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Commentary on Ezekiel 6 verses 1–7
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.
(Verse 6, 7.) The cities shall be deserted, and the lofty places shall be demolished; and your altars shall be scattered and your idols shall cease, and your temples shall be broken down and your works shall be destroyed. And the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord. The clear cause why the cities of the mountains are to be deserted: namely, that the lofty places may be demolished, and the altars and idols may be destroyed, and the temples may perish, and all worship of the idols may cease; and the slain may fall in the midst of the mountains; and they may know that he himself is the Lord. For this reason, we are given the opportunity to follow the spiritual intelligence more, so that the cities of heretics, which are interpreted as Churches, and the high pride of their teachings, and the altars of their perverse doctrines, are shattered, and the idols perish, which they simulated in their own hearts, and the shrines are destroyed, not the temples, which rose up against the temple of the Lord, and are called 'temples' in Greek, that is, shrines and all the works of mountains are crushed, which are not the works of God, but of false masters of knowledge. And when the slain shall fall in the midst of the mountains, either those whom the mountains themselves have slain, or the ecclesiastical men who have slain them wickedly to their own safety: then shall be the end of the proud mountains, that they may know that he is the Lord. But it may happen that from one people of the mountains of Israel, others being slain, others may know. For when a pestilent scourge is slain, the foolish will be wiser.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 6:7 delivers a stark and profound prophecy of divine judgment against the idolatrous house of Israel, declaring that widespread death will befall them as a direct consequence of their spiritual rebellion. This grim pronouncement serves a crucial theological purpose: through the unfolding of these devastating events, the people of Israel will be compelled to acknowledge and experientially know Yahweh as the one true God, distinct from the impotent idols they have worshipped. The verse encapsulates both the severity of God's righteous justice and His ultimate aim of self-revelation, even amidst calamity, ensuring His sovereignty is recognized.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 6:7 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message with chilling clarity and theological depth. The phrase "the slain shall fall" uses Hyperbole to emphasize the overwhelming scale of death, creating a vivid and terrifying image of widespread carnage that would literally litter the land with corpses. This is further amplified by the phrase "in the midst of you," which uses Synecdoche to represent the entire nation and its territory, implying that no one will be untouched by the judgment, affecting the very core of their society. The entire verse functions as a form of Prophetic Proclamation, directly declaring God's certain future action and its inevitable, divinely ordained outcome. Most significantly, the recurring phrase "ye shall know that I am the LORD" is a powerful Leitmotif throughout the book of Ezekiel, serving as a theological refrain that underscores God's ultimate purpose in both judgment and restoration. It also functions as a form of Didactic Irony, as the very suffering brought about by their rebellion is the means by which they will be compelled to truly understand the God they abandoned, revealing the utter futility of their idolatry.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 6:7 profoundly articulates the biblical truth that God's judgment, while severe and often devastating, is never without purpose. It is a holy response to sin, particularly the egregious sin of idolatry, but also a means of divine self-revelation. The suffering inflicted is designed to strip away false securities and bring His people to a true, experiential knowledge of His unique sovereignty and covenant faithfulness. This "knowing" is not merely intellectual assent but a deep, relational acknowledgment of Yahweh as the one true God, exposing the impotence of all false deities. The verse thus highlights God's unwavering commitment to His name and His people, even when that commitment requires painful discipline to restore them to right relationship and demonstrate His unparalleled glory.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 6:7 serves as a timeless and sobering reminder of the gravity of sin, particularly the sin of idolatry, and the certainty of God's holy judgment. While we live in an era of grace through Christ, the underlying principle remains profoundly relevant: anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts and lives—be it materialism, self-reliance, career, relationships, comfort, or even our own spiritual performance—becomes an idol that ultimately leads to spiritual emptiness, destructive consequences, and a distorted view of God. This verse challenges us to examine our loyalties and priorities with brutal honesty, urging us to ensure that our worship, trust, and ultimate devotion are exclusively placed in the one true God. More profoundly, it reveals God's persistent desire for us to truly "know" Him. Sometimes, it is through the stripping away of our false gods and the shaking of our comfortable foundations that we come to a deeper, more authentic, and experiential understanding of His character, His power, and His unwavering sovereignty. This process, though often painful and disorienting, is ultimately redemptive, leading us to a more profound, steadfast, and life-giving relationship with Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "ye shall know that I am the LORD" mean in this context?
Answer: In Ezekiel, and particularly in Ezekiel 6:7, this phrase signifies an experiential and undeniable recognition of God's unique identity, power, and sovereignty. It's not just intellectual understanding, but a profound, often painful, realization that Yahweh (the LORD) is the one true God, and that all other gods or sources of security are impotent. In this specific context, this knowledge is forged through the devastating judgment of widespread death and destruction, proving God's words true and exposing the futility of Israel's idolatry. This theme is central to Ezekiel, recurring over 70 times, emphasizing God's ultimate purpose in both judgment and restoration, as seen in passages like Ezekiel 36:23, where His actions vindicate His holy name.
Why is God's judgment so severe in Ezekiel 6:7?
Answer: God's judgment in Ezekiel 6:7 is severe because it is a righteous and holy response to Israel's persistent and egregious sin of idolatry, which constituted a direct breach of their covenant with Him (e.g., Exodus 20:3). Idolatry was not merely a minor offense; it was spiritual adultery, a profound betrayal of the unique, exclusive relationship God had established with His people. The severity of the judgment—widespread death and desolation—reflects God's absolute holiness and His unwavering commitment to justice. It also serves as a stark demonstration of His sovereignty over all false gods, proving that only He has the power to bring about such consequences and that their idols are utterly powerless to save them from His wrath.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 6:7, with its grim pronouncement of judgment against idolatry and the ultimate purpose of God's self-revelation, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "slain" in Ezekiel, victims of divine wrath against sin, foreshadows the ultimate "slain" one, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. While Ezekiel speaks of judgment against Israel's idolatry leading to physical death, Christ bore the full spiritual and physical judgment for all humanity's idolatry and sin on the cross, dying a sacrificial death to reconcile us to God. Through His atoning death, Christ became the ultimate means by which humanity can truly "know that I am the LORD." He is the perfect, incarnate revelation of the Father, as Jesus Himself declared, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" and "No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him." The judgment against sin was fully executed in Christ, allowing for a new covenant where knowing God is not forged primarily through physical destruction but through spiritual transformation and intimate relationship with Him, enabled by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:34). Thus, in Christ, God's holiness is satisfied, His justice is upheld, and His ultimate desire for humanity to truly know Him is perfectly fulfilled through grace, not condemnation.