Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they say to you, ‘You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,’
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed here is that the "devouring land" isn't about an unhealthy environment, but a divine judgment causing famine, war, and loss of children. The surrounding nations mockingly blamed the land itself for Israel's suffering, not realizing it was God's consequence for their sin.
Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they say to you, ‘You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The surrounding nations mock Israel, accusing the land itself of being the cause of its people's destruction, like an unnatural mother devouring her children. This accusation stems from generations of war, famine, and divine judgment that had decimated the population and brought shame upon the nation. God here declares that these reproaches will cease as He promises to restore the land and its people.
Imagine your home being whispered about as a place that swallows people whole. That's exactly the reputation Ezekiel's land had earned.
The surrounding nations looked at the land of Israel and saw only destruction. They accused it of being a place that 'devours people' and 'bereaves nations of children.' This wasn't just a casual insult; it was a deeply damning accusation.
Why the Bad Rap?
This reputation was more than just gossip; it was a profound shame and a denial of God's presence and power.
When a land is associated with death and loss, it's not just the geography that's blamed – the land itself seems to take on a personality.
The wording in Ezekiel 36:13 is powerful because it the land. It's as if the very ground is an active agent of destruction.
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The Land as a Monster
Understand the original words
Adonai YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
A title for God (Adonai Yahweh) signifying His absolute sovereignty, authority, and lordship over all creation and His covenant relationship with His people.
The surrounding nations accused the land of Israel of devouring its people, echoing an ancient report from the time of Moses. Ezekiel's prophecy confronts this accusation head-on, assuring the exiles that the land's reputation for destruction will be replaced by one of life and prosperity, a promise rooted in God's redemptive work following the devastating fall of Jerusalem.
c. 1400 BC
Spies' Report on Canaan
The spies sent by Moses into the Promised Land reported that it 'devours its inhabitants' (Numbers 13:32), suggesting it was a land of death and destruction.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens and resettling the area with foreigners. This event marked a significant national trauma and loss for the Israelite people.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem and deported King Jehoiachin and many prominent citizens, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This began the Babylonian Exile.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroyed Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, followed by a second, larger deportation of Judeans. This event represented a catastrophic loss and the ultimate fulfillment of dire warnings.
c. 580 BC
Ezekiel's Ministry in Exile
Ezekiel prophesied to the exiles in Babylon, addressing their despair and the accusations leveled against their land and people by surrounding nations.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus, overthrew the Babylonian Empire, paving the way for the exiled Jews to eventually return to their homeland.
This passage directly echoes the spies' report about the Promised Land, describing it as a place that 'devours its inhabitants,' setting up the accusation that Ezekiel's land faces.
Jeremiah 14:1This passage describes a land suffering from drought and famine, which aligns with the reasons the surrounding nations might accuse the land of 'devouring its people'.
Isaiah 54:1-8This prophecy offers a stark contrast by promising abundant restoration and joy to Jerusalem after periods of desolation, mirroring the future hope that counters the present accusation in Ezekiel.
2 Kings 17:25This verse mentions the lions that plagued the land of Israel after its resettlement by foreigners, illustrating how natural or supernatural threats could lead to a land being perceived as dangerous and consuming.
bensonEzekiel 36:13: "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations;"
Ezekiel 36:13-15 . Because they say, Thou land devourest men — Or, thy people. The country of Judea (as appears from what is here said) was spoken of by the neighbouring nations with disgrace, as a country particularly fatal to its inhabitants, where more died by famine, pestilence, and the sword, than in any other place: and therefore God here says, that there should…
barnesEzekiel 36:13: "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations;"
The judgments which God sent upon the land, had so destroyed the inhabitants that men deemed it a fatal land, which brought destruction to all that should occupy it (compare 2 Kings 17:25 ).
What's easily missed here is that the "devouring land" isn't about an unhealthy environment, but a divine judgment causing famine, war, and loss of children. The surrounding nations mockingly blamed the land itself for Israel's suffering, not realizing it was God's consequence for their sin.
The surrounding nations mock Israel, accusing the land itself of being the cause of its people's destruction, like an unnatural mother devouring her children. This accusation stems from generations of war, famine, and divine judgment that had decimated the population and brought shame upon the nation. God here declares that these reproaches will cease as He promises to restore the land and its people.
The surrounding nations mock Israel, accusing the land itself of being the cause of its people's destruction, like an unnatural mother devouring her children. This accusation stems from generations of war, famine, and divine judgment that had decimated the population and brought shame upon the nation. God here declares that these reproaches will cease as He promises to restore the land and its people.
"Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they say to you, ‘You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,’" — What's easily missed here is that the "devouring land" isn't about an unhealthy environment, but a divine judgment causing famine, war, and loss of children. The surrounding nations mockingly blamed…
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Last reviewed October 2026