Ezekiel 22:14

Authorized King James Version

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Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it.

Original Language Analysis

הֲיַעֲמֹ֤ד endure H5975
הֲיַעֲמֹ֤ד endure
Strong's: H5975
Word #: 1 of 14
to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
לִבֵּךְ֙ Can thine heart H3820
לִבֵּךְ֙ Can thine heart
Strong's: H3820
Word #: 2 of 14
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything
אִם H518
אִם
Strong's: H518
Word #: 3 of 14
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה be strong H2388
תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה be strong
Strong's: H2388
Word #: 4 of 14
to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restra
יָדַ֔יִךְ or can thine hands H3027
יָדַ֔יִךְ or can thine hands
Strong's: H3027
Word #: 5 of 14
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
לַיָּמִ֕ים in the days H3117
לַיָּמִ֕ים in the days
Strong's: H3117
Word #: 6 of 14
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's: H834
Word #: 7 of 14
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
אֲנִ֖י H589
אֲנִ֖י
Strong's: H589
Word #: 8 of 14
i
וְעָשִֽׂיתִי׃ it and will do H6213
וְעָשִֽׂיתִי׃ it and will do
Strong's: H6213
Word #: 9 of 14
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
אוֹתָ֑ךְ H854
אוֹתָ֑ךְ
Strong's: H854
Word #: 10 of 14
properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc
אֲנִ֥י H589
אֲנִ֥י
Strong's: H589
Word #: 11 of 14
i
יְהוָ֖ה with thee I the LORD H3068
יְהוָ֖ה with thee I the LORD
Strong's: H3068
Word #: 12 of 14
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי have spoken H1696
דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי have spoken
Strong's: H1696
Word #: 13 of 14
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
וְעָשִֽׂיתִי׃ it and will do H6213
וְעָשִֽׂיתִי׃ it and will do
Strong's: H6213
Word #: 14 of 14
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

Analysis & Commentary

Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? This rhetorical question challenges Jerusalem's capacity to withstand divine judgment. The Hebrew ha'ya'amod libbeka (הֲיַעֲמֹד לִבְּךָ, "will your heart stand/endure?") and ha'techezaqnah yadeka (הֲתֶחֱזַקְנָה יָדֶיךָ, "will your hands be strong?") emphasize both inner courage and outer strength. The answer is obvious: no human fortitude can withstand God's wrath.

I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it. The divine oath formula ani YHWH dibbarti ve'asiti (אֲנִי יְהוָה דִּבַּרְתִּי וְעָשִׂיתִי) guarantees fulfillment. God's word and deed are inseparable—what He declares, He accomplishes. This echoes Isaiah 55:11 where God's word never returns void. Jerusalem's sin has triggered irreversible judgment; only repentance could delay, not cancel, the sentence already pronounced through covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28).

Historical Context

This verse concludes the catalog of Jerusalem's sins (verses 2-12) with a sobering warning. Spoken around 591-590 BC, just years before Jerusalem's fall in 586 BC, Ezekiel's prophecy gave final warning to a doomed city. The Babylonian siege machinery and armies would test whether Judah's 'heart could endure'—it could not.

Questions for Reflection

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