Amplified Bible
Ezekiel 7:23
23‘Prepare the chain [for imprisonment], for the land is full of bloody crimes [murders committed under the pretense of civil justice] and the city is full of violence.
Ezekiel 7:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘Prepare chains! For the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘Make a chain, For the land is filled with crimes of blood, And the city is full of violence.
Context of Ezekiel 7:23
21I will give it into the hands of strangers (Babylonians) as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they shall profane it. 22I will also turn My face away from them, and they will desecrate My secret treasure (the Jerusalem temple); and robbers will enter [irreverently] into it (the Holy of Holies) and violate it. ‘Prepare the chain [for imprisonment], for the land is full of bloody crimes [murders committed under the pretense of civil justice] and the city is full of violence. 24Therefore, I will bring the worst of the [Gentile] nations, and they will take possession of their houses [those of the people of Judah]; I will also silence their pride, and their holy places will be profaned. 25When anguish comes, they [of Judah] shall seek peace, but there will be none.
Read all of Ezekiel 7Ezekiel 7:23 word by word
עֲשֵׂ֖ה הָֽרַתּ֑וֹק כִּ֣י הָאָ֗רֶץ מָֽלְאָה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט דָּמִ֔ים וְהָעִ֖יר מָלְאָ֥ה חָמָֽס׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- a chainרַתּוֹקrattôq · chainH7569
- for the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- is fullמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- of bloodyדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- crimesמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- and the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- of violenceחָמָסchâmâs · violenceH2555
Cross-references for Ezekiel 7:23
- Ezekiel 19:3When she [the royal mother-city] brought up [Jehoahaz] one of her cubs, He became a [young] lion, And he learned to catch and tear the prey; He devoured men.
- Jeremiah 27:2Thus says the Lord to me, “Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck,
- Jeremiah 40:1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken as exiles to Babylon.
- Lamentations 3:7He walled me in so that I cannot get out; He has weighted down my chain.
- Nahum 3:10Yet she became an exile; She went into captivity. Her young children were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with chains.
- Ezekiel 9:9Then He said to me, “The wickedness (guilt) of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of blood and the city is full of perversion and injustice; for they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land; the Lord does not see [what we are doing].’
- Ezekiel 11:6You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the corpses [of righteous men].”
- Ezekiel 22:3You shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time [of doom] will come, and makes idols to defile her, contrary to her interest!
- 2 Kings 21:16Moreover, Manasseh shed a very great quantity of innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, by doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
- 2 Kings 24:4and also for the innocent blood that he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not pardon it.
- Isaiah 1:15So when you spread out your hands [in prayer, pleading for My help], I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you offer many prayers, I will not be listening. Your hands are full of blood!
- Isaiah 59:3For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing]; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue mutters wickedness.
- Jeremiah 2:34Also on your skirts is found The lifeblood of the innocent poor; You did not find them breaking in [a house]. But in spite of all these things [your disobedience, your love of idolatry, your lack of compassion]—
- Jeremiah 7:6if you do not oppress the transient and the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood [by oppression and by unjust judicial murders] in Jerusalem, nor follow after other gods to your own ruin,
- Jeremiah 22:17“But your eyes and your heart Are only intent on your own dishonest gain, On shedding innocent blood, On oppression and extortion and violence.”
- Hosea 4:2There is [false] swearing of oaths, deception (broken faith), murder, stealing, and adultery; They employ violence, so that one [act of] bloodshed follows closely on another.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 7:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Make a chain - Point out the captivity; show them that it shall come, and show them the reason: "Because the land is full of bloody crimes," etc.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Make a chain - Forge the chain, the chain of imprisonment determined for them.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-27Verses 23-27 Whoever break the bands of God's law, will find themselves bound and held by the chains of his judgments. Since they encouraged one another to sin, God would dishearten them. All must needs be in trouble, when God comes to judge them according to their deserts. May the Lord enable us to seek that good part which shall not be taken away.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-27Religious leaders (prophets and priests) and civil leaders (kings or princes) could not bring the peace the people wanted. Both the rich and the poor would be powerless when facing judgment. Without guidance or direction, the people would have no hope.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. chain--symbol of the captivity (compare Jr 27:2). As they enchained the land with violence, so shall they be chained themselves. It was customary to lead away captives in a row with a chain passed from the neck of one to the other. Therefore translate as the Hebrew requires, "the chain," namely, that usually employed on such occasions. Calvin explains it, that the Jews should be dragged, whether they would or no, before God's tribunal to be tried as…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 7:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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