Ezekiel 33:25-26
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It's easy to see "eating with the blood" as just a dietary sin, but the text links it directly to idolatry. This wasn't just a rule break; it was part of their pagan worship, where they'd eat near the blood of sacrifices, hoping for communion with spirits. Their hope of possessing the land was shattered because these practices corrupted their very relationship with God and the land He'd given them.
Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife; shall you then possess the land?
English Standard Version (ESV)
A messenger has just arrived, bringing the devastating news that Jerusalem has fallen to the Babylonians. Despite this catastrophe, the remnants of Judah are clinging to a dangerous false hope, believing they will inherit the land simply by virtue of being Abraham's descendants. Ezekiel is sent to dismantle this delusion by exposing their current wicked practices, which directly violate God's commands and disqualify them from any claim to the land.
The people of God were doing something explicitly forbidden, something so abhorrent it was outlawed even before the Mosaic Law. What was it, and why was it so serious?
The verse calls out the practice of eating flesh with the blood still in it. This wasn't just a dietary slip-up; it was a violation of laws given to Noah (Genesis 9:4) and reiterated multiple times in the Torah (Leviticus 3:17, 7:26, 19:26; Deuteronomy 12:16).
More than that, the commentaries highlight that this specific practice was often tied to idolatry. It was a pagan ritual where people believed they were communing with spirits or devils by consuming blood, sometimes in a way that symbolized sharing a meal with them. By engaging in this, Ezekiel's audience was not only breaking God's law but also participating in the very paganism they were supposed to separate themselves from.
They looked at the land as their inheritance, but God's message was clear: their actions forfeited their claim. What's the connection between land, law, and legitimacy?
The core of this verse is a stark rhetorical question: 'shall you then possess the land?' The answer, implied by God, is a resounding 'no.' The land of Israel was a gift from God, given on the condition that His people would live according to His covenant, which included specific laws and a commitment to pure worship.
Ezekiel confronts them with their sins – eating blood (a practice linked to idolatry), worshipping idols, and shedding innocent blood (murder). These weren't minor infractions; they were fundamental betrayals of the covenant. They were acting like the very nations God had driven out to give them the land. The commentaries emphasize that these actions disqualified them from rightfully possessing the land, which was meant for a holy people.
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Understand the original words
Adonay YHWH · Hebrew Noun phrase
The Sovereign Lord, Master, or Controller. The Hebrew title 'Adonay YHWH' emphasizes God's absolute authority, lordship, and rights over His creation and His covenant people.
gillulim · Hebrew Noun
Any object, image, or concept placed in the position of supreme importance, thereby usurping God's place. Idolatry is defined by the Bible as the fundamental sin of elevating created things above the Creator, which always leads to spiritual ruin.
tōʿēḇāh · Hebrew Noun
An act of violence, cruelty, or moral wickedness that is detestable to God, often associated with idolatry or ritual impurity. It signals a departure from God's law and a corruption of moral character.
ṭāmāʾ · Hebrew Verb
A state of moral, ritual, or physical impurity that renders someone or something unsuitable for the presence of God or the community. It often occurs through violation of moral commandments or sacred boundaries.
yāraš · Hebrew Verb
A gift of land from God to His people based on the covenant promise, contingent upon faithfulness and obedience to the Mosaic Law. Possession is not an inherent right but a trust maintained through righteousness.
Ezekiel's message to those still in the devastated land of Judah and to the exiles in Babylon highlights their continued, deep-seated sin. Despite the destruction and exile, they clung to a false hope of possessing the land, ignoring their abhorrent practices like forbidden blood-eating, idolatry, and murder, which directly violated the covenant laws given at Sinai and even earlier to Noah.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins his campaigns against Judah, deporting some of the royal family and nobility, including Daniel. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a period of rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel. This event intensifies the crisis and the sense of God's judgment.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar finally destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population except for a few poor laborers. This is the culmination of God's judgment and the devastation of the homeland.
c. 585-570 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Ministry in Exile
Ezekiel, living among the exiles by the Chebar canal in Babylonia, delivers powerful messages of judgment and future hope. He confronts the exiles' false assumptions about their spiritual state and their right to the land.
c. 571 BC
Ezekiel Proclaims the End of Judgment
Toward the end of his prophetic ministry, Ezekiel receives a vision of the restored Temple and land, signifying a future restoration for God's people after the period of judgment has concluded.
This passage, given to Noah before the Law, already prohibited eating flesh with blood, showing that this practice was a fundamental violation of God's order for humanity, not just a Mosaic regulation.
Leviticus 17:10-14This law reiterates that the life is in the blood and eating it is forbidden, explicitly linking it to atonement and the land, emphasizing how gravely God viewed this sin.
Jeremiah 7:9-11Similar to Ezekiel, Jeremiah confronts the people about their hollow worship, warning that thieves, murderers, and idolaters cannot expect God's blessing or continued possession of the land.
Acts 15:20The early church, guided by the apostles, retained the prohibition against eating blood, demonstrating its enduring importance for maintaining fellowship and purity, even among Gentiles.
Romans 8:1-11This passage contrasts life 'according to the flesh' with life 'according to the Spirit,' mirroring Ezekiel's message that outward practices (idolatry, violence) reveal an inner state estranged from God, forfeiting any claim to His promises.
bensonEzekiel 33:25: "Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?"
Ezekiel 33:25-26 . Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord — Remove from them this destructive carnal confidence, and show them what they do, and how far they are from being Abraham’s genuine seed. Ye eat with the blood — Which was expressly forbidden in the Jewish law, as appears from Leviticus 7:26 , as well as that more a…
clarkeEzekiel 33:25: "Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?"
Ye eat with the blood - Abraham was righteous, ye are unrighteous. Eating of blood, in any way dressed, or of flesh from which the blood had not been extracted, was and is in the sight of God abominable. All such practices he has absolutely and for ever forbidden. Let the vile blood-eaters hear and tremble. See the note…
It's easy to see "eating with the blood" as just a dietary sin, but the text links it directly to idolatry. This wasn't just a rule break; it was part of their pagan worship, where they'd eat near the blood of sacrifices, hoping for communion with spirits. Their hope of possessing the land was shattered because these practices corrupted their very relationship with God and the land He'd given them.
A messenger has just arrived, bringing the devastating news that Jerusalem has fallen to the Babylonians. Despite this catastrophe, the remnants of Judah are clinging to a dangerous false hope, believing they will inherit the land simply by virtue of being Abraham's descendants. Ezekiel is sent to dismantle this delusion by exposing their current wicked practices, which directly violate God's commands and disqualify them from any claim to the land.
A messenger has just arrived, bringing the devastating news that Jerusalem has fallen to the Babylonians. Despite this catastrophe, the remnants of Judah are clinging to a dangerous false hope, believing they will inherit the land simply by virtue of being Abraham's descendants. Ezekiel is sent to dismantle this delusion by exposing their current wicked practices, which directly violate God's commands and disqualify them from any claim to the land.
"Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his ne…" — It's easy to see "eating with the blood" as just a dietary sin, but the text links it directly to idolatry. This wasn't just a rule break; it was part of their pagan worship, where they'd eat near th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
