Ezekiel 16:23
And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)
Original Language Analysis
וַיְהִ֕י
H1961
וַיְהִ֕י
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 10
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
אַחֲרֵ֖י
And it came to pass after
H310
אַחֲרֵ֖י
And it came to pass after
Strong's:
H310
Word #:
2 of 10
properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
3 of 10
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
רָעָתֵ֑ךְ
all thy wickedness
H7451
רָעָתֵ֑ךְ
all thy wickedness
Strong's:
H7451
Word #:
4 of 10
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
Historical Context
Ezekiel prophesied this oracle in 593 BC, about six years before Jerusalem's final destruction. The 'woe, woe' anticipates the double devastation: Nebuchadnezzar's siege (588-586 BC) destroying city and temple, followed by exile to Babylon. The phrase reflects the prophet's pastoral heartbreak—warning those who would not hear.
Questions for Reflection
- When God interrupts your life with warnings or conviction, do you hear His sorrowful 'woe' or dismiss it as harsh judgment?
- What persistent sins in your life have exhausted God's patience, requiring stern intervention rather than gentle correction?
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Analysis & Commentary
After all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD)—The doubled oy (אוֹי, woe) signals intensified judgment, a prophetic funeral dirge for the living (Isaiah 5:8, Amos 5:18). Ezekiel uses oy sparingly, making this double woe devastating. The parenthetical insertion interrupts the indictment with divine lament—God's sorrow over necessary judgment.
This verse bridges the catalog of sins (vv. 15-22) with the coming judgment description (vv. 24-43). The phrase after all thy wickedness (acharei kol-ra'atekh, אַחֲרֵי כָּל־רָעָתֵךְ) emphasizes Jerusalem exhausted divine patience. Jesus wept over Jerusalem for identical reasons (Luke 19:41-44)—covenant people rejecting covenant Lord face covenant curses. Judgment isn't arbitrary but the necessary outcome of sustained rebellion after persistent grace.