Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.

EZEKIEL 6:13KJV
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Ezekiel 6:13 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 6:13 mean?

Ezekiel 6:13 describes how the people of Israel will recognize that the LORD is truly God when they see the bodies of those killed lying among their idols and altars, scattered on hills, mountains, and under trees where they once offered sacrifices to false gods. The verse shows that God’s judgment will be obvious and tied directly to the places where idolatry happened.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel, warning them about the consequences of their idol worship. The setting is during the Babylonian exile, and the message is that the destruction and death they will witness are a direct result of turning away from God to worship idols in sacred outdoor places. The verse paints a vivid picture of judgment happening right where the people sinned, making the connection between their actions and the outcome unmistakable.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 6:13

  • "know" (יָדַע, yada‘): This word means more than just intellectual knowledge; it often carries the sense of recognizing or experiencing something firsthand. Here, it emphasizes that Israel will come to a deep, undeniable realization of who the LORD is.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God, highlighting that the judgment is coming from the one true God, not just a generic deity.
  • "idols" (גִּלּוּל, gillul): This word for idols is a term of contempt, often understood as "worthless things" or even "dung-gods," stressing how empty and offensive these objects of worship are in God’s eyes.
  • "sweet savour" (רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ, reach nichoach): This phrase refers to the pleasant-smelling offerings made to idols, showing that the people tried to please false gods with sacrifices, but these acts led to their downfall.

Why Ezekiel 6:13 matters

  • Ezekiel 6:13 makes clear that God’s judgment is not random but directly connected to the people’s choices and the specific places where they turned from Him.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of idolatry by showing that even the most sacred or beautiful spots—hills, mountains, green trees, and oaks—cannot protect from the consequences of unfaithfulness.
  • By tying the recognition of the LORD to the aftermath of judgment, Ezekiel 6:13 underlines that true understanding of God often comes through seeing the results of ignoring His commands.

Where else these words appear

“thick” Hebrew H5687 · used in 4 verses

  • Leviticus 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
  • Nehemiah 8:15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
  • Ezekiel 20:28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.

“oak” Hebrew H424 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 35:4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
  • 2 Samuel 18:9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
  • 1 Chronicles 10:12 They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

“green” Hebrew H7488 · used in 20 verses

  • Deuteronomy 12:2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
  • Psalms 37:35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
  • Jeremiah 2:20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

“sweet” Hebrew H5207 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
  • Leviticus 6:21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
  • Numbers 28:2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.