So will I satisfy my wrath on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you. I will be calm and will no more be angry.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "my jealousy shall depart from you" isn't about God's anger fading away in a gentle sense. Instead, it signifies the utter satisfaction of His righteous wrath, meaning He will have finished the complete punishment that Jerusalem's betrayal demanded. This complete cessation of His visible anger is actually the sign of judgment fully served, not a moment of reconciliation.
So will I satisfy my wrath on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you. I will be calm and will no more be angry.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In this chapter, Ezekiel unveils a stark allegory where Jerusalem is portrayed as an unfaithful wife, recounting her history of adultery with surrounding nations. This passage describes God's righteous fury reaching its peak after Jerusalem's persistent betrayal, signifying the completion of His judgment. The anger departing doesn't signal forgiveness but rather God's utter abandonment of the unfaithful city, as His wrath is finally satisfied through complete retribution.
Ever feel like anger just keeps building and building? For God, His fury has a specific goal. It doesn't just rage endlessly.
The verse speaks of God's fury coming to 'rest.' This doesn't mean God suddenly chills out. Instead, it signifies the satisfaction of His righteous anger after judgment has run its course. Think of it like a building being demolished with perfect precision – once the demolition is complete, the work is done. God's fury finds its rest in the full execution of His judgment against sin and unfaithfulness.
God's jealousy isn't like human jealousy – it's rooted in His covenant love. So what does it mean for it to 'depart'?
When God's jealousy departs in this context, it’s not because He stops caring. Rather, it signifies the end of the relational breach caused by Israel's unfaithfulness. His jealousy is a sign of His deep commitment to His people and His distress over their straying. When the judgment is complete, the cause for that specific, intense jealousy is removed, allowing for a different kind of relationship to eventually be established.
What does it mean for God to be 'calm' and 'no more angry' in judgment?
The declaration 'I will be calm and will be no more angry' speaks to the finality of the judgment described. It's the quiet after the storm, the stillness after the earthquake. This calmness doesn't imply that God is now detached or uncaring. Instead, it marks the completion of His judicial action. For Ezekiel's audience, it was a stark warning of utter devastation, but as the commentary notes, it also held a future hope of covenant remembrance and forgiveness once the purging was complete.
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Understand the original words
chemah · Hebrew Noun
The act of divine retribution against sin; it is not uncontrolled rage but a settled, holy opposition to evil that maintains God's justice and moral order.
qin'ah · Hebrew Noun
The passionate, protective devotion God has for His covenant people, characterized by an exclusive claim that brooks no rivals, particularly in the context of spiritual adultery.
This verse speaks of God's fury reaching its peak of satisfaction in the complete destruction and exile of Jerusalem, a devastating consequence of its unfaithfulness. Yet, the commentary suggests that this 'satisfaction' of wrath is not the end, but a prelude to eventual restoration, marking a turning point where judgment ceases because its purpose has been fulfilled, opening the door for God to remember His covenant.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens and scattering them among its vast territories. This event marks the effective end of the northern kingdom as a distinct entity.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian Empire conquers Jerusalem and deports thousands of Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This is the first major blow to the southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians return, crush Zedekiah's rebellion, destroy Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, and carry off most of the remaining population into exile. This is the catastrophic event that Ezekiel is prophesying about in vivid, often harsh, terms.
c. 586 BC
Ezekiel Delivers His Message
While in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel delivers his messages of judgment and eventual restoration, using vivid allegories like Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife to explain God's wrath and the reasons for Judah's destruction.
c. 539 BC
Edict of Cyrus
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon. The following year, Cyrus issues an edict allowing exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
This passage speaks of God's fury being satisfied and His anger coming to rest upon His people after judgment, mirroring the satisfaction of wrath described in Ezekiel 16:42.
Jeremiah 31:20This verse shows God remembering His compassion for Ephraim after His anger, indicating that even after judgment, His heart can turn towards His people with mercy, a contrast and later fulfillment to the 'no more anger' in Ezekiel 16:42.
Romans 1:18This verse speaks of God's wrath being revealed against ungodliness, highlighting the concept of divine anger as a response to sin, which is the context for the satisfaction of wrath in Ezekiel 16:42.
Ezekiel 36:22While Ezekiel 16:42 describes the cessation of God's anger after judgment, this passage speaks of God acting for His own name's sake and restoring Israel, pointing to a future reconciliation beyond the immediate wrath.
barnesEzekiel 16:42: "So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry."
So ... rest - Or, "My fury shall not rest until thou art utterly ruined."
cambridgeEzekiel 16:42: "So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry."
42 . make my fury … to rest ] i.e. satisfy and appease it. Cf. ch. Ezekiel 5:13 .
The phrase "my jealousy shall depart from you" isn't about God's anger fading away in a gentle sense. Instead, it signifies the utter satisfaction of His righteous wrath, meaning He will have finished the complete punishment that Jerusalem's betrayal demanded. This complete cessation of His visible anger is actually the sign of judgment fully served, not a moment of reconciliation.
In this chapter, Ezekiel unveils a stark allegory where Jerusalem is portrayed as an unfaithful wife, recounting her history of adultery with surrounding nations. This passage describes God's righteous fury reaching its peak after Jerusalem's persistent betrayal, signifying the completion of His judgment. The anger departing doesn't signal forgiveness but rather God's utter abandonment of the unfaithful city, as His wrath is finally satisfied through complete retribution.
In this chapter, Ezekiel unveils a stark allegory where Jerusalem is portrayed as an unfaithful wife, recounting her history of adultery with surrounding nations. This passage describes God's righteous fury reaching its peak after Jerusalem's persistent betrayal, signifying the completion of His judgment. The anger departing doesn't signal forgiveness but rather God's utter abandonment of the unfaithful city, as His wrath is finally satisfied through complete retribution.
"So will I satisfy my wrath on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you. I will be calm and will no more be angry." — The phrase "my jealousy shall depart from you" isn't about God's anger fading away in a gentle sense. Instead, it signifies the utter satisfaction of His righteous wrath, meaning He will have finishe…
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Last reviewed October 2026