Ezekiel 33:25-26
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)
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This verse packs a punch by highlighting that the people's sins aren't just individual failures, but deeply intertwined religious and social violations. The specific mention of eating "with the blood" points not just to a dietary law break, but likely a pagan ritual, showing their worship was mixed with forbidden practices, making their claim to the land utterly baseless.
After the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the city, a survivor arrives to tell Ezekiel that the city has indeed fallen. In response, Ezekiel is commanded to address the remnant who have remained in the land of Judah, who are clinging to a false sense of security. God declares through Ezekiel that their continued idolatry, defiance of His laws like eating blood, and shedding innocent blood means they have no right to inherit the land.
The people remaining in the land are accused of eating with the blood and lifting up their eyes to idols. But what does 'lifting up your eyes' truly mean in this context?
A Deeper Kind of Worship
When Ezekiel says the people "lift up their eyes toward your idols," it's not just a casual glance. It signifies a profound act of devotion, dependence, and desire.
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The sin of 'eating with the blood' is mentioned right alongside idolatry. What made this practice so offensive to God?
More Than Just a Dietary Law
The prohibition against eating flesh with the blood (or eating blood itself) was a significant command given from the earliest days of humanity and reinforced under the Mosaic Law. It carried a deep spiritual weight:
After listing these serious sins, the Lord asks a pointed question: 'shall you then possess the land?' What does this reveal about the promise of the land?
The Land Was a Gift, Not a Guarantee
The promise of the land of Canaan was a foundational covenant blessing from God to Abraham and his descendants. However, it was never an unconditional guarantee. Ezekiel confronts the people with this reality:
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 confronts the people who remained in Judea (or falsely claimed spiritual inheritance) with their deep-seated idolatry and violence, which were not just violations of the Law but often intertwined with Canaanite pagan practices. Their hope of possessing the land was a dangerous delusion, directly contradicting the covenant's conditions.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports Judean nobles and skilled workers, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, King Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and a larger contingent of Judah's elite, including the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem remains under Babylonian control.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Judean monarchy. Most of the remaining population is exiled to Babylon.
c. 580 BC
Ezekiel's Ministry Begins
Ezekiel, living among the exiles in Babylon, receives prophetic visions and begins to deliver God's message of judgment and future restoration.
c. 580-570 BC— this verse
Prophecies of Judgment and Hope
Ezekiel denounces the sins of Judah and the exiles, including idolatry, bloodshed, and perverted religious practices, while also offering glimpses of future restoration and a new covenant.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Babylon is conquered by the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great. This political shift sets the stage for the return of the exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus allows the exiled Judeans to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, initiating the return from Babylonian exile.
This passage records God's prohibition to Noah against eating flesh with its blood, establishing an ancient, universal dietary law that Ezekiel's audience was violating. It highlights the severity of their transgression by connecting it to a fundamental covenant sign.
Leviticus 17:10-14Here, God explicitly states that the life of the flesh is in the blood and that it is given for atonement on the altar, forbidding its consumption because it was reserved for sacrificial purposes. This reinforces why eating blood was such a grave offense and connected to life's sanctity.
Jeremiah 7:9-11Jeremiah condemned his generation for 'stealing, murdering, committing adultery, swearing falsely, offering incense to Baal, and walking after other gods,' paralleling Ezekiel's charges and showing that such pervasive sin leads to God's judgment, not possession of the land. This shows a consistent prophetic message against similar societal corruption.
Acts 15:20The apostles in the Jerusalem Council reaffirmed the prohibition against eating blood (among other things) for Gentile believers, showing its continued importance in maintaining community and honoring God's holiness. This demonstrates the enduring significance of this prohibition beyond Old Testament Israel.
Ezekiel 18:6This earlier chapter in Ezekiel outlines the righteous acts that demonstrate covenant faithfulness, contrasting sharply with the sins of eating blood, idolatry, and murder listed here. It establishes the clear standard of righteousness that the people were failing to meet, making their claim to the land invalid.
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…
This verse packs a punch by highlighting that the people's sins aren't just individual failures, but deeply intertwined religious and social violations. The specific mention of eating "with the blood" points not just to a dietary law break, but likely a pagan ritual, showing their worship was mixed with forbidden practices, making their claim to the land utterly baseless.
After the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the city, a survivor arrives to tell Ezekiel that the city has indeed fallen. In response, Ezekiel is commanded to address the remnant who have remained in the land of Judah, who are clinging to a false sense of security. God declares through Ezekiel that their continued idolatry, defiance of His laws like eating blood, and shedding innocent blood means they have no right to inherit the land.
After the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the city, a survivor arrives to tell Ezekiel that the city has indeed fallen. In response, Ezekiel is commanded to address the remnant who have remained in the land of Judah, who are clinging to a false sense of security. God declares through Ezekiel that their continued idolatry, defiance of His laws like eating blood, and shedding innocent blood means they have no right to inherit 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…" — This verse packs a punch by highlighting that the people's sins aren't just individual failures, but deeply intertwined religious and social violations. The specific mention of eating "with the blood…
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