Ezekiel 23:33
Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.
Original Language Analysis
תִּמָּלֵ֑אִי
Thou shalt be filled
H4390
תִּמָּלֵ֑אִי
Thou shalt be filled
Strong's:
H4390
Word #:
3 of 9
to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)
כּ֖וֹס
with the cup
H3563
כּ֖וֹס
with the cup
Strong's:
H3563
Word #:
4 of 9
a cup (as a container), often figuratively, some unclean bird, probably an owl (perhaps from the cup-like cavity of its eye)
כּ֖וֹס
with the cup
H3563
כּ֖וֹס
with the cup
Strong's:
H3563
Word #:
7 of 9
a cup (as a container), often figuratively, some unclean bird, probably an owl (perhaps from the cup-like cavity of its eye)
Cross References
Isaiah 51:17Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.Jeremiah 25:27Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.Isaiah 51:22Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:
Historical Context
Samaria's fall (722 BC) provided 136 years of warning before Jerusalem fell (586 BC). Multiple prophets—Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Ezekiel—warned Judah would experience identical judgment unless she repented. The warning was clear, repeated, and urgent, making eventual judgment entirely just and completely anticipated by those paying attention.
Questions for Reflection
- Why do historical examples often fail to prevent repeated mistakes?
- How does ample warning increase the justice of eventual judgment?
- What contemporary warnings should we heed before experiencing judgment?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow personalizes the experience. Drunkenness represents loss of control, dignity, and rationality under judgment's weight. Sorrow accompanies utter loss. With the cup of astonishment and desolation describes effects: horror (astonishment) and utter ruin (desolation). With the cup of thy sister Samaria reiterates that Judah's judgment mirrors Israel's. Repetition drives home inevitability. As Samaria fell, so will Jerusalem. History repeats when repentance doesn't intervene. The named example serves as warning: you've seen what happens; now it happens to you. Judgment is predictable, warned, and therefore just. No one can claim surprise when covenant curses are fulfilled after repeated warning.