What is the meaning of Ezekiel 23:45? But righteous men The verse opens, “But righteous men…” (Ezekiel 23:45). • This signals that God still has a remnant who align with His standards, even when the nation as a whole has strayed (cf. Genesis 18:23; Isaiah 1:9). • Such men act as instruments of God’s justice, much like Moses judging the people (Exodus 18:21) or Jehoshaphat’s appointed judges who were told, “judge carefully, for you are not judging for man but for the LORD” (2 Chronicles 19:6). will sentence them The righteous “will sentence them,” stressing decisive legal action. • Judgment is not mere opinion; it is an official verdict rendered according to God’s revealed law (Deuteronomy 17:8–11). • Ezekiel has already functioned as both watchman and prosecutor (Ezekiel 3:17–19), and now a verdict arrives. to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed God specifies the penalty: the same fate reserved for adulterers and murderers. • Under the Law, adultery was punishable by death (Leviticus 20:10); bloodshed required life for life (Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:31–33). • The twin sins mirror Israel’s conduct: covenant infidelity with idols and violent oppression of the innocent (Ezekiel 22:11–13; Hosea 4:2). because they are adulteresses The charge is repeated so no one misses the point: “they are adulteresses.” • Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem) symbolized the northern and southern kingdoms, both guilty of spiritual adultery with foreign gods (Ezekiel 23:4; Jeremiah 3:8–9). • The adultery is literal idolatry but also includes alliances with pagan nations, betraying total dependence on the LORD (Isaiah 30:1–5). with blood on their hands Finally, the verse ends, “with blood on their hands.” • Idolatry led to child sacrifice and violence (Ezekiel 16:20–21; Psalm 106:37–38). • Leaders shed innocent blood through oppression (Ezekiel 22:6–9), making the nation unclean and inviting divine wrath (Isaiah 59:3–4). summary Ezekiel 23:45 teaches that God upholds His law through righteous agents who pass a verdict matching the crimes. Israel’s twin sins—spiritual adultery and literal bloodshed—demand the strict penalties outlined in Scripture. The verse underscores God’s unwavering justice and His expectation that His people remain faithful and innocent of violence. |
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