Ezekiel 24:8
That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.
Original Language Analysis
לְהַעֲל֤וֹת
to come up
H5927
לְהַעֲל֤וֹת
to come up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
1 of 12
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
חֵמָה֙
That it might cause fury
H2534
חֵמָה֙
That it might cause fury
Strong's:
H2534
Word #:
2 of 12
heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever)
נָתַ֥תִּי
I have set
H5414
נָתַ֥תִּי
I have set
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
5 of 12
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
6 of 12
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
דָּמָ֖הּ
her blood
H1818
דָּמָ֖הּ
her blood
Strong's:
H1818
Word #:
7 of 12
blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshe
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
8 of 12
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
סָ֑לַע
of a rock
H5553
סָ֑לַע
of a rock
Strong's:
H5553
Word #:
10 of 12
a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress)
Historical Context
Jerusalem's sins were not private or subtle but public and brazen: child sacrifice in the valley visible from the city walls, idols erected in the temple courts, prophets murdered publicly. This shameless, open rebellion demanded equally public judgment. The siege and destruction occurred in full view of surrounding nations, demonstrating divine justice.
Questions for Reflection
- How does public sin demand public judgment?
- What does it mean that blood 'cries out' for justice?
- Why does God sometimes ensure our sins are exposed rather than allowing them to remain hidden?
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Analysis & Commentary
That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance reveals that Jerusalem's unrepented bloodshed has accumulated to provoke divine vengeance. I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered indicates God ensured the blood cried out visibly, not hidden where it could be ignored (compare Genesis 4:10—Abel's blood crying from the ground). The exposed blood on bare rock demands justice. When sin is public and brazen, judgment will be equally public and unavoidable. God ensures sin doesn't remain hidden but is exposed to demand response. Covered sin might be overlooked; exposed sin demands justice.