Ezekiel 25

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Reading Ezekiel · Follow the vision and its setting

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Separate a date from a vision’s location

Ezekiel supplies dated headings within an exilic setting. Record the named ruler, year, and place; then ask whether a journey occurs in a vision or as a narrated physical movement. These are different kinds of evidence.

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Track the movement of the divine presence in the vision. Mark the temple, city, and eastern mountain, and then the return to the exiles. Distinguish the visionary route from the prophet’s physical location.

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1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;

3 And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;

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.

5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

6 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;

7 Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

8 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;

9 Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim,

10 Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.

11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

12 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;

13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.

14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.

15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.

17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

World Behind This Chapter

Explore the people, places, language, history, and material world connected to Ezekiel 25.

QUESTIONS WORTH EXPLORING

What historical setting lies behind Ezekiel 25?

Short oracles address neighbors reacting to Judah’s catastrophe.

How does Ezekiel 25’s collection of nation oracles shape the chapter?

Four compact units use taunt, retaliation, and geographic naming.

What stands out about the chapter’s setting and imagery?

The horizon shifts around Judah’s neighboring peoples.

Research PathsCurated links for exploring this chapter 3
History & Daily Life1
  • Ancient Jordan: Ammon, Moab, and EdomWorld History Encyclopedia

    Introduces the Iron Age kingdoms of Ammon, Moab, and Edom east and south of Judah. This regional background helps readers distinguish the neighboring peoples addressed in Ezekiel 25 and understand their political proximity, rivalries, and reactions to Jerusalem’s destruction.

Language & Literature1
Artifacts & Manuscripts1
  • The Mesha Stele and the Kingdom of MoabLouvre Museum

    Official Louvre collection page for the ninth-century BCE Mesha Stele, with multiple object images and museum documentation. Its Moabite inscription names King Mesha, the god Chemosh, Dibon, and territories contested with Israel, providing direct material context for the Moabite world addressed in Ezekiel 25.

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