Ezekiel 24:25

And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Ezekiel as "son of man" to announce the removal of Jerusalem's security. This declaration occurs during a prolonged siege when the prophet's actions serve as a tangible sign of impending judgment.

The words — The Hebrew מָ֣עוּזָּ֔/ם (ma.'u.Za/m) literally means "their stronghold," identifying the fortified city that functioned as the people's false confidence. The phrase בְּ/י֨וֹם (be./Yom) specifies this event as a fixed, divinely appointed moment of removal.

The thread — The motif of God stripping away a nation's pride and joy recurs in Ezekiel 24:21 concerning the sanctuary's desecration. It intersects with the biblical treatment of Zion as a center of earthly beauty and security in Psalms 48:2 and Psalms 50:2.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that human security and cultural pride are temporary constructs subject to divine removal. It requires the reader to abandon reliance on visible strongholds and acknowledge God's sovereign control 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

וְאַתָּ֣הve./'a.Tahand/ you בֶן־ven-O son of אָדָ֔ם'a.Damhumankind הֲל֗וֹאha./Lo'¿/ not בְּי֨וֹםbe./Yomon/ [the] day קַחְתִּ֤יkach.T/itake/ Iמֵהֶם֙me./Hemfrom/ themאֶת־'et-<obj.>מָ֣עוּזָּ֔םma.'u.Za/mstronghold/ their מְשׂ֖וֹשׂme.Sos[the] joy of תִּפְאַרְתָּ֑םtif.'ar.Ta/msplendor/ their אֶת־'et-<obj.>מַחְמַ֤דmach.Mad[the] desire of עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙'ei.nei./Hemeyes/ their וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>מַשָּׂ֣אma.Sa'[the] uplifting of נַפְשָׁ֔םnaf.Sha/mbeing/ their בְּנֵיהֶ֖םbe.nei./Hemsons/ their וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃u./ve.no.tei./Hemand/ daughters/ their

King James Version

Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,

Cross-references

Ezekiel 24:21 Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’
Psalms 48:2 Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.
Psalms 50:2 From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.
Jeremiah 11:22 So this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine.
Deuteronomy 28:32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, while your eyes grow weary looking for them day after day, with no power in your hand.
Psalms 122:1 A song of ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
Jeremiah 7:4 Do not trust in deceptive words, saying: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’
Jeremiah 52:10 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the officials of Judah.