Major Prophets · Chapter 25 of 48

Ezekiel 25

The oracles turn outward to Israel's neighbors. God pronounces judgment on four nations for their malice toward Judah: Ammon, who gloated over the fallen sanctuary; Moab, who scorned Judah as no different from the nations; Edom, who took cruel vengeance; and Philistia, who acted from old hatred. Each will be handed over and destroyed, and each will finally know that the LORD is God.

What happens in Ezekiel 25

With Jerusalem's fall approaching or accomplished, the word of the LORD turns against the surrounding nations. Against Ammon, who said Aha against the sanctuary when it was profaned and rejoiced over Judah's exile, God will give her to the people of the east as a possession and make Rabbah a stable for camels. Against Moab and Seir, who said the house of Judah was just like all other nations, God will open her frontier cities to invaders.

Against Edom, who took vengeance on Judah, God will stretch out his hand and cut off man and beast, laying it waste by the hand of his people Israel. Against Philistia, who acted with a spiteful heart and old hatred, God will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. The refrain recurs: they shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 25 in context

This begins Ezekiel's oracles against foreign nations (chapters 25 to 32), a common prophetic form. The four nations here are Judah's near neighbors east and west, longtime rivals who gloated over her downfall. Ammon, Moab, and Edom were kindred peoples descended from Lot and Esau; the Philistines were ancient coastal enemies.

Their crime is malice and contempt toward God's people in the day of calamity. The recurring refrain, they shall know that I am the LORD, unites the section.

Main themes of Ezekiel 25

Judgment on gloatingEach nation is condemned chiefly for rejoicing over Judah's ruin. Taking pleasure in another's downfall, especially of God's covenant people, provokes his response. The chapter warns that malice and gloating are not overlooked; how we treat others in their weakness matters deeply to God.

That they may know the LORDThe refrain reveals God's purpose even in judgment: that the nations would recognize him as the true God. His dealings with the peoples are not blind vengeance but a summons to knowledge, aiming beyond punishment at the acknowledgment of his rule over all.

God's care for his peopleBy judging those who despised Judah, God shows he has not abandoned his people even in their discipline. Their calamity did not mean he stopped watching over them. He defends them against those who mocked, proving his covenant faithfulness endures through the exile.

This is prophecy, God's word to a people who had wandered, full of warning and astonishing hope. As you read, hear both His grief over sin and His promise to restore.

Ezekiel 25 (KJV)

1The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 2Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them; 3And 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; 4Behold, 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. 5And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 6For 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; 7Behold, 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. 8Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen; 9Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim, 10Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations. 11And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD. 12Thus 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; 13Therefore 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. 14And 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. 15Thus 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; 16Therefore 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. 17And 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.

Verses to carry from Ezekiel 25

“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;”Ezekiel 25:3

“Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;”Ezekiel 25:8

“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.”Ezekiel 25:17

Thematic connection

How Ezekiel 25 points to Jesus

These oracles declare that the God of Israel is Lord over all nations, not a local deity, and that every people will finally know him (Ezekiel 25:17). That universal claim reaches its horizon in Christ, to whom the Father gives the nations for an inheritance (Psalm 2:8) and before whom every knee will bow (Philippians 2:10 to 11). God's defense of his mistreated people also foreshadows the vindication of Christ's church; the Lord who judged those who gloated over Judah remembers how the nations treat his people still.

The refrain that they shall know the LORD anticipates the day when the knowledge of God covers the earth through his Son. This is a thematic connection, reading the nations' oracles in light of Christ's universal reign.

Questions about Ezekiel 25

Why does God judge nations for gloating rather than only for idolatry?

Because malice toward the vulnerable, especially God's suffering people, reveals a hardened heart. These nations kicked Judah when she was down, taking delight in her calamity. God takes such cruelty personally. The chapter teaches that how we respond to others' misfortune is a moral test, and that contempt and vengeance draw God's attention as surely as false worship.

What is the significance of the refrain they shall know that I am the LORD?

It shows that God's aim in judgment is ultimately revelatory, not merely punitive. He acts so that even hostile nations will recognize the true God. This purpose runs through all of Ezekiel and looks toward the wider biblical hope that the whole earth will come to know the LORD, a knowledge fully unveiled in Jesus Christ.

Reflection

It is easy to rejoice quietly when a rival stumbles. This chapter reveals that God notices such gloating and takes the mistreatment of his people to heart. Examine where you have delighted in another's downfall. Then remember that the God who defends his own is the same Lord before whom every nation will one day bow.

A prayer from Ezekiel 25

Lord over all nations, forgive me for the times I have gloated at another's fall. Guard my heart from malice, and help me long for the day when every people knows you through Christ. Defend your church, and be glorified in all the earth. Amen.

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