Ezekiel 39:23

And the nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity, because they were unfaithful to Me. So I hid My face from them and delivered them into the hands of their enemies, so that they all fell by the sword.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks through Ezekiel to the exiled house of Israel, explaining the theological cause of their recent national catastrophe.

The words — The Hebrew verb יָדְעוּ (ya.de.'U) means "they will know," and גָּל֣וּ (ga.Lu) translates literally as "they went into exile."

The thread — The text states that covenant unfaithfulness causes divine withdrawal, a pattern repeated in Isaiah 59:2 and Isaiah 1:15, while the nations' public recognition of this judgment aligns with Jeremiah 22:8.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to accept that political defeat and displacement are direct consequences of broken covenant loyalty, not arbitrary historical events.

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

וְיָדְע֣וּve./ya.de.'Uand/ they will know הַ֠גּוֹיִםHa./go.yimthe/ nations כִּ֣יkithat בַעֲוֹנָ֞םva./'a.vo.Na/mfor/ iniquity/ their גָּל֣וּga.Luthey went into exile בֵֽית־veit-[the] house of יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsrael עַ֚ל'alon אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherthat מָֽעֲלוּ־ma.'a.lu-they had acted unfaithfullyבִ֔יV/iagainst/ meוָאַסְתִּ֥רva./'as.Tirand/ I hid פָּנַ֖יpa.Na/iface/ myמֵהֶ֑םme./Hemfrom/ themוָֽאֶתְּנֵם֙va./'e.te.Ne/mand/ I gave/ them בְּיַ֣דbe./Yadin/ [the] hand of צָרֵיהֶ֔םtza.rei./Hemopponents/ their וַיִּפְּל֥וּva/i.yi.pe.Luand/ they fell בַחֶ֖רֶבva./Che.revby the/ sword כֻּלָּֽם׃ku.La/mall of/ them

King James Version

And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 22:8 And many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?’
Isaiah 1:15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.
Ezekiel 39:29 And I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
Leviticus 26:25 And I will bring a sword against you to execute the vengeance of the covenant. Though you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
Deuteronomy 31:17 On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’
Deuteronomy 32:20 He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation—children of unfaithfulness.
Deuteronomy 32:30 How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
Isaiah 42:24 Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law.
Jeremiah 40:2 The captain of the guard found Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God decreed this disaster on this place,