Ezekiel 33:25-33

25 "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You eat meat with the 1blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. 2Should you then possess the land?
26 "You 3rely on your sword, you commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you then possess the land?"'
27 "Thus you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "As I live, surely * those who are in the waste places will 4fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the 5caves will die of pestilence.
28 "I will 6make the land a desolation and a waste, and the 7pride of her power will cease; and the mountains of Israel will be desolate so that no one will pass through.
29 "Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed."'
30 "But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, '8Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.'
31 "They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their 9mouth, and their heart goes after their 10gain.
32 "Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a 11beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them.
33 "So when it 12comes to pass -as surely it will-then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst."

Ezekiel 33:25-33 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 33

This chapter treats of the prophet's duty, and the people's sins; contains a vindication of the justice of God; a threatening of destruction to those who remained in the land after the taking of the city; and a detection of the hypocrisy of the prophet's hearers. The duty of a watchman in general is declared, Eze 33:1-6, an application of this to the prophet, Eze 33:7: the sum of whose business is to warn the wicked man of his wickedness; and the consequence of doing, or not doing it, is expressed, Eze 33:8,9, an objection of the people, and the prophet's answer to it, Eze 33:10,11, who is bid to acquaint them, that a righteous man trusting to his righteousness, and sinning, should not live; and that a sinner repenting of his sins should not die, Eze 33:12-16, the people's charge of inequality in the ways of God is retorted upon them, and removed from the Lord, and proved against them, Eze 33:17-20, then follows a prophecy, delivered out after the news was brought of the taking of the city, threatening with ruin those that remained in the land, confident of safety, and that for their sins, which are particularly enumerated, Eze 33:21-29, and the chapter is closed with a discovery of the hypocrisy of those that attended the prophet's ministry, Eze 33:30-33.

Cross References 12

  • 1. Lev 17:10, 12, 14; Deuteronomy 12:16, 23; Deuteronomy 15:23
  • 2. Jeremiah 7:9, 10
  • 3. Micah 2:1, 2; Zephaniah 3:3
  • 4. Jeremiah 15:2, 3; Jeremiah 42:22; Ezekiel 5:12
  • 5. 1 Samuel 13:6; Isaiah 2:19
  • 6. Ezekiel 5:14; Ezekiel 6:14; Micah 7:13
  • 7. Ezekiel 7:24; Ezekiel 24:21; Ezekiel 30:6
  • 8. Isaiah 29:13; Isaiah 58:2; Ezekiel 14:3; Ezekiel 20:3, 31
  • 9. Psalms 78:36, 37; Isaiah 29:13; 1 John 3:18
  • 10. Ezekiel 22:13, 27; Luke 12:15
  • 11. Mark 6:20
  • 12. Jeremiah 28:9; Ezekiel 33:29

Footnotes 5

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