If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

EZEKIEL 14:15KJV
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Ezekiel 14:15 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 14:15 mean?

Ezekiel 14:15 describes a situation where God warns that if He sends dangerous wild animals through the land, these animals will ruin it so badly that the land becomes empty and no one can travel through it because of the threat they pose. This is part of a series of warnings about different disasters that could come as judgment.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the elders of Israel, who have come to consult him while the people are in exile. The verse uses the image of wild beasts to show how complete and frightening God’s judgment could be, making the land uninhabitable. This warning is one example among several in the chapter, each showing a different way the land could be devastated if the people persist in unfaithfulness.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 14:15

  • "Noisome" (רַע, raʿ): This word means "evil" or "harmful." It emphasizes that these are not just ordinary animals, but ones that bring real danger and destruction.
  • "Beasts" (חַיָּה, ḥayyāh): This refers to wild animals, especially those that are untamed and threatening. The focus is on animals that can cause harm to people and property.
  • "Spoil" (שָׁכַל, shakal): This word often means to make something bereaved or to rob. Here, it suggests that the animals strip the land of its inhabitants and resources.
  • "Desolate" (שְׁמָמָה, shemāmāh): This word means a state of emptiness or devastation, highlighting that the land is left deserted and lifeless because of the animals.

Why Ezekiel 14:15 matters

  • This verse shows that God’s judgment can come in many forms, not just through war or famine, but even through nature itself, such as wild animals.
  • The warning helps the reader understand the seriousness of turning away from God, as even the land itself can become hostile and uninhabitable as a result.
  • Ezekiel 14:15 fits into a larger message in the chapter: that no matter what disaster strikes, even the presence of righteous people would not be enough to spare the land if the people as a whole remain unfaithful.

Where else these words appear

“If” Hebrew H3863 · used in 21 verses

  • Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
  • Numbers 22:29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
  • 2 Samuel 19:6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

“spoil” Hebrew H7921 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 27:45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
  • 1 Samuel 15:33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
  • Lamentations 1:20 Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

“desolate” Hebrew H8077 · used in 54 verses

  • Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
  • Jeremiah 44:6 Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
  • Ezekiel 35:3 And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.