What does Ezekiel 23:46 mean?
"For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled." - Ezekiel 23:46

In Ezekiel 23:46, the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible states, "For thus saith the Lord God; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled." This verse comes at the end of a passage in which the prophet Ezekiel speaks of the Lord's judgment against the two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, who are representing Samaria and Jerusalem, respectively. These two sisters are portrayed as having committed spiritual adultery and idolatry, forsaking their covenant with the Lord and turning to other gods. This passage serves as a rebuke and warning to the people of Israel, highlighting the consequences of their unfaithfulness and rebellion against God.
The context of Ezekiel 23:46 is within a larger section of the book of Ezekiel that contains symbolic language and imagery to convey the spiritual unfaithfulness and impending judgment of the people of Israel. Oholah and Oholibah are portrayed as promiscuous women who engage in idolatry and spiritual adultery, forsaking their covenant with the Lord and turning to other gods. The Lord's response to their unfaithfulness is one of judgment and punishment, as indicated in the verse.
The verse also contains the phrase "I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled," which conveys the idea of the Lord bringing a foreign army or nation to attack and conquer the people of Israel, leading to their destruction and captivity. This imagery is a common theme in the prophetic books of the Bible, where the use of foreign invaders to execute God's judgment on unfaithful nations is often employed as a metaphor for divine retribution.
In addition to the immediate context of the passage, the verse can also be understood within the broader theological themes of the Bible. The concept of covenantal faithfulness and the consequences of unfaithfulness is a central theme throughout the Old Testament. The Lord's relationship with Israel is often described in terms of a covenant, where the people are called to be faithful to their God, and the Lord promises to bless and protect them in return. However, the people's unfaithfulness often leads to the breaking of this covenant and the subsequent judgment of God.
Furthermore, the verse can be seen as a reflection of the broader biblical theme of the sovereignty of God. The Lord is depicted as the ultimate authority who brings about the rise and fall of nations, using them as instruments of his divine judgment. This theme is echoed throughout the biblical narrative, where the Lord's control and dominion over all creation is a constant refrain.
Symbolism also plays a significant role in understanding the meaning of the verse. The imagery of the Lord bringing up a company upon the people of Israel and giving them to be removed and spoiled serves as a symbolic representation of the consequences of the people's unfaithfulness. It depicts the impending destruction and desolation that will befall the nation as a result of their rebellion against God.
In conclusion, Ezekiel 23:46 is a verse that carries a powerful message of judgment and warning to the people of Israel. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of unfaithfulness and rebellion against God, while also highlighting the sovereignty and authority of the Lord over all nations. The verse is deeply rooted in the theological and symbolic language of the Old Testament, and its message remains relevant for believers today as a call to covenantal faithfulness and obedience to God.
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Ezekiel 23:46 - "For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled."
"For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled." - Ezekiel 23:46
Ezekiel 46:23 - "And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about."
Genesis 46:23 - "¶ And the sons of Dan; Hushim."
"And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about." - Ezekiel 46:23
"¶ And the sons of Dan; Hushim." - Genesis 46:23
Ezekiel 46:24 - "Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people."
Ezekiel 46:15 - "Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering."
Ezekiel 46:3 - "Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons."
Ezekiel 40:46 (KJVA) 46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.
Ezekiel 46:22 - "In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure."
Ezekiel 46:10 - "And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth."
Jeremiah 46:23 - "They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable."
Ezekiel 20:46 - "Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;"
Ezekiel 46:6 - "And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish."
Ezekiel 40:46 (KJVA) 46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.
Ezekiel 40:46 (KJVA) 46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.
Ezekiel 40:46 (KJVA) 46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.
Ezekiel 46:13 - "Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning."
Ezekiel 46:5 - "And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah."
Ezekiel 40:46 (KJVA) 46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.
Ezekiel 46:16 - "¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it shall be their possession by inheritance."
Ezekiel 46:7 - "And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah."
Ezekiel 46:11 - "And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah."
Ezekiel 46:8 - "And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof."
Ezekiel 46:21 - "Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a court."
Ezekiel 46:4 - "And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish."
Luke 23:46 - "¶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."
Ezekiel 40:46 - "And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him."
Ezekiel 46:19 - "¶ After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward."