Ezekiel 20:33

As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God addresses rebellious Israel through Ezekiel, responding to their stated desire to abandon covenant worship and imitate pagan nations. The declaration marks a pivot from their failed idolatrous ambitions to His impending sovereign intervention.

The words — The Hebrew oath formula חַי־ אָ֕נִי (chai- 'A.ni) literally means "as I live," establishing a binding divine guarantee. The name יְהוִ֑ה אֲדֹנָ֣י (Yah.weh 'a.do.Nai) specifies that Yahweh, the covenant Lord, is the agent of the coming action.

The thread — The motif of rule and deliverance through a strong hand, outstretched arm, and poured-out wrath appears in Jeremiah 21:5, Jeremiah 42:18, and Jeremiah 44:6. These passages consistently pair God's coercive power with both judgment against rebellion and rescue of His people.

Why it lands — The text asserts that God will enforce His authority through judgment rather than accommodate Israel's chosen idolatry. It requires the reader to abandon resistance to divine rule and acknowledge His absolute sovereignty over history.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

חַי־chai-[by] [the] life אָ֕נִי'A.niof me נְאֻ֖םne.'Um[the] utterance of אֲדֹנָ֣י'a.do.Nai[the] Lord יְהוִ֑הYah.wehYahweh אִם־'im-if לֹ֠אlo'not בְּיָ֨דbe./Yadby/ a hand חֲזָקָ֜הcha.za.Kahstrong וּבִזְר֧וֹעַu./vi/z.Ro.a'and/ by/ an arm נְטוּיָ֛הne.tu.Yahoutstretched וּבְחֵמָ֥הu./ve./che.Mahand/ with/ rage שְׁפוּכָ֖הshe.fu.Khahpoured out אֶמְל֥וֹךְ'em.LokhI will reign עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃'a.lei./Khemover/ you

King James Version

As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

Cross-references

Jeremiah 21:5 And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath.
Jeremiah 42:18 For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the residents of Jerusalem, so will My wrath be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’
Jeremiah 44:6 Therefore My wrath and anger poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so that they have become the desolate ruin they are today.
Ezekiel 8:18 Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”
Lamentations 2:4 He has bent His bow like an enemy; His right hand is positioned. Like a foe He has killed all who were pleasing to the eye; He has poured out His wrath like fire on the tent of the Daughter of Zion.
Daniel 9:11 All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice; so the oath and the curse written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You.