King James Version

What Does Ezekiel 7:3 Mean?

Ezekiel 7:3 in the King James Version says “Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will...” — study this verse from Ezekiel chapter 7 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. recompense: Heb. give”

Ezekiel 7:3 · KJV

Context

1

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2

Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.

3

Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. recompense: Heb. give

4

And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

5

Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.

Read Ezekiel 7 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. The "now" (atah, עַתָּה) stresses immediacy—not future threat but present reality. God will "send" (shillachti) His anger actively, not passively allow consequences. "Judge thee according to thy ways" (shefatticha kidrakhaich, שְׁפַטְתִּיךְ כִּדְרָכָיִךְ) emphasizes measure-for-measure justice—punishment precisely matches sin. "Recompense upon thee all thine abominations" (venatati alayich et kol-to'avotayich) means God will repay comprehensive judgment for comprehensive idolatry. This demonstrates perfect justice: neither arbitrary cruelty nor insufficient punishment but exact correlation between sin and consequence.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Israel's 'ways' included systematic idolatry (Ezekiel 8), social injustice (Ezekiel 22:6-12), false prophecy (Ezekiel 13), corrupt leadership (Ezekiel 22:25-28), and covenant violations too numerous to catalog. God's judgment would match these sins precisely: idols would be destroyed (Ezekiel 6:4-6), oppressors would be oppressed, false prophets would be silenced, corrupt leaders executed (2 Kings 25:18-21), and covenant curses fulfilled (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). History demonstrates God's justice is neither vindictive nor lenient but perfectly calibrated to sin's reality.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does 'now' emphasize judgment's immediacy and strip away presumption that God delays indefinitely?
  2. What does judgment 'according to thy ways' teach about measure-for-measure divine justice?
  3. In what ways should awareness of perfect justice drive us to Christ who bore our recompense?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 13 words
עַתָּה֙1 of 13
H6258

at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletive

הַקֵּ֣ץ2 of 13

“Now is the end”

H7093

an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after

עָלַ֔יִךְ3 of 13
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤י4 of 13

“come upon thee and I will send”

H7971

to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)

אַפִּי֙5 of 13

“mine anger”

H639

properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire

בָּ֔ךְ6 of 13
H0
וּשְׁפַטְתִּ֖יךְ7 of 13

“upon thee and will judge”

H8199

to judge, i.e., pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literal

כִּדְרָכָ֑יִךְ8 of 13

“thee according to thy ways”

H1870

a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb

וְנָתַתִּ֣י9 of 13

“and will recompense”

H5414

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

עָלַ֔יִךְ10 of 13
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

אֵ֖ת11 of 13
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

כָּל12 of 13
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

תּוֹעֲבוֹתָֽיִךְ׃13 of 13

“upon thee all thine abominations”

H8441

properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e., (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Ezekiel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Ezekiel 7:3 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Ezekiel 7:3 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ezekiel 18:30Ezekiel 5:13Ezekiel 16:38Ezekiel 7:8-9Ezekiel 33:20Ezekiel 6:3-7

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