Ezekiel 22:14

14 Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you?

Ezekiel 22:14 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 22:14

Can thine heart endure
Or "stand" F4: surely it must fall within thee; become like water, and melt as wax, be it ever so hard and adamantine: or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee?
surely they must become weak, and drop, and not be able to hold a weapon for defence: and, if this would be the case, when God should deal with the Jews for their sins, by sending the Chaldean army to besiege their city, and take it; how will it be with sinners at the day of judgment, and to all eternity, when the awful sentence shall be pronounced, "go ye cursed"; when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon them; when they shall be cast into hell, where the worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched? this will be intolerable by the most stout hearted sinner; no heart will be strong enough to stand up under it, or hands to keep it off: I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it;
he who is the mighty God, the eternal and unchangeable Jehovah; he has said it, that he will deal with impenitent sinners in a way of wrath, and he will be as good as his word; he will certainly accomplish it; it is in vain for men to flatter themselves to the contrary; or to put away the evil day far from them; it shall surely be. The Targum is,

``I have decreed by my word, and I will establish it.''

FOOTNOTES:

F4 (dmeyh) "num quid stabit cor tuum?" Paginus, Montanus; "consistet" Munster, Vatablus, Piscator; "perstabit", Junius and Tremellius, Polanus; "constabit", Coeccius, Starckius.

Ezekiel 22:14 In-Context

12 Murder is for hire, usury is rampant, extortion is commonplace. "'And you've forgotten me. Decree of God, the Master.
13 "'Now look! I've clapped my hands, calling everyone's attention to your rapacious greed and your bloody brutalities.
14 Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you?
15 I'll throw you to the four winds. I'll scatter you all over the world. I'll put a full stop to your filthy living.
16 You will be defiled, spattered with your own mud in the eyes of the nations. And you'll recognize that I am God.'"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.