Ezekiel 16:62-63
I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord GOD.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't just about God remembering His promises; it's about Him initiating a new, unbreakable covenant, contrasting with Israel's broken one. Through this fresh start, "knowing the LORD" won't come through judgment, but through experiencing His amazing grace and restoration.
After God vividly recounts Jerusalem's unfaithfulness and betrayal of their covenant, He pivots to a profound promise of restoration. This verse marks the beginning of God’s gracious re-engagement, not based on Israel's past faithfulness but on His own steadfast character, promising a new, enduring covenant that will lead to a deeper knowledge of who He truly is.
Ezekiel's prophecy points to a promise that goes beyond the old ways. What does it mean for God to 'establish' His covenant?
In Ezekiel 16, God powerfully illustrates Israel's repeated betrayals of their covenant relationship with Him. They broke promises, turned to idols, and lived in ways that deserved judgment.
But this verse, Ezekiel 16:62, shifts dramatically! It's not about Israel keeping their end of the bargain, but about God's unwavering faithfulness. He declares, 'I will establish my covenant with you.'
This isn't just a restatement of the old Mosaic covenant, which Israel had so consistently failed to uphold. The scholarly insights point to this being a promise of a new and better covenant. While the old covenant had rules and consequences, this new covenant emphasizes God's grace and initiative. It’s a covenant established by God, for us, through His own actions, not dependent on our flawed performance.
We often associate knowing God with His powerful judgments. But Ezekiel 16:62 offers a different path to that knowledge.
The chapter before this verse is filled with God's severe judgments against Jerusalem for its unfaithfulness. The people knew God through His discipline and wrath.
However, Ezekiel 16:62 promises a new way of knowing Him: 'and you shall know that I am the LORD.' The commentary highlights that this knowledge comes not through judgment, but 'by My so marvellously restoring thee through grace.'
This means true, deep knowledge of God isn't just about understanding His power to punish sin. It’s profoundly about experiencing His power to forgive, restore, and redeem. It's in His acts of mercy and grace, demonstrated through the establishment of His covenant, that we truly come to know His character – His faithfulness, His steadfast love, and His desire for relationship.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The sacred, personal name of God (YHWH), revealed to Moses at the burning bush. It signifies God's self-existence, His eternal nature, and His faithfulness in relationship to His people.
kālam · Hebrew Verb
This denotes a state of profound confusion, disappointment, or feeling crushed by the weight of one's guilt before God's holiness. It is the overwhelming realization of one's own sinfulness, leading to total silence in the presence of the Almighty.
kāpar · Hebrew Verb
A theological term describing the act of covering sin, satisfying God's justice, and restoring the broken relationship between God and humanity. In the Old Testament, it was symbolically achieved through blood sacrifices, pointing forward to the ultimate atonement in Jesus Christ.
This promise of a new covenant stands in stark contrast to Israel's past failures, offering hope for restoration and true knowledge of God beyond mere judgment, pointing towards the ultimate fulfillment in the Messiah.
c. 627 BC - 571 BC
Exile of Ezekiel
The prophet Ezekiel, a priest, was taken into exile in Babylon during the Babylonian conquest of Judah.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and thousands of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, were deported to Babylon, marking a significant turning point in Judah's history.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, leading to a second, larger deportation of Judeans and the effective end of the Kingdom of Judah.
c. 590 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Prophetic Ministry in Exile
During the exile, Ezekiel delivered powerful prophecies, including the allegorical condemnation of Jerusalem in chapter 16, highlighting their unfaithfulness to God's covenant.
This passage directly foreshadows the 'new covenant' that will be established, echoing Ezekiel's promise of a more enduring relationship with God based on His laws written on the heart, not external rituals.
Hebrews 8:8The New Testament author directly quotes Jeremiah's prophecy about the new covenant, highlighting how the promise in Ezekiel finds its ultimate fulfillment in the work of Jesus Christ, establishing a deeper, internal relationship with God.
Romans 11:26This verse speaks of 'all Israel will be saved' through the establishment of this new covenant, connecting to Ezekiel's prophecy of God's faithfulness to His people, even after their unfaithfulness.
Galatians 3:17This passage clarifies that the covenant God made with Abraham, and subsequently with Israel, is not annulled by the law given later, but is reaffirmed and fulfilled in Christ, underscoring the immutability of God's covenant promises seen in Ezekiel.
1 Corinthians 11:25Jesus institutes the New Testament in His blood, a direct reference to the new covenant spoken of in Jeremiah and implicitly promised in Ezekiel, where knowing the Lord is central to His people's experience.
ellicottEzekiel 16:62: "And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:"
(62) Establish my covenant with thee. —The old covenant, having failed, is merged in the new and better covenant promised in 11:19; 18:31; and more fully in Jeremiah 31:31-34 . This new covenant, established through a perfect Mediator, can alone perfectly fulfil God’s gracious designs for man, although the way for it must necessarily have been prepared by the less perfect covenant of old.
cambridgeEzekiel 16:62: "And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:"
62 . I will establish ] “ I ” is emphatic, in opposition to “not by thy covenant.” The new covenant will shew that which Jehovah is better than all his chastisements.
This isn't just about God remembering His promises; it's about Him initiating a new, unbreakable covenant, contrasting with Israel's broken one. Through this fresh start, "knowing the LORD" won't come through judgment, but through experiencing His amazing grace and restoration.
After God vividly recounts Jerusalem's unfaithfulness and betrayal of their covenant, He pivots to a profound promise of restoration. This verse marks the beginning of God’s gracious re-engagement, not based on Israel's past faithfulness but on His own steadfast character, promising a new, enduring covenant that will lead to a deeper knowledge of who He truly is.
After God vividly recounts Jerusalem's unfaithfulness and betrayal of their covenant, He pivots to a profound promise of restoration. This verse marks the beginning of God’s gracious re-engagement, not based on Israel's past faithfulness but on His own steadfast character, promising a new, enduring covenant that will lead to a deeper knowledge of who He truly is.
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Adonai YHWH · Hebrew Noun phrase
The title 'Adonai Yahweh' emphasizes God's sovereign authority, lordship, and absolute rule over all creation. It highlights the majesty and supreme power of the God who has entered into covenant with His people.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus Cylinder Issued
Cyrus the Great of Persia allowed exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples, paving the way for the end of the Babylonian exile.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return of Exiles
The first wave of Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, fulfilling prophecies about God's faithfulness despite Israel's unfaithfulness.
"I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lor…" — This isn't just about God remembering His promises; it's about Him initiating a new, unbreakable covenant, contrasting with Israel's broken one. Through this fresh start, "knowing the LORD" won't c…
