Ezekiel 33:23-33

23 Then the word of the LORD came to me:

24 “Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’

25 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?

26 You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’

27 “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.

28 I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.

29 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’

30 “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’

31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.

32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

33 “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Ezekiel 33:23-33 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

• 1. Ezekiel 36:4
• 2. S Deuteronomy 1:10
• 3. Isaiah 51:2; Jeremiah 40:7; Ezekiel 11:15; Luke 3:8; Acts 7:5
• 4. Jeremiah 7:21
• 5. S Genesis 9:4; Deuteronomy 12:16
• 6. Jeremiah 7:9-10; S Ezekiel 22:6,27
• 7. Jeremiah 41:7
• 8. Ezekiel 22:11
• 9. 1 Samuel 13:6; Isaiah 2:19; S Jeremiah 42:22; S Ezekiel 7:15; S Ezekiel 14:21; Ezekiel 39:4
• 10. S Isaiah 41:15
• 11. S Genesis 6:7; Jeremiah 9:10
• 12. S Leviticus 26:34
• 13. S Jeremiah 18:16; S Jeremiah 44:22; Ezekiel 36:4; Micah 7:13
• 14. S Ezekiel 8:1
• 15. Psalms 119:36
• 16. Psalms 78:36-37; S Isaiah 29:13; S Isaiah 33:15; S Jeremiah 3:10; S Jeremiah 6:17; S Ezekiel 22:27; Matthew 13:22; 1 John 3:18
• 17. S 1 Kings 4:32
• 18. Mark 6:20
• 19. S 1 Samuel 3:20; S Jeremiah 28:9; S Ezekiel 2:5