroyed. The high places, which were on the tops of mountains (Eze 6:3), shall be levelled and made desolate (Eze 6:6); they shall not be beautified, shall not be frequented as they had been. The altars, on which they offered sacrifice and burnt incense to strange gods, shall be broken to pieces and laid waste; the images and idols shall be defaced, shall be broken and cease, and be cut down, and all the fine costly works about them shall be abolished, Eze 6:4, Eze 6:6. Observe here, (1.) That war makes woeful desolations, which those persons, places, and things that were esteemed most sacred cannot escape; for the sword devours one as well as another. (2.) That God sometimes ruins idolatries even by the hands of idolaters, for such the Chaldeans themselves were; but, as if the deity were a local thing, the greatest admirers of the gods of their own country were the greatest despisers of the gods of other countries. (3.) It is just with God to make that a desolation which we make an idol of; for he is a jealous God and will not bear a rival. (4.) If men do not, as they ought, destroy idolatry, God will, first or last, find out a way to do it. When Josiah had destroyed the high places, altars, and images, with the sword of justice, they set them up again; but God will now destroy them with the sword of war, and let us see who dares re-establish them.

2.The worshippers of idols and all their adherents should be destroyed likewise. As all their high places shall be laid waste, so shall all their dwelling-places too, even all their cities, Eze 6:6. Those that profane God's dwelling-place as they had done can expect no other than that he should abandon theirs, Eze 5:11. If any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy, Co1 3:17. It is here threatened that their slain shall fall in the midst of them (Eze 6:7); there shall be abundance slain, even in those places which were thought most safe; but it is added as a remarkable circumstance that they shall fall before their idols (Eze 6:4), that their dead carcases should be laid, and their bones scattered, about their altars, Eze 6:5. (1.) Thus their idols should be polluted, and those places profaned by the dead bodies which they had had in veneration. If they will not defile the covering of their graven images, God will, Isa 30:22. The throwing of the carcases among them, as upon the dunghill, intimates that they were but dunghill-deities. (2.) Thus it was intimated that they were but dead things, unfit to be rivals with the living God; for the carcases of dead men, that, like them, have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, were the fittest company for them. (3.) Thus the idols were upbraided with their inability to help their worshippers, and idolaters were upbraided with the folly of trusting in them; for, it should seem, they fell by the sword of the enemy when they were actually before their idols imploring their aid and putting themselves under their protection. Sennacherib was slain by his sons when he was worshipping in the house of his god. (4.) The sin might be read in this circumstance of the punishment; the slain men are cast before the idols, to show that therefore they are slain, because they worshipped those idols; see Jer 8:1, Jer 8:2. let the survivors observe it, and take warning not to worship images; let them see it, and know that God is the Lord, that the Lord he is God and he alone.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Chapter 6, Verses 1 onwards) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, turn your face towards the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. And you shall say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and hills, to the cliffs and valleys. That which is often said in this Prophet as 'Adonai Dominus' seems to be briefly explained for the Greeks and Latins who do not have knowledge of the Hebrew language. Adonai is one name from the ten names of God, and it signifies Lord, which we often use in reference to God. Finally, when Sarah called Abraham her lord, she used this name (Gen. XVIII). And when it is said 'O Lord, my king', it is written Adonai (Exod. XXVIII). Therefore, when the two names, Lord and Lord, are joined together, the first name is common, the second properly belongs to God, which is called ἄῤῥητον (ineffable), which was also written on the golden plate that was on the high priest's forehead. But the mountains of Israel, which were occupied by the idols of demons, hear and understand their Creator not with their ears, but with the command and power of the one who made them. Just as the sea saw and fled, the Jordan river turned back (Ps. CXIII): not, of course, with the eyes of flesh which it lacked. And it is said to the sea: Be silent, be calm (Mark IV, 39). And the winds are commanded by his breath; and the worm is commanded, which struck the shade of Jonah (Jonah IV). And from the same land it is written: Who looks at the earth and makes it tremble (Ps. CIII, 32). The Prophet speaks to those indicating that idols are to be destroyed and altars, and all the ceremonies they previously served to be crushed. We can understand the mountains of Israel and the leaders as those who excelled in power, wisdom, knowledge, and wealth. And it should be noted that the face is indeed hardened, and it is set against the mountains: but it does not speak only to the mountains, but also to the hills, rocks, and valleys, where inferior dignity and degrees of prudence and knowledge are known. They seem to me to be tropologically mountains, those who have reached perfect knowledge; hills, who are slightly lower; rocks, who have no knowledge and only rely on conversation, presuming something about the interpretation of the Scriptures, having zeal for God according to the Apostle, but not according to knowledge (Rom. X; James III); valleys, on the other hand, are called the lowest in the Church, who are inferior in both life and knowledge, yet do not depart from the gathering of the Lord's family. Those who are commanded to hear the word of God, so that each one may understand according to their own measure and understanding what the Lord commands.
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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