Ezekiel 17:19
in Ezekiel 17Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it upon his own head.
KJV
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.
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This verse in Ezekiel 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHe promises hereafter to raise the royal family of Judah again, the house of David, in the Messiah and his kingdom,
This site's exposition
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised
on Ezekiel 17:19-21
The Lord claims the broken covenant as his matter to recompense, mine oath, my covenant, language that reframes Zedekiah's treaty violation as sin against God. The net and snare picture the siege and capture. The recognition formula closes the section, ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vers. 19 seq.) Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely I will bring upon his head the oath he has despised and the covenant he has broken. I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and there I will execute judgment on him for the unfaithfulness with which he has despised me. And all his fugitives, with all his troops, will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He needs not great power and many people to effect his purposes; a handful will serve if he pleases. He can without any difficulty ruin a sinful king and kingdom, and make no more of it than we do of rooting up a tree that cumbers the ground. In the explanation of the parable the sentence is very largely recorded: Shall be prosper?
): It is my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken. In every solemn oath God is appealed to as a witness of the sincerity of him that swears, and invocated as a judge and revenger of his treachery if he now swear falsely or at any time hereafter break his oath. But the oath of allegiance to a prince is particularly called the oath of God ( Eccl. viii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, as I live,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
mine oath--The "covenant" being sworn in God's name was really His covenant; a new instance in relation to man of the treacherous spirit which had been so often betrayed in relation to God. God Himself must therefore avenge the violation of His covenant "on the head" of the perjurer (compare Ps 7:16).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֞ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| כֹּה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֨ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִה֮ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| אָנִי֒ | ʾani | of me | H589 → | 874 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֗א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָֽלָתִי֙ | ʾalati | oath my | H423 → | 35 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּזָ֔ה | bazah | he despised | H959 → | 44 times |
| וּבְרִיתִ֖י | uveriti | and covenant my | H1285 → | 284 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵפִ֑יר | hefir | he broke | H6331 → | |
| וּנְתַתִּ֖יו | unetativ | and I will requite it | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ | berosho | on own head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
לָכֵ֞ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
כֹּה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֨רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִה֮Yahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
אָנִי֒of me
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֗אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אָֽלָתִי֙oath my
ʾalatiH423 →35 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בָּזָ֔הhe despised
bazahH959 →44 times
וּבְרִיתִ֖יand covenant my
uveritiH1285 →284 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֵפִ֑ירhe broke
hefirH6331 →
וּנְתַתִּ֖יוand I will requite it
unetativH5414 →2011 times
בְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃on own head his
beroshoH7218 →599 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
Deuteronomy 5:11You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
it leads to
- Exodus 20:7
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
- Deuteronomy 6:13
Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
- Leviticus 19:12
You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
- Matthew 5:33–34
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
- Exodus 20:7
Through
Jeremiah 5:2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
it leads to
- Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
- Jeremiah 4:2
and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
- Titus 1:16
Through
Jeremiah 5:9Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
it leads to
- Jeremiah 9:9
Should I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD. Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?”
- Jeremiah 5:29
Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
- Jeremiah 9:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.