And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.

EZEKIEL 21:23KJV
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Ezekiel 21:23 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 21:23 mean?

Ezekiel 21:23 says that the people will see the coming judgment as a false prophecy, but God will remember their wrongdoing so that they will be captured. Even though they have made oaths, their sins will not be forgotten, and judgment will come as God has decided.

In this verse, God is speaking through Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem. The people have sworn oaths and expect protection, but they dismiss the warning as a false prediction. God, however, will not overlook their iniquity and will ensure that they are taken by their enemies, showing that His judgment is certain even if people doubt it.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 21:23

  • "false" (שָׁוְא, shav): This word means "emptiness" or "deceit." Here, it highlights that the people think Ezekiel’s prophecy is empty or deceptive, not to be taken seriously.
  • "divination" (קֶסֶם, qesem): This refers to seeking knowledge of the future, often through pagan means. The people accuse Ezekiel’s message of being just another unreliable prediction.
  • "remembrance" (זָכַר, zakar): This means to call to mind or remember. God’s act of remembering their "iniquity" (עָוֹן, avon) means He will hold them accountable, not that He has forgotten until now.
  • "taken" (תָּפַשׂ, tafas): This word means to be seized or captured. It shows the outcome of God’s judgment—being overtaken by their enemies.

Why Ezekiel 21:23 matters

  • This verse clears up the misunderstanding that God’s warnings can be ignored or dismissed as empty threats; it shows that God’s judgment is real, even if people do not believe it.
  • The verse emphasizes that making oaths or relying on rituals does not protect people from consequences if they continue in wrongdoing.
  • Ezekiel 21:23 connects to the larger passage by showing the certainty of Jerusalem’s coming fall, despite the people’s disbelief and false sense of security.

Where else these words appear

“divination” Hebrew H7080 · used in 20 verses

  • Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
  • Isaiah 3:2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
  • Ezekiel 21:21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.

“oaths” Hebrew H7621 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 24:8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
  • Joshua 2:17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
  • Nehemiah 6:18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

“false” Hebrew H7723 · used in 48 verses

  • Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
  • Psalms 89:47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
  • Jeremiah 18:15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;

“taken” Hebrew H8610 · used in 60 verses

  • Genesis 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
  • 2 Kings 14:13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
  • Jeremiah 49:16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.