Bible Strands
Ezekiel 28:23
I will send a plague against her and shed blood in her streets; the slain will fall within her, while the sword is against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The speaker is the Lord GOD addressing Ezekiel regarding impending judgment on Sidon. This declaration occurs within a prophetic oracle contrasting divine justice against foreign nations with the future restoration of Israel.
The words — דֶּבֶר (Dever) denotes a pestilence or plague, while דָּם (Dam) literally means blood. These terms anchor the verse’s description of divine judgment through disease and violence.
The thread — The pairing of plague and bloodshed reappears in Ezekiel 38:22 and echoes the judgment motif in Jeremiah 15:2 and Ezekiel 5:12. These passages collectively trace a pattern of divine execution through disease, sword, and famine.
Why it lands — The text declares that God will execute judgment on Sidon so that observers recognize His sovereign authority. It demands acknowledgment of His holiness through the certainty of His spoken word.
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
King James Version
For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 38:22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.
- Jeremiah 15:2 If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’
- Ezekiel 5:12 A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them.
- Ezekiel 25:7 therefore I will indeed stretch out My hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.’
- Ezekiel 25:11 So I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.’
- Ezekiel 25:17 I will execute great vengeance against them with furious reproof. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.’”
- Ezekiel 26:6 and the villages on her mainland will be slain by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’