Ezekiel 7:20-27

Judgment for the Profanation of the Temple and Sanctuary

20 " 'And the beauty of its ornament {he made into a prideful thing} and made with it their detestable things and their vile idols; therefore I will make it into an impure thing for them.
21 And I will give it into the hand of strangers as plunder and to the wicked people of the earth as spoil, and they will defile it.
22 And I will turn my face from them, and they will defile my treasured [place], and violent ones will enter and defile it.
23 Make a chain for the land; it is full of {bloody crimes} and the city is full of violence.
24 And I will bring [the] worst of [the] nations, and they will take possession of their houses, and I will put to an end [the] pride of [the] mighty ones, and their sanctuaries will be defiled.
25 Anguish comes, and they will seek peace, and [there will be] none.
26 Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor will be upon rumor. And they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction will perish from [the] priest and counsel from [the] elders.
27 The king will mourn, and [the] prince will be dressed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. According to their way I will do to them, and according to their judgments I will judge them, and they will know that I [am] Yahweh.'"

Ezekiel 7:20-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 7

This chapter contains a prophecy of the speedy destruction of the Jews, as being just at hand; of the particular judgments that should come upon them; of the horror that should seize them, and the distress that all ranks of men among them should be in, a few only escaping, who are described as in mournful circumstances. The destruction in general is denounced as being very near; the end being come, which is often repeated; and as it is represented as sudden, so without mercy; which is declared, Eze 7:1-14; the particular judgments, sword, pestilence, and famine, are mentioned in Eze 7:15, and the few that should escape are compared to mourning doves, Eze 7:16; the trembling, horror, and shame that should be upon all, are intimated in Eze 7:17,18; the unprofitableness of their gold and silver to deliver them, and the unsatisfying nature of these things, are expressed, Eze 7:19; the profanation and destruction of their temple are prophesied of, Eze 7:20-22; and for their murder, rapine, and oppression, it is threatened that their houses should be possessed by the worst of Heathens, and their holy places defiled; and one calamity should come upon another; when their application to prophets, priests, and ancient men for counsel, would be in, vain, Eze 7:23-26; and king, prince, and people, should be in the most melancholy and distressed circumstances, Eze 7:27.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Or "their"
  • [b]. Literally "to [a] prideful [thing] he made it"
  • [c]. Literally "[the] judgment of blood"
  • [d]. Or "deal with"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.