What is the meaning of Ezekiel 23:26? They will strip off Stripping is the language of conquest and judgment. God warns that the nations Assyria and Babylon will do to Samaria and Jerusalem what a captor does to a defeated enemy—remove every protection. • This is a literal threat: invaders would physically undress their captives, shaming them publicly (cf. Nahum 3:5 “I will lift your skirts over your face; I will show the nations your nakedness”). • It also exposes spiritual betrayal. Israel and Judah had clothed themselves with alliances and idols; God allows those false coverings to be torn away (cf. Hosea 2:3). • The act fulfills covenant curses pronounced in Deuteronomy 28:48, where disobedience ends with serving enemies “naked and lacking everything.” your clothes The garments symbolize dignity, identity, and security. • Clothes often picture righteousness or unrighteousness. By losing them, the sisters (Samaria and Jerusalem) reveal the bankruptcy of their own righteousness (cf. Isaiah 64:6). • Royal robes were marks of favor. When stripped, leaders and people alike lose honor (cf. Lamentations 4:1–5). • The image reminds believers today that only Christ’s righteousness truly clothes us (cf. Revelation 3:18 “buy from Me white garments, so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed”). and take your fine jewelry The fine jewelry recalls the adornments God Himself once gave (Ezekiel 16:11–13). • Jewel‐taking is plunder. The conquerors remove every sign of prosperity, leaving the cities desolate (cf. 2 Kings 25:13–15). • It is also God’s way of reclaiming what was misused. Israel had used His gifts to court idols (Hosea 2:13), so He permits their removal. • For the faithful, the warning is clear: earthly treasures are temporary; true riches are laid up in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21). summary Ezekiel 23:26 paints a vivid, literal picture of judgment: enemies will humiliate Israel and Judah by stripping away clothing and jewelry. The physical act mirrors a spiritual reality—God removing false security, exposing sin, and reclaiming misused blessings. The verse calls believers to cling to the righteousness and adornment that only the Lord provides, treasures that no conqueror can ever take. |
    |