Keraia
Ezekiel 16

Ezekiel 16:63

The Covenant Remembered · Ezekiel 16:59–63
Read Ezekiel 16

Translations

Modern
…so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your disgrace, declares the Lord GOD.”
Traditional
That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.
Literal
…so that you may remember and be ashamed, and there will come to be for you no more an opening of your mouth from the face of your shame, in My making atonement toward you for all that you have done! An utterance of the Lord YHWH.”
Latin
…ut recorderis, et confundaris, et non sit tibi ultra aperire os præ confusione tua, cum placatus tibi fuero in omnibus quæ fecisti, ait Dominus Deus.

Original

Hebrew
English
…so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your disgrace, declares the Lord GOD.”

Notes

Ezekiel 16:59–63

Jerusalem's sins were serious and required judgment. But judgment was not God's final word on Jerusalem. She had broken God's covenant in many ways. Because of this, she deserved the penalty of death.

But judgment was not God’s final word. The Lord would remember the covenant he made with her at the beginning. His plans for his people could not be stopped, even by their sin. His covenant commitment lasts forever (Psalm 136).

In the end, God would forgive her sins. His forgiveness would lead Jerusalem to repentance.

Ezekiel 16:1–63

In Ezekiel 16, Jerusalem is described as an unfaithful wife and a prostitute. This language is very strong. Even in English, the chapter can be difficult to read. In its ancient setting, it would have sounded even more shocking.

Ezekiel used graphic language to show how serious Judah’s sin was. He did not try to make his message softer or more polite. He spoke in a direct and forceful way.

This strong language is the main point of the chapter. Ezekiel wanted the people to feel how terrible their sin was in God’s sight. The shocking description helped them understand that God’s judgment was not unfair.

If Ezekiel had used softer words, the people might not have understood the full seriousness of their sin. The strong picture was necessary to show why God’s judgment was justified (that is, right and fair).

Ezekiel 15:1–24:14

This section includes eight metaphors, each showing from a different angle the certainty of Jerusalem's upcoming judgment. The images are of:

  1. a worthless vine (Ezekiel 15);

  2. a faithless wife (Ezekiel 16);

  3. a vine and two eagles (Ezekiel 17);

  4. Sour grapes (Ezekiel 18);

  5. a lion and her cubs (Ezekiel 19);

  6. a sword (Ezekiel 21);

  7. two corrupt sisters (Ezekiel 23); and

  8. a cooking pot (Ezekiel 24).

Events

People

LORD: Names or title used to refer to God

Glossary

Adultery Bride of Christ Ezekiel, Book of Sexual Immorality

Topics

God: Mercy of Humility: General Scriptures Concerning Prophecies Concerning Israel: Prophecies Concerning of Blessing and Restoration Repentance: should be Accompanied by Shame and Confusion Repentance: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To The Covenant is Everlasting