Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.

EZEKIEL 23:27KJV
Know the Bible

Ezekiel 23:27 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 23:27 mean?

Ezekiel 23:27 says that God will put an end to the people’s immoral behavior and unfaithfulness, which began back in Egypt, so that they will no longer look to Egypt or even remember it. The verse describes a complete break from the past, where the people’s former attachments and sinful ways will be cut off.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem, using the story of two symbolic sisters to represent Israel and Judah. The verse is part of a larger warning about judgment for turning to other nations and adopting their practices. Here, God promises that the painful consequences will finally separate the people from their old ways, especially their reliance on Egypt.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 23:27

  • "lewdness" (זִמָּה, zimmah): This word often means wicked plans or sexual immorality. Here, it highlights the seriousness of the people's unfaithful actions, not just as mistakes but as deeply rooted wrongs.
  • "cease" (שָׁבַת, shavat): This verb means to put an end to something or to rest from it. The verse uses it to show that God is not just reducing the people’s wrongdoing but stopping it completely.
  • "whoredom" (תַּזְנוּת, taznut): This word refers to unfaithfulness, often used as a metaphor for idolatry or spiritual betrayal. The verse ties this behavior back to Egypt, showing it as a long-standing problem.
  • "remember" (זָכַר, zakar): To "remember" in Hebrew is often more than just recalling; it can mean to dwell on or long for something. God’s promise is that the people will no longer even think about Egypt with longing or attachment.

Why Ezekiel 23:27 matters

  • The verse makes clear that God’s judgment is not just about punishment but about breaking the hold of old, destructive patterns, especially those that began in Egypt.
  • Ezekiel 23:27 connects the people’s present troubles to their deep-rooted history, showing that the issue is not new but has been ongoing since their time in Egypt.
  • The verse helps readers see that God’s goal is not only to judge but to bring about real change, so that the people will no longer be tempted to return to their former ways or alliances.

Where else these words appear

“whoredom” Hebrew H2184 · used in 9 verses

  • Numbers 14:33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
  • Jeremiah 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
  • Ezekiel 43:9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

“lewdness” Hebrew H2154 · used in 27 verses

  • Leviticus 18:17 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
  • Proverbs 10:23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
  • Ezekiel 22:11 And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.

“cease” Hebrew H7673 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
  • 2 Chronicles 36:21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
  • Jeremiah 48:33 And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.