God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 7:23
23“Get the chains ready! The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with 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 hand their jewels over to foreigners as loot and to the most evil people on earth as prizes. These foreigners will dishonor the people of Israel. 22I will turn my face away from the people of Israel, and foreigners will dishonor my treasured place. Robbers will go in and dishonor it. “Get the chains ready! The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with violence. 24So I will send the most evil nation, and it will take possession of people’s houses. I will stop those who are strong from feeling proud, and their holy places will be dishonored. 25Anguish is coming. People will look for 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 19:3One of the cubs she raised became a young lion. He learned to tear apart the animals he hunted. He ate people.
- Jeremiah 27:2This is what the Lord said to me: Make ⌞leather⌟ straps and a wooden yoke, and strap the yoke on your neck.
- Jeremiah 40:1The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, let him go at Ramah. Nebuzaradan found Jeremiah in chains along with the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken to Babylon.
- Lamentations 3:7He has blocked me so that I can’t get out. He has put heavy chains on me.
- Nahum 3:10Even she went into captivity and was exiled. Even her little children were smashed to death at every street corner. Soldiers tossed dice for her important men, and all her best men were bound in chains.
- Ezekiel 9:9He answered me, “The wickedness of the nations of Israel and Judah is terrible. The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with wrongdoing. They think that the Lord has abandoned the land and that he doesn’t see.
- Ezekiel 11:6You have killed many people in this city and have filled its streets with corpses.
- Ezekiel 22:3Tell it, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: ⌞Jerusalem,⌟ you are the city that murders people who live in you. Your time has come. You dishonor yourself with disgusting idols.
- 2 Kings 21:16In addition to his sin that he led Judah to commit in front of the Lord, Manasseh also killed a lot of innocent people from one end of Jerusalem to the other.
- 2 Kings 24:4including the innocent blood he had shed. He had a lot of innocent people in Jerusalem killed, and the Lord refused to forgive him.
- Isaiah 1:15So when you stretch out your hands ⌞in prayer⌟, I will turn my eyes away from you. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen because your hands are covered with blood.
- Isaiah 59:3Your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers are stained with sin. You speak lies, and you mutter wicked things.
- Jeremiah 2:34You have the blood from poor and innocent people on your clothes. You didn’t kill them for breaking into your home.
- Jeremiah 7:6Suppose you do not oppress foreigners, orphans, and widows, or kill anyone in this place. And suppose you do not follow other gods that lead you to your own destruction.
- Jeremiah 22:17“But your eyes and your mind are set on nothing but dishonest profits. You kill innocent people and violently oppress your people.”
- Hosea 4:2There is cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. People break ⌞my laws⌟, and there is one murder after 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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