Chapter 6
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
3And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
4And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
5And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.
6In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
7And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
8Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.
9And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
10And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.
11Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.
12He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them.
13Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.
14So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
“And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.”
Overview
God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against the mountains of Israel where idolatrous high places have proliferated. The altars will be broken, the idols shattered, and the slain will fall among them. A remnant who escape will remember God among the nations and loathe themselves for the evils they committed. Yet even in judgment, the declaration 'ye shall know that I am the LORD' reveals God's redemptive purpose.
Key Themes
Judgment on the High Places
The mountains, hills, ravines, and valleys where Israel practiced idolatry will be devastated — the very geography of sin becomes the geography of judgment.
You Shall Know That I Am the LORD
This phrase, repeated throughout Ezekiel, reveals that even judgment serves a revelatory purpose — through both mercy and wrath, God makes Himself known.
Self-Loathing and Repentance
The scattered remnant will loathe themselves for their abominations — true repentance involves not just regret over consequences but genuine horror at one's own sin.
Study Questions
Why does God direct Ezekiel to prophesy against the mountains rather than the people directly (v. 2)?
What does the refrain 'ye shall know that I am the LORD' teach about the purpose of divine judgment?
How does the promise of a remnant who remember God (vv. 8-10) provide hope within the judgment oracle?
What does genuine self-loathing for sin (v. 9) look like, and how does it differ from mere regret?
How does the destruction of idolatrous sites demonstrate God's jealousy for exclusive worship?
Connection to Christ
The scattered remnant who remember God among the nations prefigures the Church, scattered throughout the world, remembering and worshipping the Lord. Christ is the one through whom all peoples come to 'know that I am the LORD' — the ultimate fulfillment of Ezekiel's repeated refrain.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Ezekiel 6. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?