TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ezekiel 6:8–10. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Judgment had hitherto triumphed, but in these verses mercy rejoices against judgment. A sad end is made of this provoking people, but not a full end. The ruin seems to be universal, and yet will I leave a remnant, a little remnant, distinguished from the body of the people, a few of many, such as are left when the rest perish; and it is God that leaves them. This intimates that they deserved to be cut off with the rest, and would have been cut off if God had not left them. See Isa 1:9. And it is God who by his grace works that in them which he has an eye to in sparing them. Now,
I.It is a preserved remnant, saved from the ruin which the body of the nation is involved in (Eze 6:8):
That you may have some who shall escape the sword. God said (Eze 5:12) that he would draw a sword after those who were scattered, that destruction should pursue them in their dispersion; but here is mercy remembered in the midst of that wrath, and a promise that some of the Jews of the dispersion, as they were afterwards called, should escape the sword. None of those who were to fall by the sword about Jerusalem shall escape; for they trust to Jerusalem's walls for security, and shall be made ashamed of that vain confidence. but some of them shall escape the sword among the nations, where, being deprived of all other stays, they stay themselves upon God only. They are said to have those who shall escape; for they shall be the seed of another generation, out of which Jerusalem shall flourish again.
II.It is a penitent remnant (Eze 6:9):
Those who escape of you shall remember me. Note, To those whom god designs for life he will give repentance unto life. They are reprieved, and escape the sword, that they may have time to return to God. Note, God's patience both leaves room for repentance and is an encouragement to sinners to repent. Where God designs grace to repent he allows space to repent; yet many who have the space want the grace, many who escape the sword do not forsake the sin, as it is promised that these shall do. This remnant, here marked for salvation, is a type of the remnant reserved out of the body of mankind to be monuments of mercy, who are made safe in the same way that these were, by being brought to repentance. Now observe here,
1.The occasion of their repentance, and that is a mixture of judgment and mercy-judgment, that they were carried captives, but mercy, that they escaped the sword in the land of their captivity. They were driven out of their own land, but not out of the land of the living, not chased out of the world, as other were and they deserved to be. Note, The consideration of the just rebukes of Providence we are under, and yet of the mercy mixed with them, should engage us to repent, that we may answer God's end in both. And true repentance shall be accepted of God, though we are brought to it by our troubles; nay, sanctified afflictions often prove means of conversion, as to Manasseh.
2.The root and principle of their repentance: They shall remember me among the nations. Those who forgot God in the land of their peace and prosperity, who waxed fat and kicked, were brought to remember him in the land of their captivity. The prodigal son never bethought himself of his father's house till he was ready to perish for hunger in the far country. Their remembering God was the first step they took in returning to him. Note, Then there begins to be some hopes of sinners when they have sinned against, and to enquire, Where is God my Maker? Sin takes rise in forgetting God, Jer 3:21. Repentance takes rise from the remembrance of him and of our obligations to him. God says, They shall remember me, that is, "I will give them grace to do so;" for otherwise they would for ever forget him. That grace shall find them out wherever they are, and by bringing God to their mind shall bring them to their right mind. The prodigal, when he remembered his father, remembered how he has sinned against Heaven and before him; so do these penitents.
(1.)They remember the base affront they had put upon God by their idolatries, and this is that which an ingenuous repentance fastens upon and most sadly laments. They had departed from God to idols, and given that honour to pretended deities, the creatures of men's fancies and the work of men's hands, which they should have given to the God of Israel. They departed from God, from his word, which they should have made their rule, from his work, which they should have made their business. Their hearts departed from him. The heart, which he requires and insists upon, and without which bodily exercise profits nothing, the heart, which should be set upon him, and carried out towards him, when that departs from him, is as the treacherous elopement of a wife from her husband or the rebellious revolt of a subject from his sovereign. Their eyes also go after their idols; they doted on them, and had great expectations from them. Their hearts followed their eyes in the choice of their gods (they must have gods that they could see), and then their eyes followed their hearts in the adoration of them. Now the malignity of this sin is that it is spiritual whoredom; it is a whorish heart that departs from God; and they are eyes that go a whoring after their idols. Note, Idolatry is spiritual whoredom; it is the breach of a marriage-covenant with God; it is the setting of the affections upon that which is a rival with him, and the indulgence of a base lust, which deceives and defiles the soul, and is a great wrong to God in his honour,
(2.)They remember what a grief this was to him and how he resented it. They shall remember that I am broken with their whorish heart and their eyes that are full of this spiritual adultery, not only angry at it, but grieved, as a husband is at the lewdness of a wife whom he dearly loved, grieved to such a degree that he is broken with it; it breaks his heart to think that he should be so disingenuously dealt with; he is broken as an aged father is with the undutiful behaviour of a rebellious and disobedient son, which sinks his spirits and makes him to stoop. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, Psa 95:10. God's measures were broken (so some); a stop was put to the current of his favours towards them, and he was even compelled to punish them. This they shall remember in the day of their repentance, and it shall affect and humble them more than any thing, not so much that their peace was broken, and their country broken, as that God was broken by their sin. Thus they shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall mourn, Zac 12:10. Note, Nothing grieves a true penitent so much as to think that his sin has been a grief to God and to the Spirit of his grace.
3.The product and evidence of their repentance: They shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. Thus God will give them grace to qualify them for pardon and deliverance. Though he had been broken by their whorish heart, yet he would not quite cast them off. See Isa 57:17, Isa 57:18; Hos 2:13, Hos 2:14. His goodness takes occasion from their badness to appear the more illustrious. note,
(1.)True penitents see sin to be an abominable thing, that abominable thing which the Lord hates and which makes sinners, and even their services, odious to him, Jer 44:4; Isa 1:11. It defiles the sinner's own conscience, and makes him, unless he be past feeling, an abomination to himself. An idol is particularly called an abomination, Isa 44:19. Those gratifications which the hearts of sinners were set upon as delectable things the hearts of penitents are turned against as detestable things.
(2.)There are many evils committed in these abominations, many included in them, attendant on them, and flowing from them, many transgressions in one sin, Lev 16:21. In their idolatries they were sometimes guilty of whoredom (as in the worship of Peor), sometimes of murder (as in the worship of Moloch); these were evils committed in their abominations. Or it denotes the great malignity there is in sin; it is an abomination that has abundance of evil in it.
(3.)Those that truly loathe sin cannot but loathe themselves because of sin; self-loathing is evermore the companion of true repentance. Penitents quarrel with themselves, and can never be reconciled to themselves till they have some ground to hope that God is reconciled to them; nay, then they shall lie down in their shame, when he is pacified towards them, Eze 16:63.
4.The glory that will redound to God by their repentance (Eze 6:10): "They shall know that I am the Lord; they shall be convinced of it by experience, and shall be ready to own it, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them, finding that what I have said is made good, and made to work for good, and to answer a good intention, and that it was not without just provocation that they were thus threatened and thus punished." Note,
(1.)One way or other God will make sinners to know and own that he is the lord, either by their repentance or by their ruin.
(2.)All true penitents are brought to acknowledge both the equity and the efficacy of the word of God, particularly the threatenings of the word, and to justify God in them and in the accomplishment of them.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 9, 10) Because I have broken their heart by committing adultery and turning away from me, and their eyes are adulterous, looking after their idols. And they will displease each other with the evils they have done in all their abominations. And they will know that I, the Lord, have not spoken in vain, in order to bring harm upon them. Many things from this chapter have been omitted by the Septuagint, and that part has been changed. I have sworn to their adulterous heart: therefore we have put: I have broken their heart by committing adultery. But he swore and determined that he would do what he had shown through his actions; or he deceived by fornicating and turning away from God, concerning those about whom the Lord speaks through Hosea: They have been seduced by the spirit of prostitution (Hosea 4:12). And they fornicated their eyes after idols, through whose windows it is said that death entered. For this reason, in the book of Daniel, two elder men commanded that Susanna be revealed, so that they could enjoy the beauty of her naked body (Dan. 13). And the Lord spoke not in vain, when He brought evil or evils, when those who were subject to His sentence repent. But if the heart is hard and untamable, not even feeling the punishments of the correcting benefactor, it is said to them: I struck your children without cause: you have not received discipline. (Jeremiah 2:30). However, it is beneficial even to heretics, that their heart be broken, the worst treasure of perverse doctrines, because they have turned away from the Lord, and their eyes commit adultery after their own inventions. Those who remember the Lord will be displeased with all their abominations and those who understand the truth of the true faith will know that He is the Lord. Therefore, He often brings tribulation, which seems harmful and evil to the patient, so that they may be converted to repentance.
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Summary
Ezekiel 6:9 powerfully conveys the Lord's profound grief and anguish over Israel's persistent idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness, even as He declares the inevitability of severe judgment. Amidst the promised devastation, a faithful remnant will survive the destruction and be carried into exile among the nations. The divine purpose behind this painful discipline is redemptive: in their captivity, these survivors will be brought to a genuine remembrance of the Lord, recognizing the depth of their betrayal, and will experience profound self-loathing and repentance for their abominable practices. This verse masterfully intertwines divine justice with God's steadfast, though painful, pursuit of His people's ultimate restoration.
Context
Literary Context
Ezekiel 6 is a direct prophetic oracle delivered against the idolatrous "mountains of Israel," which served as prominent sites for pagan worship. This chapter immediately follows Ezekiel 5, where God details the severe judgments (famine, sword, pestilence, and dispersion) that will bebefall Jerusalem and the land due to their egregious abominations. Chapter 6 specifically targets the "high places" and altars where Israel engaged in spiritual adultery, emphasizing that the very land is defiled by their actions. Verse 9 serves as a crucial pivot within this judgment prophecy, introducing the concept of a surviving remnant and revealing the redemptive purpose behind their suffering and exile. It offers a glimmer of hope and a path to restoration amidst the pronouncements of desolation, setting the stage for future promises of renewal.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophecy in Ezekiel 6 is delivered to the exiles already in Babylon, but its primary focus is on the ongoing idolatry in Judah prior to Jerusalem's final destruction in 586 BC. Despite repeated warnings from prophets, the people of Judah continued to syncretize the worship of Yahweh with the worship of Canaanite deities like Baal and Asherah, often engaging in abhorrent practices associated with fertility cults, including child sacrifice. The "high places" were elevated sites, either natural hills or constructed platforms, where altars and cultic objects for these foreign gods were erected. The imagery of a "whorish heart" and "eyes which go a whoring" reflects the covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel as a sacred marriage. In this context, idolatry is viewed as spiritual adultery—a profound betrayal of their exclusive devotion to God, who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and established them as His chosen people.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several foundational themes within Ezekiel and the broader prophetic literature. It highlights Divine Judgment as a necessary and righteous consequence of persistent sin, particularly the pervasive idolatry that is repeatedly condemned throughout the book (e.g., the detailed abominations revealed in Ezekiel 8). Simultaneously, it introduces the theme of a Preserved Remnant, demonstrating that even in the midst of severe judgment, God's covenant faithfulness ensures that not all will perish; a portion will survive to carry on the lineage and the promise of a future restoration. The verse profoundly articulates God's Grief and Pain over His people's spiritual unfaithfulness, portraying Him as "broken" by their betrayal, rather than merely angry or indifferent. Finally, it underscores the Redemptive Purpose of Suffering, showing that the exile, though a severe punishment, is ultimately designed to bring about genuine Repentance and Transformation, leading the survivors to "lothe themselves" for their sins and remember their covenant God. This theme of a transformed heart is more fully developed in later chapters of Ezekiel, such as the promise of a new heart and spirit in Ezekiel 36:26-27.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H2142) signifies more than mere intellectual recollection; it implies a deep, active calling to mind that often leads to decisive action or renewed commitment. In the context of the remnant, it means to acknowledge God's identity, His covenant, and His past acts of salvation, leading to a profound shift in their allegiance and behavior. It is a remembering that brings about genuine repentance and a return to covenant faithfulness.
This term (H7665) vividly conveys God's emotional state. It means to burst, crush, or shatter. Here, it is used metaphorically to describe God's profound grief, pain, and indignation over Israel's spiritual adultery. It highlights the deeply personal and relational nature of their sin against Him, emphasizing that their idolatry causes Him immense anguish, as if His very heart were shattered.
This root (H2181) primarily refers to committing adultery or fornication, but in prophetic literature, it is consistently used figuratively to describe Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to Yahweh through idolatry. It underscores the covenant relationship as a sacred marriage, making idolatry the ultimate act of betrayal and spiritual prostitution, often depicted as being driven by a "wanton" heart and eyes.
Verse Breakdown
"And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives,"
This clause introduces the concept of a remnant (H6412, pâlîyṭ), a small group of survivors who will endure the judgment but not be utterly destroyed. Their survival, however, comes at the cost of exile (H7617, shâbâh) to foreign "nations" (H1471, gôwy). The crucial outcome of this captivity is that they will "remember" (H2142, zâkar') the Lord. This remembrance is not merely intellectual recall but a spiritual awakening and turning back to God, prompted by the harsh realities of their displacement and the loss of their land and temple.
"because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me,"
This is the divine explanation for the severity of the judgment and the necessity of the exile. God reveals His deep emotional pain ("broken," H7665, shâbar') caused by Israel's spiritual adultery. Their "whorish" (H2181, zânâh') "heart" (H3820, lêb) signifies a deep-seated, systemic unfaithfulness, a heart that has actively chosen to "departed" (H5493, çûwr) from their covenant relationship with the Lord, pursuing other gods. This anthropomorphic expression underscores the personal offense and profound betrayal inherent in their idolatry.
"and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols:"
This clause further specifies the nature of their spiritual unfaithfulness, highlighting the sensory and active pursuit of idolatry. Their "eyes" (H5869, ʻayin) are not passive observers but active participants in their sin, "going a whoring" (H2181, zânâh') "after" (H310, ʼachar) their "idols" (H1544, gillûwl, often used derisively for dung-pellets, emphasizing their worthlessness). This illustrates how visual temptation and the allure of false worship led them into abominable practices, demonstrating a comprehensive spiritual defection involving both internal desire (heart) and external action (eyes).
"and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations."
This final clause describes the ultimate, redemptive outcome of the exile for the remnant. The suffering and remembrance will lead to profound remorse and self-condemnation. To "lothe" (H6962, qûwṭ) "themselves" (H6440, pânîym) signifies a deep disgust and abhorrence for their past sins, a genuine repentance born out of the painful consequences and a renewed understanding of God's holiness and their own depravity. This self-loathing is a necessary step towards true spiritual restoration, acknowledging the "evils" (H7451, raʻ) which they have "committed" (H6213, ʻâsâh) in all their "abominations" (H8441, tôwʻêbah).
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 6:9 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. Anthropomorphism is prominently featured in the phrase "I am broken with their whorish heart," attributing human emotion and pain to God. This device emphasizes the deeply personal nature of God's covenant relationship with Israel and the profound grief their unfaithfulness causes Him, making His divine suffering relatable. Metaphor is central to the verse's portrayal of Israel's sin, vividly likening their idolatry to "whorish" behavior and "spiritual adultery." This imagery underscores the betrayal of the covenant relationship, which God views as a sacred marriage. Furthermore, the phrase "eyes, which go a whoring after their idols" uses personification to describe the active and intentional pursuit of false gods, highlighting how every part of their being—from internal desire to external sensory engagement—was involved in their rebellion. Finally, there is an element of paradox or redemptive irony in that the very act of judgment and exile, intended as punishment for sin, becomes the divine catalyst for remembrance and repentance, demonstrating God's sovereign hand in bringing about spiritual transformation even through severe hardship.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ezekiel 6:9 is profoundly theological, revealing the very nature of God, the gravity of sin, and the path to restoration. It portrays Yahweh not merely as a distant, impassive judge, but as a deeply relational God who experiences profound pain and grief over the unfaithfulness of His covenant people. Their idolatry is not just a breach of law but a personal betrayal, akin to spiritual adultery, which deeply wounds His heart. Yet, even in the midst of severe judgment, His ultimate aim is not annihilation but purification and restoration, preserving a remnant through exile to bring them to a place of genuine remembrance and repentance. This highlights the redemptive purpose of suffering and God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, even when His people are faithless. The "loathing themselves" described is a crucial component of true repentance, signifying a complete turning away from sin due to its inherent evil and offense against a holy God, not merely its painful consequences.
Reflection and Application
Ezekiel 6:9 offers a sobering yet profoundly hopeful mirror for contemporary believers. It confronts us with the profound seriousness of spiritual idolatry, reminding us that anything that displaces God from the supreme position in our hearts and lives—be it career, comfort, relationships, self-image, or even ministry itself—constitutes a form of "whoring" that grieves the Lord deeply. God's "brokenness" over our unfaithfulness underscores His passionate, jealous love for us and His desire for our exclusive devotion, reflecting His covenant faithfulness even when we are unfaithful. This verse also teaches us that God can use difficult circumstances, even periods of "exile" or intense hardship, as a divine catalyst for our spiritual awakening. When we are stripped of our false securities and comforts, we are often brought to a place where we "remember" Him in a deeper, more authentic way, recognizing our utter dependence on His grace. The "loathing themselves" described here is a vital component of genuine repentance; it's not merely regret for consequences, but a profound sorrow for having offended a holy and loving God, leading to a desire for true transformation and a turning away from all "abominations" in our lives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean that God is "broken with their whorish heart"?
This powerful phrase uses anthropomorphism to describe God's profound emotional pain and grief over Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness. The term "broken" (Hebrew: shâbar') conveys a sense of being shattered or crushed. It's not merely that God is angry or offended, but that He is deeply wounded and anguished by His people's betrayal. The "whorish heart" refers to Israel's persistent idolatry and spiritual adultery, likening their covenant relationship with God to a sacred marriage. Just as marital infidelity causes deep pain to a faithful spouse, Israel's pursuit of false gods caused God immense sorrow and indignation, highlighting the intimate and personal nature of their covenant with Him. This reveals God's passionate love and His vulnerability to the choices of His beloved people, underscoring the gravity of their sin against Him.
Why does God use exile to bring remembrance and repentance?
God's judgment, though severe, is often redemptive and restorative in its ultimate purpose. In Ezekiel 6:9, the exile to "the nations whither they shall be carried captives" is depicted as a painful but necessary means to an end. It removes the people from the land where idolatry flourished and forces them into a situation of desperation and reflection. Stripped of their temple, their land, and their perceived security, they are confronted with the consequences of their choices. This harsh reality serves as a divine catalyst, causing them to "remember" God—not just intellectually, but to truly acknowledge His sovereignty, His covenant, and their utter dependence on Him. The suffering in exile leads to a profound "loathing themselves" for their sins, a genuine repentance born out of the recognition of their abominations and God's righteous judgment. This process is designed to purify and restore a remnant, preparing them for a renewed relationship with Him, as seen in later promises of a new heart and spirit in Ezekiel 36.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ezekiel 6:9, with its raw portrayal of God's grief over Israel's "whorish heart" and the redemptive purpose of suffering, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The spiritual adultery of Israel, driven by a heart that "departed from me" and eyes that "go a whoring after their idols," represents the universal human condition of sin and rebellion against a holy God. Humanity, in its fallen state, consistently turns from the Creator to worship created things, whether tangible idols or the intangible idols of self, power, or pleasure. Jesus, the perfect Son of God, fully absorbed the "brokenness" of God's heart caused by humanity's sin. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, bearing the full weight of judgment for our "whorish hearts" and "abominations" on the cross, as powerfully prophesied in Isaiah 53:5. Through His atoning sacrifice, He offers the path to true remembrance and repentance that the exile only foreshadowed. The "remnant" concept, where a few escape judgment, culminates in Christ, who is the true Israel, the faithful one through whom all of God's promises are "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). Those who are "in Christ" are the true spiritual remnant, brought to a place of genuine self-loathing for sin and a profound love for God, not through external exile, but through the internal, transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit grants a new heart and a new spirit, enabling us to walk in God's statutes and desires (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Thus, in Christ, God's grief over sin is assuaged, and His people are truly reconciled and transformed, no longer going a-whoring after idols, but living in faithful, exclusive devotion to Him.