Ezekiel 24:6-7
“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice. For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The word for "corrosion" here doesn't just mean dirt; it refers to a deep, ingrained filth or rust that has permeated the whole pot, symbolizing how Jerusalem's wickedness isn't just on the surface but has become part of its very being. This profound corruption means nothing can be salvaged, leading to its complete removal "piece by piece" without any discrimination, highlighting the totality of the coming judgment.
God announces judgment on Jerusalem, personifying it as a "bloody city" filled with ingrained corruption, like rust on a cooking pot. This imagery signifies that the city's wickedness is so deep that it must be completely emptied, piece by piece, with no one spared or chosen by lot. This is the beginning of an explanation for the symbolic vision of the boiling pot, highlighting the total and indiscriminate destruction awaiting the city and its inhabitants.
Why does God call Jerusalem a 'bloody city'? And what does it mean for the pot to have 'corrosion' that won't go away?
God declares "Woe to the bloody city!" This isn't just about a few isolated incidents of violence. The word 'bloody' here points to a pervasive culture of bloodshed and injustice that has deeply infected Jerusalem.
Think of the 'pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it.' This 'corrosion' (often translated as 'rust' or 'scum') represents the deep, ingrained wickedness and filthiness that have become part of the city's very fabric. It's not a surface problem; it's a fundamental corruption that hasn't been purged or dealt with. Despite previous warnings and judgments, the city's sin remains, festering within.
This deep-seated sin means that judgment will not be partial or lenient. The city has proven itself beyond simple cleansing; it requires utter demolition.
When judgment comes, are some people spared? What does it mean to 'take out piece after piece, without making any choice'?
The command to 'take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice' reveals the severity and totality of the coming judgment. This isn't a selective removal or a calculated purging; it's an indiscriminate dismantling.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Ezekiel 24:6-7 is available in the Sola app.
Normally, in conquests or exiles, lots might be cast to decide who goes into captivity, who is spared, or who gets certain spoils. But here, God declares that no such discrimination will occur. Every part of the city, and by extension, its inhabitants, will be removed. This signifies that all have been implicated in the city's 'bloody' and 'corroded' state. No one is exempt.
The judgment is absolute. It's not about separating the good from the bad, because the corruption has spread so thoroughly that the entire city is deemed unfit. This imagery paints a picture of utter desolation, where everything is broken down and removed, leaving nothing spared.
Understand the original words
hoy · Hebrew Interjection
In a biblical context, this is an expression of deep sorrow or a prophetic pronouncement of impending judgment and disaster upon those who have rebelled against God.
damim ‘iyr · Hebrew Noun phrase
Referring to a city stained with the guilt of murder, violence, and injustice. It signifies a place where innocent life has been taken, crying out to God for justice.
chel'ah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the oxidation or rust that forms on metal; in a metaphorical sense, it represents the moral decay, persistent sin, and spiritual impurity that clings to a person or society and cannot be easily removed.
This passage speaks directly to the intense suffering and complete destruction of Jerusalem during its final siege. The imagery of the 'bloody city' and the 'corrosion' highlights the deep-seated wickedness that led to this total devastation, where no one would be spared.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Deportations
The Neo-Assyrian Empire carried out systematic deportations of conquered populations, a policy that created a precedent for future empires and instilled fear of exile in the Israelites.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a significant portion of its elite, including the prophet Daniel, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is despoiled.
589-582 BC— this verse
Siege of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem after Judah rebels again. The city endures a brutal, prolonged siege.
587 or 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonians breach Jerusalem's walls, destroy the city and Solomon's Temple, and deport most of the remaining population to Babylon. This marks the devastating end of the Judean kingdom.
This passage also uses imagery of refining and impurity within the city, highlighting that the core issue is a deep-seated wickedness that resists purification, much like the 'rust' in Ezekiel's pot.
Jeremiah 22:8-9This prophetic warning directly addresses Jerusalem's future desolation due to its unfaithfulness and injustice, echoing Ezekiel's 'bloody city' theme and the consequence of complete removal.
Micah 3:10-12This text condemns the leaders of Jerusalem for shedding innocent blood and building the city on injustice, directly correlating with the 'bloody city' description and predicting its destruction.
2 Kings 25:11-12This historical account describes the actual destruction and exile of Jerusalem, illustrating the literal fulfillment of Ezekiel's imagery of the city being emptied 'piece by piece' and nothing being spared.
Matthew 24:2Jesus’ prophecy about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem directly references the coming judgment, where not one stone would be left upon another, mirroring the thoroughness of the judgment depicted in Ezekiel.
ellicottEzekiel 24:6: "Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it."
(6-14) These verses contain the application of the parable in two distinct parts ( Ezekiel 24:6-14 ), but in such wise that the literal and the figurative continually run together. A new feature, that of the rust on the cauldron, is also introduced. A somewhat similar figure may be found in Isaiah…
bensonEzekiel 24:6: "Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it."
Ezekiel 24:6-8 . Wherefore thus saith the Lord — Here begins an explication of the preceding symbolical representation; Wo to the bloody city — Jerusalem, which is this pot; whose scum is therein — Whose filthiness, or wickedness, is not purged out of it. Bring it out piece by piece — One piece af…
The word for "corrosion" here doesn't just mean dirt; it refers to a deep, ingrained filth or rust that has permeated the whole pot, symbolizing how Jerusalem's wickedness isn't just on the surface but has become part of its very being. This profound corruption means nothing can be salvaged, leading to its complete removal "piece by piece" without any discrimination, highlighting the totality of the coming judgment.
God announces judgment on Jerusalem, personifying it as a "bloody city" filled with ingrained corruption, like rust on a cooking pot. This imagery signifies that the city's wickedness is so deep that it must be completely emptied, piece by piece, with no one spared or chosen by lot. This is the beginning of an explanation for the symbolic vision of the boiling pot, highlighting the total and indiscriminate destruction awaiting the city and its inhabitants.
God announces judgment on Jerusalem, personifying it as a "bloody city" filled with ingrained corruption, like rust on a cooking pot. This imagery signifies that the city's wickedness is so deep that it must be completely emptied, piece by piece, with no one spared or chosen by lot. This is the beginning of an explanation for the symbolic vision of the boiling pot, highlighting the total and indiscriminate destruction awaiting the city and its inhabitants.
"“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice. For the blood she has shed is in her m…" — The word for "corrosion" here doesn't just mean dirt; it refers to a deep, ingrained filth or rust that has permeated the whole pot, symbolizing how Jerusalem's wickedness isn't just on the surface b…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
