Ezekiel 7:21

Translation
King James Version
And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And I will give H5414 it into the hands H3027 of the strangers H2114 for a prey H957, and to the wicked H7563 of the earth H776 for a spoil H7998; and they shall pollute H2490 it.
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Complete Jewish Bible
I will hand it over to foreigners as booty, to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it.
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Berean Standard Bible
And I will hand these things over as plunder to foreigners and loot to the wicked of the earth, who will defile them.
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American Standard Version
And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall profane it.
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World English Bible Messianic
I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a plunder; and they shall profane it.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And I will giue it into the handes of the strangers to be spoyled, and to the wicked of the earth to be robbed, and they shall pollute it.
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Young's Literal Translation
And I have given it into the hand of the strangers for a prey, And to the wicked of the land for a spoil, And they have polluted it.
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See also
2 Kings 24:13Psalms 74:2Psalms 74:82 Chronicles 36:182 Chronicles 36:192 Kings 25:132 Kings 25:16
In the KJVVerse 20,599 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Ezekiel 7:21 delivers a severe prophetic declaration of God's impending and comprehensive judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, specifically detailing the desecration and plunder of the cherished temple and its sacred treasures. It unequivocally portrays God's active and sovereign role in orchestrating this calamity, delivering the nation's most hallowed symbols and possessions into the hands of foreign invaders as plunder and spoil, a direct and just consequence of Israel's pervasive sin, idolatry, and rebellion against Him.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 7 forms a pivotal and intense section within the prophet's early messages, delivered to the exiles already in Babylon. Following the "sword" prophecies of chapter 6, which graphically announced the desolation of the land and the destruction of idolatrous high places, chapter 7 escalates the message by declaring with stark finality, "the end has come" for Israel. This chapter serves as a comprehensive pronouncement of judgment, detailing the swiftness, totality, and inescapable nature of Jerusalem's fall. Verse 21 specifically addresses the fate of the temple and its holy articles, setting a grim stage for the vivid descriptions of the abominations within the temple itself, which are graphically exposed in Ezekiel 8. The prophet systematically dismantles any false hope the people might cling to, emphasizing that no part of their society—from kings to priests, or even their most sacred institutions—will escape divine wrath.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Ezekiel prophesied during a period of profound national crisis for Judah, spanning the final years leading up to Jerusalem's destruction by Babylon (586 BCE) and continuing into the early years of the Babylonian exile. His primary audience was the Jewish exiles already deported to Babylon, though his messages also spoke prophetically to those remaining in Jerusalem. For the people of Judah, the Temple in Jerusalem was far more than a mere building; it was the symbolic epicenter of their faith, believed to be the literal dwelling place of Yahweh, and often, a source of profound, yet ultimately misplaced, security. They erroneously believed its presence guaranteed their safety and immunity from destruction, despite their widespread idolatry, moral corruption, and covenant unfaithfulness, which Ezekiel vividly exposes in passages like Ezekiel 8:6-18. This verse shatters that illusion, revealing God's intention to allow the temple's defilement as a direct, just response to their spiritual defilement. The "strangers" refer specifically to the Neo-Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar, whom God uses as instruments of His judgment, as seen in Jeremiah 25:9.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prevalent in Ezekiel and broader prophetic literature. It underscores the theme of Divine Judgment, emphasizing that the impending calamity is not merely a random act of war but a divinely ordained consequence for Judah's persistent sin and rebellion against the covenant. God's explicit declaration, "I will give it," highlights His active role in directing these events, affirming His Sovereignty over all nations and historical outcomes, even using pagan empires like Babylon as instruments of His righteous will, as powerfully illustrated in Daniel 2:21. The verse also vividly portrays the Consequences of Sin, demonstrating that spiritual rebellion inevitably leads to severe repercussions, even the profanation of what was once considered most sacred. Finally, the chilling phrase "they shall pollute it" speaks directly to the Profanation of the Sacred, a recurring motif in Ezekiel, where the physical desecration of the temple mirrors and culminates the spiritual defilement that Israel had already brought upon God's sanctuary and His holy name through their idolatry and unrighteousness, as God Himself laments in Ezekiel 5:11.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • give (Hebrew, nâthan', H5414): This word (H5414) is a primitive root with an expansive semantic range, meaning "to give," but also "to put," "to make," "to appoint," or "to deliver." In Ezekiel 7:21, its usage signifies God's deliberate and active decision to "deliver" or "hand over" the land, Jerusalem, and implicitly, the temple and its contents. It emphasizes divine agency and intentionality in the judgment, rather than merely passive allowance. God is not an indifferent observer but the sovereign orchestrator of the unfolding catastrophe.
  • strangers (Hebrew, zûwr', H2114): Derived from H2114, this root means "to turn aside," implying someone who is foreign, alien, or outside the established community. It can also carry connotations of being profane or estranged. Here, "strangers" refers to foreign invaders, specifically the Babylonians, who are inherently outside the covenant community of Israel. Their role as agents of defilement is underscored by the root's connection to profanity, as they are cultically "profane" and will make the sacred "profane."
  • pollute (Hebrew, châlal', H2490): This primitive root (H2490) means "to bore," "to wound," "to dissolve," but most significantly in this context, "to profane" or "to defile" a person, place, or thing. It implies stripping away holiness, making something common or unholy. The use of this word here is profoundly significant, as it indicates the ultimate indignity: the sacred Temple, which was meant to be the epitome of holiness and God's dwelling place, will be rendered common and defiled by the hands of the pagan invaders, mirroring Israel's own prior spiritual profanation of God's name and sanctuary.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey": This clause highlights God's active, intentional, and sovereign role in the impending judgment. The pronoun "it" refers broadly to the land of Judah, the city of Jerusalem, and implicitly, the sacred temple and its treasures, which are the focus of the subsequent defilement. God, the sovereign Lord, is personally handing over His people's most cherished possessions—including the very symbol of His presence—into the control ("hands," signifying power and authority) of foreign, non-covenant peoples ("strangers," the Babylonians). The term "prey" (Hebrew, baz) denotes plunder or booty taken by force, emphasizing the complete subjugation and exploitation of what was once Israel's.
  • "and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil": This parallel clause reinforces the previous one, employing synonymous terms to amplify the message of utter desolation. "The wicked of the earth" refers to the same foreign invaders, emphasizing their moral character from God's perspective as those who do not acknowledge Him, yet they are still instruments in His divine hand. "Spoil" (Hebrew, shâlâl) is another word for plunder or loot, reiterating the comprehensive nature of the confiscation and the utter defeat of Judah, leaving nothing untouched.
  • "and they shall pollute it": This final, chilling declaration reveals the ultimate indignity and the spiritual consequence of the judgment. The "strangers" and "wicked" will not merely take the physical possessions but will also desecrate the holy place. To "pollute" (Hebrew, châlal) means to profane, defile, or make common that which is sacred and set apart for God. This act of physical defilement by the invaders is a direct consequence and a mirror of Israel's own prior spiritual defilement of the temple and their covenant with God through pervasive idolatry and sin, which had already stripped the temple of its true holiness in God's eyes.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 7:21 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of impending and severe judgment. The most prominent is Personification, where God is depicted with "hands" (though the Hebrew yâd also signifies power or control), actively "giving" over Jerusalem and its temple. This emphasizes God's direct agency and intentionality in the unfolding catastrophe, making it clear that this is not random misfortune but divinely orchestrated judgment. There is also a strong element of Parallelism in the repetition of "for a prey" and "for a spoil," which are synonymous terms. This synonymous parallelism intensifies the sense of complete and utter plunder, reinforcing the totality of the loss and the comprehensive nature of the judgment. Furthermore, the verse uses Symbolism, as "it" (referring to Jerusalem and implicitly the temple) symbolizes the nation's spiritual state, their covenant relationship with God, and their misplaced security. The physical desecration of this sacred symbol directly reflects the spiritual defilement that Israel had already perpetrated through their unfaithfulness. Finally, there is a profound Irony in the fact that the very place intended for God's holy presence, the Temple, is delivered into the hands of the "wicked" to be "polluted" precisely because the people who worshipped there had already spiritually polluted it through their idolatry and unfaithfulness, rendering it no longer truly holy in God's sight.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 7:21 profoundly illustrates God's unwavering justice and absolute sovereignty, even in the face of His people's egregious rebellion. It reveals that a covenant relationship does not grant immunity from divine judgment when that covenant is repeatedly violated through idolatry and unfaithfulness. God is faithful to His promises, including His warnings of discipline for disobedience. The defilement of the temple, the very symbol of God's presence among His people, serves as a stark reminder that God's holiness cannot be contained or manipulated by human institutions or rituals without genuine obedience and purity of heart. This act of judgment underscores that God's glory and His holy name are paramount, and He will act decisively to vindicate His holiness when His people profane it, even if it means allowing the destruction of what they hold sacred.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 7:21 serves as a timeless and sobering reminder of God's absolute holiness and His unwavering justice. It challenges us to confront any spiritual complacency or misplaced security we might harbor, particularly in religious structures, traditions, or even our own perceived righteousness, rather than in a genuine, obedient, and humble relationship with God. The defilement of the temple, a place of immense spiritual significance, underscores that outward forms of piety or sacred spaces mean nothing if the heart is far from God. Our actions, both individual and corporate, have profound consequences, and while God is rich in mercy and slow to anger, He is also perfectly just and will not tolerate persistent sin. This verse calls us to a deep self-examination, urging us to identify and repent of any areas of spiritual defilement, idolatry, or unfaithfulness in our lives. It compels us to pursue true holiness and reverence for God, understanding that His presence is not bound to physical structures but resides in hearts that are pure, obedient, and truly devoted to Him, as exhorted in 1 Peter 1:15-16.

Questions for Reflection

  • Where might I be placing my security or hope in something other than God alone, perhaps in religious activities or traditions?
  • In what ways might my actions, attitudes, or priorities be "polluting" or defiling the spiritual temple of my own life or the church community I belong to?
  • How does understanding God's active role in judgment (e.g., "I will give it") shape my view of His sovereignty and justice in the world today, particularly concerning societal or personal challenges?

FAQ

What does "pollute it" specifically refer to in the context of the temple?

Answer: In Ezekiel 7:21, "pollute it" (Hebrew, châlal) specifically refers to the physical and ritual desecration of the Jerusalem Temple by foreign invaders. This would involve the plundering of its sacred vessels, the defiling of its holy spaces by pagan rituals or the presence of unholy individuals, and the general stripping away of its sanctity and separation from the common. This act of physical defilement by the Babylonians was a direct consequence and a mirror of the spiritual defilement that the Israelites themselves had already brought upon the temple through their idolatry, moral corruption, and unfaithfulness to God, as graphically detailed in Ezekiel 8.

Why would God allow His own temple to be defiled by "strangers" and "the wicked of the earth"?

Answer: God allowed His temple to be defiled as a severe act of righteous judgment against His people, Judah, for their persistent and egregious sin, particularly their pervasive idolatry and profanation of His holy name. The temple, meant to be a place of holiness and true worship, had become a source of false security for the people and was itself defiled by the abominations committed within its precincts. By allowing "strangers" (the pagan Babylonians) to defile it, God demonstrated that His presence and holiness are not bound to a physical structure when His people have broken covenant and defiled His sanctuary. This act underscored His absolute sovereignty over all nations, even using pagan empires as instruments of His righteous judgment, as seen in Isaiah 10:5-7.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 7:21, with its grim prophecy of the Jerusalem temple's defilement, foreshadows a profound shift in God's dwelling place and the very nature of true worship, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The physical temple in Jerusalem, though once the locus of God's manifest presence, was susceptible to human sin and subsequent divine judgment and defilement. This Old Testament reality points forward to Christ, who declares Himself to be the true temple, stating, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," referring to the temple of His body John 2:19-21. While the physical temple was polluted by human sin and pagan invaders, Christ, the perfect and undefiled temple, was "polluted" not by His own sin, but by taking upon Himself the sins of the world, becoming sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him 2 Corinthians 5:21. His ultimate sacrifice on the cross was the definitive act that cleansed the true temple—humanity—from the defilement of sin, offering a perfect and eternal atonement that the sacrifices in the earthly temple could only foreshadow Hebrews 9:11-14. Through Christ, believers become living stones, built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God 1 Peter 2:5, thereby fulfilling the purpose of a holy dwelling place for God, no longer confined to a physical structure but residing in the hearts of His redeemed people through the Holy Spirit.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 7 verses 16–22

We have attended the fate of those that are cut off, and are now to attend the flight of those that have an opportunity of escaping the danger; some of them shall escape (Eze 7:16), but what the better? As good die once as, in a miserable life, die a thousand deaths, and escape only like Cain to be fugitives and vagabonds, and afraid of being slain by every one they meet; so shall these be.

I. They shall have no comfort or satisfaction in their own minds, but be in continual anguish and terror; for, wherever they go, they carry about with them guilty consciences, which make them a burden to themselves. 1. They shall be always solitary and under prevailing melancholy; they shall not be in the cities, or places of concourse, but all alone upon the mountains, not caring for society, but shy of it, as being ashamed of the low circumstances to which they are reduced. 2. They shall be always sorrowful. Those have reason to be so that are under the tokens of God's displeasure; and God can make those so that have been most jovial and have set sorrow at defiance. Those that once thought themselves as the lions of the mountains, so daring were they, now become as the doves of the valleys, so timid are they, and so dispirited, ready to flee when none pursues and to tremble at the shaking of a leaf. They are all of them mourning (not with a godly sorrow, but with the sorrow of the world, which works death), every one for his iniquity, that is, for those calamities which they now see their iniquity has brought upon them, not only the iniquity of the land, but their own: they shall then be brought to acknowledge what they have each of them contributed to the national guilt. Note, Sooner or later sin will have sorrow of one kind or other; and those that will not repent of their iniquity may justly be left to pine away in it; those that will not mourn for it as it is an offence to God shall be made to mourn for it as it is a shame and ruin to themselves, to mourn at the last, when the flesh and the body are consumed, and to say, How have I hated instruction! Pro 5:11, Pro 5:12. 3. They shall be deprived of all their strength of body and mind (Eze 7:17): All hands shall be feeble, so that they shall not be able to fight, or defend themselves, and all knees shall be weak as water, so that they shall neither be able to flee nor to stand their ground; they shall feel a universal colliquation: their knees shall flow as water, so that they must fall of course. Note, It is folly for the strong man to glory in his strength, for God can soon weaken it. 4. They shall be deprived of all their hopes and shall abandon themselves to despair (Eze 7:18); they shall have nothing to hold up their spirits with; their aspects shall show what are their prospects, all dreadful, for they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, as having no expectation ever to wear better clothing. Horror shall cover them, and shame, and baldness, all the expressions of a desperate sorrow, Isa 17:11. Note, Those that will not be kept from sin by fear and shame shall by fear and shame be punished for it; such is the confusion that sin will end in.

II. They shall have no benefit from their wealth and riches, but shall be perfectly sick of them, Eze 7:19. Those that were reduced to this distress were such as had had abundance of silver and gold, money, and plate, and jewels, and other valuable goods, from which they promised themselves a great deal of advantage in times of public trouble. They thought their wealth would be their strong city, that with it they could bribe enemies and buy friends, that it would be the ransom of their lives, that they could never want bread as long as they had money, and that money would answer all things; but see how it proved. 1. Their wealth had been a great temptation to them in the day of their prosperity; they set their affections upon it, and put their confidence in it. By their eager pursuit of it they were drawn into sin, and by their plentiful enjoyment of it they were hardened in sin; and thus it was the stumbling-block of their iniquity; it occasioned their falling into sin and obstructed their return to God. Note, There are many whose wealth is their snare and ruin. The gaining of the world is the losing of their souls; it makes them proud, secure, covetous, oppressive, voluptuous; and that which, it well used, might have been the servant of their piety, being abused, becomes the stumbling-block of their iniquity. 2. It was no relief to them now in the day of their adversity; for, (1.) Their gold and silver could not protect them from the judgments of God. They shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not serve to atone his justice, or turn away his wrath, nor to screen them from the judgments he is bringing upon them. Note, Riches profit not in the day of wrath, Pro 11:4. They neither set them so high that god's judgments cannot reach them nor make them so strong that they cannot conquer them. There is a day of wrath coming, when it will appear that men's wealth is utterly unable to deliver them or do them any service. What the better was the rich man for his full barns when his soul was required of him, or that other rich man for his purple, and scarlet, and sumptuous fare, when in hell he could not procure a drop of water to cool his tongue? Money is no defence against the arrests of death, nor any alleviation to the miseries of the damned. (2.) Their gold and silver could not give them any content under their calamities. [1.] They could not fill their bowels; when there was no bread left in the city, none to be had for love or money, their silver and gold could not satisfy their hunger, nor serve to make one meal's meat for them. Note, We could better be without mines of gold than fields of corn; the products of the earth, which may easily be gathered from the surface of it, are much greater blessings to mankind than its treasures, which are with so much difficulty and hazard dug out of its bowels. If God give us daily bread, we have reason to be thankful, and no reason to complain, though silver and gold we have none. [2.] Much less could they satisfy their souls, or yield them any inward comfort. Note, The wealth of this world has not that in it which will answer the desires of the soul, or be any satisfaction to it in a day of distress. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, much less he that loses it. (3.) Their gold and silver shall be thrown into the streets, either by the hands of the enemy, who shall have more spoil than they care for or can carry away (silver shall be nothing accounted of; they shall cast that in the streets; but the gold, which is more valuable, shall be removed and brought to Babylon); or they themselves shall throw away their silver and gold, because it would be an incumbrance to them and retard their flight, or because it would expose them and be a temptation to the enemy to cut their throats for their money, or in indignation at it, because, after all the care and pains they had taken to scrape it together and hoard it up, they found that it would stand them in no stead, but do them a mischief rather. Note, The world passes away, and the lusts thereof, Jo1 2:17. The time may come when worldly men will be as weary of their wealth as now they are wedded to it, when those will fare best that have least.

III. God's temple shall stand them in no stead, Eze 7:20-22. This they had prided themselves in, and promised themselves security from (Jer 7:4; Mic 3:11); but this confidence of theirs shall fail them. Observe, 1. The great honour God had done to that people in setting up his sanctuary among them (Eze 7:20): As for the beauty of his ornament, that holy and beautiful house, where they and their fathers praised God (Isa 64:11), which was therefore beautiful because holy (it was called the beauty of holiness, and holiness is the beauty of its ornament; it was also adorned with gold and gifts) - as for this, he set it in majesty; every thing was contrived to make it magnificent, that it might help to make the people of Israel the more illustrious among their neighbours. He built his sanctuary like high palaces, Psa 78:69. It was a glorious high throne from the beginning, Jer 17:12. But, 2. Here is the great dishonour they had done to God in profaning his sanctuary; they made the images of their counterfeit deities, which they set up in rivalship with God, and which are here called their abominations and their detestable things (for so they were to God, and so they should have been to them), and these they set up in God's temple, than which a greater affront could not be put upon him. And therefore, 3. It is here threatened that they shall be deprived of the temple, and it shall be no succour to them: Therefore have I set it far from them, that is, sent them far from it, so that it is out of the reach of their services and they are out of the reach of its influences. Note, God's ordinances, and the privileges of a profession of religion, will justly be taken away from those that despise and profane them. Nay, they shall not only be kept at a distance from the temple, but the temple itself shall be involved in the common desolation (Eze 7:21); the Chaldeans, who are strangers, and therefore have no veneration for it, who are the wicked of the earth, and therefore have an antipathy to it, shall have it for a prey and for a spoil; all the ornaments and treasures of it shall fall into their hands, who will make no difference between that and other plunder. This was a grief to the saints in Zion, who complained of nothing so much as of that which the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary (Psa 74:3); but it was the punishment of the sinners in Zion, who, by profaning the temple with strange gods, provoked God to suffer it to be profaned by strange nations, and to turn his face from those that did it as if he had not seen them and their crimes and from those that deprecated it as not regarding them and their prayers. Let the soldiers do as they will; let them enter into the secret place, into the holy of holies, as robbers; let them strip it, let them pollute it; its defence has departed, and then farewell all its glory. Note, Those are unworthy to be honoured with the form of godliness who will not be governed by the power of godliness.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 16–22. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 21) Therefore I gave them over to uncleanness: and I will give them into the hands of foreigners to plunder them, and to the wicked of the earth as prey, and they will defile it. LXX: Therefore I gave them over to uncleanness: and I will give them into the hands of foreigners to plunder them, and to the pestilential ones of the earth as prey, and they will pollute it. Because they made for themselves images of their abominations and idols from the gold and silver and ornaments of their necklaces, which I had given them, therefore I gave them into uncleanness and into excrement. For which Symmachus interpreted, expressing disgust, wanting to cleanse the filth of the idols. And he said, 'I will deliver these into the hands of the enemy, so that they may plunder everything, and not only defile them, but also demonstrate that they, which previously seemed most sacred, are contaminated.' We too are delivered into the hands of our enemies and strangers to God when we make our ornaments into images of demons, and all our glory is possessed by the impious or the plagues of the earth, so that they may subject us to their power.
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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