Ezekiel 21:25

25 And you, profane and wicked prince of Israel,[a] the day has come for your punishment."[b]

Ezekiel 21:25 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 21:25

And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel
Meaning Zedekiah, the then reigning prince; who is so called, because he had profaned or violated the oath and covenant he made with the king of Babylon, as well as because of other sins he was guilty of; and his being a prince of Israel was an aggravation of his crimes: now, though it is "not fit" in common, or for ordinary persons, "to say to a king thou art wicked, and to princes ye are ungodly", ( Job 34:18 ) , yet a prophet from the Lord, and in his name, may say so; and he ought, when he has a commission from God for it: whose day is come;
the time of his downfall and ruin; and so the Targum,

``whose day of destruction is come:''
when iniquity shall have an end; a stop put to the torrent of it, both in the king and his subjects; they not having the opportunity and means of sinning in captivity as before; or when the measure of iniquity is filled up, then comes punishment; or when the punishment of iniquity shall be completed. So the Targum,
``the time of the recompence of his sins.''

Ezekiel 21:25 In-Context

23 It will seem like false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn an oath to the Babylonians, but it will draw attention to [their] guilt so that they will be captured.
24 "Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your actions, since you have done this, you will be captured by them.
25 And you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your punishment."
26 This is what the Lord God says: Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are; exalt the lowly and bring down the exalted.
27 A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! Yet this will not happen until He comes; I have given the judgment to Him.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. King Zedekiah
  • [b]. Lit come in the time of the punishment of the end
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