Ezekiel 5:6 Meaning and Explanation
“And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jerusalem rebelled against God's laws more severely than the surrounding nations did.
The Context of Ezekiel 5:6
God now states the reason for the severe judgment: Jerusalem's law-breaking exceeded that of all surrounding peoples.
What Does Ezekiel 5:6 Mean?
Jerusalem's sin is compared directly to the pagan nations around her—and found to be worse. The phrase 'changed my judgments into wickedness' suggests that Jerusalem did not merely ignore God's law; she actively perverted it, turning just judgments into wicked practices. She had received God's statutes directly yet rejected them entirely.
The double emphasis—'more than the nations' and 'more than the countries'—stresses Jerusalem's greater guilt. The surrounding nations never received God's explicit law. Jerusalem, by contrast, was given the Torah and the covenant. Her willful refusal to walk in them made her rebellion more culpable than that of peoples who never heard God speak.
Ezekiel 5:6 in the Original Language
mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט), 'judgments' — God's righteous determinations and verdicts; the principle of justice and divine order.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ezekiel 5:6
What does Ezekiel 5:6 mean?
Jerusalem rebelled against God's laws more severely than the surrounding nations did.
What is the context of Ezekiel 5:6?
God now states the reason for the severe judgment: Jerusalem's law-breaking exceeded that of all surrounding peoples.