Ezekiel 5:15

Authorized King James Version

So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#2
חֶרְפָּ֤ה
So it shall be a reproach
contumely, disgrace, the pudenda
#3
וּגְדוּפָה֙
and a taunt
a revilement
#4
מוּסָ֣ר
an instruction
properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint
#5
וּמְשַׁמָּ֔ה
and an astonishment
a waste or amazement
#6
לַגּוֹיִ֖ם
unto the nations
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
#7
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
#8
סְבִיבוֹתָ֑יִךְ
that are round about
(as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around
#9
בַּעֲשׂוֹתִי֩
thee when I shall execute
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
#10
בָ֨ךְ
H0
#11
שְׁפָטִ֜ים
judgments
a sentence, i.e., infliction
#12
בְּאַ֤ף
in thee in anger
properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire
#13
חֵמָ֔ה
and in furious
heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever)
#14
וּבְתֹכְח֣וֹת
rebukes
chastisement; figuratively (by words) correction, refutation, proof (even in defense)
#15
חֵמָ֔ה
and in furious
heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever)
#16
אֲנִ֥י
i
#17
יְהוָ֖ה
I the LORD
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
#18
דִּבַּֽרְתִּי׃
have spoken
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine sovereignty contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

This passage must be understood within the political and social structures of the biblical period. The author writes to address believers seeking to understand God's will and purposes, making the emphasis on salvation particularly relevant. Historical documents from this period show cultural practices and social structures that would have been familiar to the original readers, illuminating the verse's original impact.

Questions for Reflection

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