And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about a particularly brutal destruction; it emphasizes that the judgment coming upon Jerusalem is unlike anything before or after, a judgment so severe it stands alone in history, precisely because their sins reached a unique level of "abomination" in God's eyes. It highlights that the intensity of God's punishment is directly proportionate to the depth of sin and rejection He faces, setting this event apart as a singular, unparalleled display of divine justice against unparalleled rebellion.
And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is laying out the ultimate consequences for Jerusalem's deep-seated rebellion and idolatry. He has already declared that Jerusalem is worse than the surrounding nations, and now he's going to bring a judgment so severe and unprecedented that it will be unlike anything ever seen before or since. This extreme punishment is directly linked to their rampant "abominations" that have defiled the land and God's name.
God declares He's about to do something so extreme, so horrific, it has no equal. What does this mean for His justice and His mercy?
Ezekiel 5:9 is a stark declaration of divine judgment. God states, 'I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.' This isn't just a harsh punishment; it's a unique, singular event in history.
The Uniqueness of the Calamity
Commentators point out that past judgments, like the flood or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, were devastating. However, the judgment coming upon Jerusalem, first by the Babylonians and later by the Romans, is described as surpassing these in its prolonged suffering and specific horrors, such as cannibalism during sieges.
God's Standard of Justice
This unprecedented judgment is directly linked to Israel's 'abominations'—their deep-seated rebellion and idolatry. Because they were uniquely chosen and highly privileged as God's people, their betrayal of Him demanded a response that reflected both the severity of their sin and the sanctity of their covenant relationship with God. It underscores that high privilege carries high accountability.
What exactly are these 'abominations' that trigger such a catastrophic response from God?
The verse explicitly states the reason for this unprecedented judgment: 'because of all your abominations.' This term 'abominations' in the Old Testament refers to detestable acts that deeply offend God's holiness, particularly idolatry and the corruption of His covenant commands.
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Idolatry's Gravity
For Israel, turning to other gods was not just a religious error; it was a betrayal of their unique covenant with Yahweh. They were called to be a distinct people, reflecting God's character to the nations. Their descent into idolatrous practices and the accompanying moral decay were seen as the ultimate rejection of God's sovereignty and love.
Escalating Sin, Escalating Judgment
These 'abominations' weren't minor infractions. They represent a systemic corruption that permeated their society. God's judgment is not arbitrary; it's a direct consequence of their persistent rebellion and their defilement of the sacred space He had designated for Himself—Jerusalem. The severity of the punishment directly mirrors the depth of their sin.
Understand the original words
to'ebot · Hebrew Noun
Detestable things, specifically those that are morally or religiously repulsive to God, particularly idolatry and pagan practices that violate the covenant.
Ezekiel's prophecy highlights the unparalleled horror of the coming Babylonian destruction, emphasizing that it would be a judgment unlike any before or after, directly linked to Jerusalem's profound spiritual corruption and idolatry.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling its population and scattering them, a significant judgment but not the total destruction of the nation or its capital.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Judean elites, including young men like Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the start of Judah's decline and foreshadows further judgment.
597 BC— this verse
Second Babylonian Deportation
Jerusalem falls to Nebuchadnezzar, and he deports King Jehoiachin, the royal family, and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This siege and deportation were severe but left the city and Temple intact for a time.
587/586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
After a prolonged and brutal siege, Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally breach Jerusalem, destroy the city, the Temple, and carry off most of the remaining population into exile.
c. AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem by Rome
Roman armies under Titus destroy Jerusalem and its Second Temple after a devastating siege, an event of immense suffering that surpassed even the Babylonian destruction in its scale and horror.
Jesus uses very similar language to describe the unparalleled destruction coming to Jerusalem, linking Ezekiel's prophecy to a future, even greater, fulfillment.
Deuteronomy 28:53-57This passage in Deuteronomy prophesied extreme famines and desperate measures during siege, including parents eating their own children, directly echoing the horrors detailed in Ezekiel 5:10 which follows this verse.
Jeremiah 19:9Jeremiah also foretold similar unimaginable horrors during a siege, specifically that enemies would cause parents to eat the flesh of their children, showing this theme of unparalleled destruction was a consistent warning.
Lamentations 4:10The Book of Lamentations vividly describes the agonizing reality of mothers being forced to eat their own children during the siege of Jerusalem, serving as a poignant, historical testament to the judgment Ezekiel forewarned.
pooleEzekiel 5:9: "And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations."
Though the old world perished by water, and the judgment was greater in its extent, and Sodom was destroyed by fire, yet neither one or other was so lingering a death. These poor Jews were long dying, and felt themselves dying. Read the Lamentations as commentary on this text, or Josephus’s Wars of the Jews. Though in the siege of Samaria women ate t…
barnesEzekiel 5:9: "And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations."
Compare Matthew 24:21 . The calamities of the Babylonian were surpassed by the Roman siege, and these again were but a foreshadowing of still more terrible destruction at the last day.
This verse isn't just about a particularly brutal destruction; it emphasizes that the judgment coming upon Jerusalem is unlike anything before or after, a judgment so severe it stands alone in history, precisely because their sins reached a unique level of "abomination" in God's eyes. It highlights that the intensity of God's punishment is directly proportionate to the depth of sin and rejection He faces, setting this event apart as a singular, unparalleled display of divine justice against unparalleled rebellion.
God is laying out the ultimate consequences for Jerusalem's deep-seated rebellion and idolatry. He has already declared that Jerusalem is worse than the surrounding nations, and now he's going to bring a judgment so severe and unprecedented that it will be unlike anything ever seen before or since. This extreme punishment is directly linked to their rampant "abominations" that have defiled the land and God's name.
God is laying out the ultimate consequences for Jerusalem's deep-seated rebellion and idolatry. He has already declared that Jerusalem is worse than the surrounding nations, and now he's going to bring a judgment so severe and unprecedented that it will be unlike anything ever seen before or since. This extreme punishment is directly linked to their rampant "abominations" that have defiled the land and God's name.
"And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again." — This verse isn't just about a particularly brutal destruction; it emphasizes that the judgment coming upon Jerusalem is unlike anything before or after, a judgment so severe it stands alone in histor…
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Last reviewed October 2026