◄ Ezekiel 7:4 ►
I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'
Study Bible
I will not look on you with pity
This phrase emphasizes the severity of God's judgment. In the context of Ezekiel, God is addressing the Israelites who have persistently turned away from Him despite numerous warnings. The absence of pity signifies a divine response to their hardened hearts and continuous rebellion. This reflects the principle found in Proverbs 1:24-28, where wisdom warns of the consequences of ignoring divine counsel.

nor will I spare you
The lack of sparing indicates the certainty and completeness of the impending judgment. Historically, this is set during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, a time when the Israelites faced the consequences of their idolatry and disobedience. This phrase echoes the warnings given in Deuteronomy 28, where blessings and curses are outlined based on Israel's obedience or disobedience to God's commandments.

but I will punish you for your ways
This highlights the justice of God, who holds individuals accountable for their actions. The "ways" refer to the habitual sins and lifestyle choices that are contrary to God's laws. This is consistent with the biblical theme of reaping what one sows, as seen in Galatians 6:7-8. The punishment is not arbitrary but a direct result of their chosen path.

and for the abominations among you
"Abominations" refer to detestable practices, often associated with idolatry and moral corruption. In Ezekiel's time, these included the worship of foreign gods and the adoption of pagan customs. This connects to Leviticus 18, where God outlines practices that are considered abominable. The presence of such abominations signifies a deep spiritual decay within the community.

Then you will know that I am the LORD.
This phrase underscores the ultimate purpose of God's judgment: to bring recognition of His sovereignty and holiness. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, this refrain is repeated, emphasizing that the knowledge of God is both relational and revelatory. It points to the hope of restoration and reconciliation, as knowing the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) and the foundation of a restored relationship with Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages of judgment and hope to the Israelites.

2. Israel
The nation to whom Ezekiel is prophesying, specifically the people of Judah who are facing imminent judgment due to their persistent idolatry and rebellion against God.

3. Babylonian Exile
The period during which the Israelites were taken captive by Babylon, serving as a backdrop for Ezekiel's prophecies of judgment and eventual restoration.
Teaching Points
Divine Justice
God's judgment is a response to persistent sin and rebellion. He is just and will not overlook sin indefinitely.

Personal Responsibility
The phrase "I will bring your ways upon you" emphasizes that individuals and nations are accountable for their actions.

Recognition of God
The ultimate purpose of God's judgment is that people "will know that I am the LORD," highlighting the importance of acknowledging God's sovereignty.

Call to Repentance
Understanding the certainty of God's judgment should lead to repentance and a turning back to God.

Hope in Restoration
While this verse focuses on judgment, the broader context of Ezekiel includes promises of restoration, reminding believers of God's redemptive plan.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of divine justice in Ezekiel 7:4 challenge or affirm your understanding of God's character?

2. In what ways can we see the principle of "reaping what you sow" in our own lives, and how does this align with the message of Ezekiel 7:4?

3. How does the call to recognize God as LORD in Ezekiel 7:4 relate to the first commandment in Exodus 20:3?

4. What steps can we take to ensure that we are living in a way that acknowledges God's sovereignty and avoids the pitfalls of Israel's disobedience?

5. How can the themes of judgment and restoration in Ezekiel encourage us in our personal walk with God, especially in times of discipline or hardship?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, providing a backdrop for understanding the consequences Israel faces in Ezekiel 7:4.

Jeremiah 18
The imagery of the potter and the clay illustrates God's sovereignty and the conditional nature of His judgment and mercy, similar to the themes in Ezekiel.

Romans 2:6
This verse speaks of God repaying each person according to their deeds, echoing the principle of divine retribution found in Ezekiel 7:4.
Sermons
RecompenseJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 7:4
The Punishment of the WickedW. Jones Ezekiel 7:1-4
The Hand of the Dock on the Hour of DoomJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 7:1-15
People
Ezekiel
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abominations, Bring, Conduct, Detestable, Disgusting, Eye, Mercy, Midst, Pity, Practices, Punish, Punishment, Recompense, Repay, Spare, Surely, Works
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 7:4

     5029   knowledge, of God
     5499   reward, divine

Ezekiel 7:2-4

     7259   promised land, later history

Ezekiel 7:2-6

     4930   end

Library
Motives to Holy Mourning
Let me exhort Christians to holy mourning. I now persuade to such a mourning as will prepare the soul for blessedness. Oh that our hearts were spiritual limbecs, distilling the water of holy tears! Christ's doves weep. They that escape shall be like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity' (Ezekiel 7:16). There are several divine motives to holy mourning: 1 Tears cannot be put to a better use. If you weep for outward losses, you lose your tears. It is like a shower …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Healing a Demoniac in a Synagogue.
(at Capernaum.) ^B Mark I. 21-28; ^C Luke . IV. 31-37. ^b 21 And they [Jesus and the four fishermen whom he called] go into { ^c he came down to} Capernaum, a city of Galilee. [Luke has just spoken of Nazareth, and he uses the expression "down to Capernaum" because the latter was on the lake shore while Nazareth was up in the mountains.] And ^b straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. { ^c was teaching them} ^b 22 And they were astonished at his teaching: for he taught …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
[Sidenote: Role of the sages in Israel's life] In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer. xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26) three distinct classes of religious teachers were recognized by the people: the prophets, the priests, and the wise men or sages. From their lips and pens have come practically all the writings of the Old Testament. Of these three classes the wise men or sages are far less prominent or well known. They wrote no history of Israel, they preached no public sermons, nor do they appear …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

"And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up Himself to Take Hold on Thee,"
Isaiah lxiv. 7.--"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee," &c. They go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with that a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough other(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man would spend more affection, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Blessed are they that Mourn
Blessed are they that mourn. Matthew 5:4 Here are eight steps leading to true blessedness. They may be compared to Jacob's Ladder, the top whereof reached to heaven. We have already gone over one step, and now let us proceed to the second: Blessed are they that mourn'. We must go through the valley of tears to paradise. Mourning were a sad and unpleasant subject to treat on, were it not that it has blessedness going before, and comfort coming after. Mourning is put here for repentance. It implies …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

"Thou Shall Keep Him in Perfect Peace, Whose Mind is Stayed on Thee, Because He Trusteth in Thee. "
Isaiah xxvi. 3.--"Thou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." All men love to have privileges above others. Every one is upon the design and search after some well-being, since Adam lost that which was true happiness. We all agree upon the general notion of it, but presently men divide in the following of particulars. Here all men are united in seeking after some good; something to satisfy their souls, and satiate their desires. Nay, but they …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

There is a Blessedness in Reversion
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Matthew 5:3 Having done with the occasion, I come now to the sermon itself. Blessed are the poor in spirit'. Christ does not begin his Sermon on the Mount as the Law was delivered on the mount, with commands and threatenings, the trumpet sounding, the fire flaming, the earth quaking, and the hearts of the Israelites too for fear; but our Saviour (whose lips dropped as the honeycomb') begins with promises and blessings. So sweet and ravishing was the doctrine of this …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Ezekiel 7:4 NIV
Ezekiel 7:4 NLT
Ezekiel 7:4 ESV
Ezekiel 7:4 NASB
Ezekiel 7:4 KJV

Ezekiel 7:4 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Ezekiel 7:3
Top of Page
Top of Page