Ezekiel 6:9
in Ezekiel 6Then in the nations to which they have been carried captive, your survivors will remember Me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts that turned away from Me, and by their eyes that lusted after idols. So they will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their abominations.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And those of you that escape shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captive, how that I have been broken with their lewd heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the harlot after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
KJV
And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
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This verse in Ezekiel 6
Commentary
4 notes on this verseon Ezekiel 6:9-10
(Verse 9, 10) Because I have broken their heart by committing adultery and turning away from me, and their eyes are adulterous, looking after their idols. And they will displease each other with the evils they have done in all their abominations. And they will know that I, the Lord, have not spoken in vain, in order to bring harm upon them. Many things from this chapter have been omitted by the Septuagint, and that part has been changed. I have sworn to their adulterous heart: therefore we have put: I have broken their heart by committing adultery.
This site's exposition
Yet will I leave a remnant
on Ezekiel 6:8-10
In the middle of total judgment the Lord names an exception, a remnant that escapes the sword and is scattered among the nations rather than destroyed with the rest. Their exile is not left empty of purpose, they shall remember me among the nations, and shall loathe themselves for the evils they have committed, a broken and contrite response the earlier chapters have not yet shown from this people. Wesley reads the remnant's self-loathing as the true turning point the whole book is aimed at, judgment meant to produce grief over sin rather than merely to punish it. The recognition formula returns with an added clause, I have not said in vain that I would do this evil, answering in advance any hearer tempted to think the earlier threats were empty.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They are reprieved, and escape the sword, that they may have time to return to God. Note, God's patience both leaves room for repentance and is an encouragement to sinners to repent. Where God designs grace to repent he allows space to repent; yet many who have the space want the grace, many who escape the sword do not forsake the sin, as it is promised that these shall do.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I am broken ... - Translate: “because” I have broken “their whorish heart, which hath departed from me,” and their eyes etc. Since Ezekiel is addressing the Church of God through Israel, we are to note here that the general principle of the divine administration is laid down. Sin leads to judgment, judgment to repentance, repentance to forgiveness, forgiveness to reconciliation, reconciliation to a knowledge of communion with God.
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְזָכְר֨וּ | vezakheru | and they will remember | H2142 → | 230 times |
| פְלִֽיטֵיכֶ֜ם | feliteikhem | escapees your | H6412 → | 24 times |
| אוֹתִ֗י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בַּגּוֹיִם֮ | bagoyim | among the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִשְׁבּוּ־ | nishbu- | they have been taken captive | H7617 → | |
| שָׁם֒ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִשְׁבַּ֜רְתִּי | nishbarti | I was crushed | H7665 → | 147 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִבָּ֣ם | libam | heart their | H3820 → | 595 times |
| הַזּוֹנֶ֗ה | hazoneh | [which] plays the prostitute | H2181 → | 94 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| סָר֙ | sar | it has turned aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| מֵֽעָלַ֔י | mealai | from with <the> me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H854 → | 929 times |
| עֵֽינֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾeineihem | eyes their | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הַזֹּנ֕וֹת | hazonot | [which] play the prostitute | H2181 → | 94 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֖י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| גִּלּֽוּלֵיהֶ֑ם | giluleihem | idols their | H1544 → | 48 times |
| וְנָקֹ֙טּוּ֙ | venakotu | and they will loathe | H6962 → | 6 times |
| בִּפְנֵיהֶ֔ם | bifneihem | <in> faces their | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | because of | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָֽרָעוֹת֙ | haraot | the wicked things | H7451 → | 662 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשׂ֔וּ | ʾasu | they have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְכֹ֖ל | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| תּוֹעֲבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ | toavoteihem | abominations their | H8441 → | 117 times |
וְזָכְר֨וּand they will remember
vezakheruH2142 →230 times
פְלִֽיטֵיכֶ֜םescapees your
feliteikhemH6412 →24 times
אוֹתִ֗י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
בַּגּוֹיִם֮among the nations
bagoyimH1471 →561 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִשְׁבּוּ־they have been taken captive
nishbu-H7617 →
שָׁם֒there
shamH8033 →834 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִשְׁבַּ֜רְתִּיI was crushed
nishbartiH7665 →147 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לִבָּ֣םheart their
libamH3820 →595 times
הַזּוֹנֶ֗ה[which] plays the prostitute
hazonehH2181 →94 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
סָר֙it has turned aside
sarH5493 →299 times
מֵֽעָלַ֔יfrom with <the> me
mealaiH5921 →5755 times
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH854 →929 times
עֵֽינֵיהֶ֔םeyes their
ʾeineihemH5869 →887 times
הַזֹּנ֕וֹת[which] play the prostitute
hazonotH2181 →94 times
אַחֲרֵ֖יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
גִּלּֽוּלֵיהֶ֑םidols their
giluleihemH1544 →48 times
וְנָקֹ֙טּוּ֙and they will loathe
venakotuH6962 →6 times
בִּפְנֵיהֶ֔ם<in> faces their
bifneihemH6440 →2123 times
אֶל־because of
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָֽרָעוֹת֙the wicked things
haraotH7451 →662 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשׂ֔וּthey have done
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
לְכֹ֖לto all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
תּוֹעֲבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃abominations their
toavoteihemH8441 →117 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 43:24You have not bought Me sweet cane with your silver, nor satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities.
it leads to
- Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 6:20
What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”
- Isaiah 63:10
Through
Isaiah 7:13Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well?
it leads to
- Isaiah 43:24
You have not bought Me sweet cane with your silver, nor satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities.
- Isaiah 43:24
Through
Job 42:6Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
it leads to
- Ezra 9:6
and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
- 1 Timothy 1:13–16
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- James 4:7–10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Job 40:3–4
Then Job answered the LORD:
- Ezra 9:6
Through
Psalms 78:40How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- Ephesians 4:30
About Ezekiel

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
