They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord GOD.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The "comfort" here isn't about kind words; it's about finding solace in recognizing God's justice when the survivors' evident guilt and suffering confirm that His judgments were not random or excessive, but entirely warranted. Seeing their ruin will actually bring peace to those who remained faithful, as it validates that God's actions, however severe, were deeply justified.
They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord GOD.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel has been prophesying against false prophets and elders who have led Israel astray with their deceptive messages. Now, God announces that even if righteous people like Noah, Daniel, and Job were present, they could only save themselves. The survivors of Jerusalem's destruction, who will be exiled to Babylon, will eventually understand and even justify God's severe actions as they witness the wicked ways of those who remained and were judged.
When disaster strikes, it's easy to feel abandoned or question God's goodness. But what if the 'comfort' in hard times comes not from escaping suffering, but from understanding God's righteous reasons behind it?
This verse speaks of a profound kind of comfort for those in exile in Babylon. It comes when they witness the remaining people of Jerusalem, or hear their stories, and see the devastating consequences of their continued rebellion and sin.
Seeing God's Hand
Imagine being in exile, separated from your homeland. What if the 'comfort' you receive comes from those who have endured the ultimate destruction, and their very presence confirms God's justice?
The verse suggests that the survivors brought to Babylon will 'console' the exiles already there. This isn't about immediate emotional healing, but about a deeper, intellectual and spiritual comfort derived from shared understanding and confirmation.
Ask a follow-up
A Sobering Consolidation
Understand the original words
chinnam · Hebrew Adverb/Noun
Signifies a reason, purpose, or righteous cause. The declaration affirms that God’s actions are never arbitrary but are always based on His perfect justice and response to sin.
This verse speaks directly to the exiles in Babylon, assuring them that even when future deportations occur and they witness the downfall of those who remained in Judah, they will understand the justice of God's actions. The eventual arrival of Judean survivors, who will share their stories of sin and suffering, will confirm that God's judgments were not arbitrary but just responses to persistent rebellion.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and takes Jehoiakim and a group of prominent citizens, including young Daniel, captive to Babylon.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Babylonian Deportation
After a brief revolt, Jerusalem falls again. King Jehoiachin, his family, and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Zedekiah's rebellion culminates in the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the Solomonic Temple by Nebuchadnezzar, with the majority of the remaining population exiled.
c. 586 BC - 571 BC
Ezekiel's Ministry in Exile
Ezekiel receives visions and pronounces judgment on Judah and surrounding nations from Babylon, often addressing the exiles' spiritual state and the justification for God's actions.
This passage directly parallels Ezekiel's message, stating that the desolation of Jerusalem will last for seventy years, highlighting the divinely appointed and purposeful nature of such judgment.
Leviticus 26:40-42These verses speak to God's process of discipline, where He allows His people to suffer the consequences of their sins, leading them to confess and realize that His judgments are just and not arbitrary.
Romans 3:25-26This New Testament passage explains that God's past forbearance with sin, demonstrated through judgment, ultimately reveals His righteousness and justice, making Him appear just even as He saves those who believe.
Psalm 51:4David's cry, 'Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,' echoes the sentiment in Ezekiel that God's actions, even judgment, are righteous and ultimately directed against sin, allowing for true understanding and repentance.
clarkeEzekiel 14:23: "And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD."
Ye shall know that I have not done without cause - There is no part of the conduct of God towards man that is not dictated by the purest principles of justice, equity, and truth. He does nothing but what is right; and whatever is right to be done, that ought to be done. In God's justice there is no severity; in…
pooleEzekiel 14:23: "And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD."
They that survive the siege, famine, and ruin of Jerusalem, and are brought to Babylon, shall comfort you; either confessing their faults in not doing as you had done, justifying the wise course they took who yielded, condemning the folly of hardening themselves against God, his judgments, and his prophets; or…
The "comfort" here isn't about kind words; it's about finding solace in recognizing God's justice when the survivors' evident guilt and suffering confirm that His judgments were not random or excessive, but entirely warranted. Seeing their ruin will actually bring peace to those who remained faithful, as it validates that God's actions, however severe, were deeply justified.
Ezekiel has been prophesying against false prophets and elders who have led Israel astray with their deceptive messages. Now, God announces that even if righteous people like Noah, Daniel, and Job were present, they could only save themselves. The survivors of Jerusalem's destruction, who will be exiled to Babylon, will eventually understand and even justify God's severe actions as they witness the wicked ways of those who remained and were judged.
Ezekiel has been prophesying against false prophets and elders who have led Israel astray with their deceptive messages. Now, God announces that even if righteous people like Noah, Daniel, and Job were present, they could only save themselves. The survivors of Jerusalem's destruction, who will be exiled to Babylon, will eventually understand and even justify God's severe actions as they witness the wicked ways of those who remained and were judged.
"They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord GOD.”" — The "comfort" here isn't about kind words; it's about finding solace in recognizing God's justice when the survivors' evident guilt and suffering confirm that His judgments were not random or excessi…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026