Ezekiel 25:4
Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.
Original Language Analysis
לָכֵ֡ן
H3651
לָכֵ֡ן
Strong's:
H3651
Word #:
1 of 18
properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner
וְנָ֥תְנוּ
Behold therefore I will deliver
H5414
וְנָ֥תְנוּ
Behold therefore I will deliver
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
3 of 18
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
לִבְנֵי
thee to the men
H1121
לִבְנֵי
thee to the men
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
4 of 18
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
קֶ֜דֶם
of the east
H6924
קֶ֜דֶם
of the east
Strong's:
H6924
Word #:
5 of 18
the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the east) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward)
וְיִשְּׁב֤וּ
and they shall set
H3427
וְיִשְּׁב֤וּ
and they shall set
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
7 of 18
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
וְנָ֥תְנוּ
Behold therefore I will deliver
H5414
וְנָ֥תְנוּ
Behold therefore I will deliver
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
10 of 18
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
מִשְׁכְּנֵיהֶ֑ם
their dwellings
H4908
מִשְׁכְּנֵיהֶ֑ם
their dwellings
Strong's:
H4908
Word #:
12 of 18
a residence (including a shepherd's hut, the lair of animals, figuratively, the grave; also the temple); specifically, the tabernacle (properly, its w
Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:51And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.Deuteronomy 28:33The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:Judges 6:33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.Isaiah 1:7Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.1 Kings 4:30And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Historical Context
After Babylon's fall to Persia (539 BC), Arabian tribes increasingly dominated former Ammonite territory. By the Hellenistic period, Ammonite ethnic identity had largely disappeared, absorbed by Arab populations.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you see God's justice operating in the principle that nations reap what they sow?
- What does proportionate judgment teach about God's character as both loving and just?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
God's judgment fits the crime: Ammon rejoiced at Israel's exile, so they would experience foreign occupation by 'men of the east' (Arabian nomadic tribes). The ironic reversal shows divine justice—their territory would become pastureland for foreign flocks, just as they hoped to possess Israel's land. God's judgments are always righteous and proportionate.