And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

EZEKIEL 15:8KJV
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Ezekiel 15:8 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 15:8 mean?

Ezekiel 15:8 says that God will make the land empty and ruined because the people have broken faith and acted wrongly, as declared by the Lord GOD. The verse is a warning that the land will suffer because of the people's unfaithfulness.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem. The situation is one of judgment: the people have committed serious wrongs against God, and as a result, their land will become desolate. This is the conclusion of a short parable in which Jerusalem is compared to a useless vine, showing that their actions have led to this severe consequence.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 15:8

  • "Desolate" (שְׁמָמָה, shemamah): This word means a state of devastation or emptiness. It emphasizes not just physical ruin, but also a sense of abandonment and loss.
  • "Committed a trespass" (מַעַל, ma'al): This word refers to a breach of trust or faithlessness, often in a relationship with God. It suggests a deep betrayal rather than just a simple mistake.
  • "Saith" (נְאֻם, ne'um): This word is used to mark a solemn declaration from God, underlining the seriousness and certainty of the statement.

Why Ezekiel 15:8 matters

  • Ezekiel 15:8 clarifies that the coming destruction is not random but is directly tied to the people's unfaithfulness and betrayal of God.
  • The verse connects the fate of the land to the moral and spiritual choices of its people, showing a cause-and-effect relationship.
  • This verse wraps up a symbolic section where Jerusalem is compared to a vine that is no longer useful, making the warning personal and vivid for the original audience.

Where else these words appear

“trespass” Hebrew H4604 · used in 29 verses

  • Leviticus 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
  • Joshua 22:20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
  • Ezra 9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

“committed” Hebrew H4603 · used in 35 verses

  • Leviticus 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
  • 1 Chronicles 2:7 And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.
  • Ezra 10:2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

“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.