Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

EZEKIEL 23:35KJV
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Ezekiel 23:35 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 23:35 mean?

Ezekiel 23:35 records God declaring that because the people have forgotten Him and deliberately turned away, they must now face the consequences of their immoral and unfaithful actions. The verse makes clear that their neglect of God and pursuit of other desires will result in them bearing the shame and results of their choices.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem, using strong language to confront their spiritual unfaithfulness. The context is a larger passage where God compares Jerusalem and Samaria to two sisters who have been unfaithful to Him. The verse emphasizes personal responsibility: forgetting God and turning away (casting Him "behind thy back") leads to living with the results of that decision.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 23:35

  • "forgotten" (שָׁכַח, shakach): This word means more than a simple lapse of memory; it often implies willful neglect or ignoring someone on purpose. Here, it highlights that the people have intentionally set God aside.
  • "cast" (שָׁלַךְ, shalak): This verb means to throw or hurl something away. The image is not just of forgetting, but of actively putting God out of sight and mind, showing deliberate rejection.
  • "behind" (אַחַר, achar) and "back" (גֵּו, gev): Together, these words paint a picture of turning one's back on someone, making the rejection personal and intentional.
  • "bear" (נָשָׂא, nasa): This word means to carry or endure something. Here, it stresses that the people must now carry the burden or consequences of their actions.
  • "lewdness" (זִמָּה, zimmah) and "whoredoms" (תַּעֲנוּפָה, ta'anufah): These words refer to immoral and unfaithful behavior, often used in the prophets to describe both literal and spiritual unfaithfulness.

Why Ezekiel 23:35 matters

  • This verse clarifies that forgetting God is not accidental but a deliberate act with real consequences, challenging the idea that spiritual drift is harmless.
  • The language of "casting behind thy back" underscores the personal nature of the people's rejection of God, making it clear that this is not just a passive mistake.
  • Ezekiel 23:35 fits into a larger warning against unfaithfulness in the book, showing that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a direct response to the people's choices and actions.

Where else these words appear

“back” Hebrew H1458 · used in 3 verses

  • 1 Kings 14:9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
  • Nehemiah 9:26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

“whoredoms” Hebrew H8457 · used in 19 verses

  • Ezekiel 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
  • Ezekiel 16:33 They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.
  • Ezekiel 23:14 And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,

“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.

“forgotten” Hebrew H7911 · used in 95 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?
  • Psalms 13:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
  • Proverbs 31:5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.