Ezekiel 24:23
And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.
Original Language Analysis
וּפְאֵרֵכֶ֣ם
And your tires
H6287
וּפְאֵרֵכֶ֣ם
And your tires
Strong's:
H6287
Word #:
1 of 15
an embellishment, i.e., fancy head-dress
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 15
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
רָאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם
shall be upon your heads
H7218
רָאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם
shall be upon your heads
Strong's:
H7218
Word #:
3 of 15
the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)
וְנַֽעֲלֵיכֶם֙
and your shoes
H5275
וְנַֽעֲלֵיכֶם֙
and your shoes
Strong's:
H5275
Word #:
4 of 15
properly, a sandal tongue; by extension a sandal or slipper (sometimes as a symbol of occupancy, a refusal to marry, or of something valueless)
בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם
upon your feet
H7272
בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם
upon your feet
Strong's:
H7272
Word #:
5 of 15
a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphemistically the pudenda
לֹ֥א
H3808
לֹ֥א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
6 of 15
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
תִסְפְּד֖וּ
ye shall not mourn
H5594
תִסְפְּד֖וּ
ye shall not mourn
Strong's:
H5594
Word #:
7 of 15
properly, to tear the hair and beat the breasts (as middle easterners do in grief); generally to lament; by implication, to wail
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
8 of 15
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
וּנְמַקֹּתֶם֙
but ye shall pine away
H4743
וּנְמַקֹּתֶם֙
but ye shall pine away
Strong's:
H4743
Word #:
10 of 15
to melt; figuratively, to flow, dwindle, vanish
בַּעֲוֹנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם
for your iniquities
H5771
בַּעֲוֹנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם
for your iniquities
Strong's:
H5771
Word #:
11 of 15
perversity, i.e., (moral) evil
Cross References
Ezekiel 4:17That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.Ezekiel 33:10Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?Leviticus 26:39And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.
Historical Context
This prophecy materialized in 586 BC when Jerusalem fell. The book of Lamentations records this stunned, guilty grief: 'The LORD hath done that which he devised...he hath thrown down in his wrath' (Lamentations 2:17). Unlike normal tragedies blamed on fate, this was recognized as deserved covenant judgment.
Questions for Reflection
- What is the difference between mourning a tragedy and mourning deserved consequences?
- How can recognition of our own sin in judgment lead to repentance rather than despair?
- When has conviction of sin 'wasted away' your spirit before restoration came?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet—They would not remove their headwear (פְּאֵרֵיכֶם, pĕʾērêkem, 'turbans/head-dresses') or shoes, customary mourning gestures. Ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another—Instead of outward mourning, they would נָמַקּוּ (nāmaqqû, 'waste away/rot') inwardly, consumed by guilt. The verb suggests gradual decay, spiritual and emotional disintegration.
This describes a worse state than open grief: the paralysis of knowing judgment was deserved, that their own sins destroyed Jerusalem. וּנְהַמְתֶּם (ûnĕhamtem, 'and groan') אִישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו (ʾîsh ʾel-ʾāḥîw, 'each to his brother')—private groaning between individuals, not corporate mourning. Their guilt would isolate them even from communal grief, each man alone with his deserved punishment.