Ezekiel 6:4

And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain [men] before your idols.

And your altars {H4196} shall be desolate {H8074}, and your images {H2553} shall be broken {H7665}: and I will cast down {H5307} your slain {H2491} men before {H6440} your idols {H1544}.

Your altars will be wrecked and your pillars for sun-worship broken, and I will throw down your slain ones in front of your idols.

Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will cast down your slain before your idols.

And your altars shall become desolate, and your sun-images shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.

Commentary on Ezekiel 6:4

Ezekiel 6:4 is part of a prophetic message of judgment delivered by the prophet Ezekiel to the exiled Israelites in Babylon. This verse specifically describes the desolation that will come upon the land of Judah due to its pervasive idolatry. God, through Ezekiel, declares His intention to utterly destroy the pagan worship sites and expose the worthlessness of the false gods.

Historical and Cultural Context

The prophecy in Ezekiel 6 is directed against the "mountains of Israel," which were dotted with "high places" where pagan altars and images dedicated to gods like Baal and Asherah were erected. For centuries, the people of Judah had mingled the worship of the true God with Canaanite religious practices, despite repeated warnings from prophets. This verse speaks to the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, a consequence of their unfaithfulness and spiritual adultery. The judgment described here is a direct fulfillment of the curses outlined in the covenant for disobedience, as found in passages like Deuteronomy 28:15.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment on Idolatry: The primary message is God's fierce and uncompromising judgment against the worship of false gods. The destruction of altars and images signifies the complete overthrow of idolatrous systems.
  • Futility of False Gods: The phrase "I will cast down your slain [men] before your idols" powerfully conveys the utter impotence of these idols. They cannot protect their worshippers, and their very presence will be defiled by the dead bodies of those who trusted in them, highlighting their shameful inability to save.
  • God's Sovereignty and Holiness: This act of judgment reaffirms God's absolute sovereignty over all nations and His unyielding holiness. He will not tolerate rivals to His worship. This is a demonstration that they shall know that I am the LORD.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses "images," which translates the Hebrew word chammanim (חַמָּנִים), often referring to sun-pillars or incense altars used in pagan worship, linking to sun adoration. More significantly, the term "idols" in this verse is from the Hebrew gillulim (גִּלּוּלִים). This is a highly pejorative term used frequently by Ezekiel and other prophets to describe idols, often translated as "dung-gods" or "filthy things," emphasizing their detestable and vile nature in God's sight. This strong language underscores God's utter abhorrence of idolatry.

Practical Application

While we may not literally bow before stone images today, the principle of Ezekiel 6:4 remains profoundly relevant. Idolatry, in its modern form, can be anything that takes the place of God in our hearts and lives—be it money, career, possessions, relationships, comfort, or even self-worship. This verse serves as a stark reminder that anything we elevate above the Creator will ultimately prove to be worthless and unable to save us from the consequences of our choices. It calls us to examine our hearts, to keep ourselves from idols, and to give our exclusive devotion to the one true God, who alone is worthy of our worship and capable of delivering us.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 2 Chronicles 14:5

    Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

  • Leviticus 26:30

    And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

  • 2 Kings 23:16

    And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that [were] there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned [them] upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.

  • 2 Kings 23:20

    And he slew all the priests of the high places that [were] there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

  • 1 Kings 13:2

    And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.

  • 2 Chronicles 34:4

    And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust [of them], and strowed [it] upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.

  • 2 Chronicles 34:5

    And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

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