This verse highlights a stark irony: the very places where the Israelites offered their "pleasing aroma" to idols will become the gruesome sites of their demise. God’s judgment isn't just about punishment, but about a complete reversal, turning sacred worship spots into scenes of death, proving the utter powerlessness of their false gods.
And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is detailing the utter devastation that will come upon Israel for their pervasive idolatry. He's just described the scattered survivors who will remember Him, but now he focuses on the vast majority who will be slain. Their dead bodies will litter the very places where they offered sacrifices and incense to their idols, demonstrating the complete powerlessness of those false gods and the inescapable judgment of the Lord.
The Bible talks about a 'pleasing aroma' offered to God in worship. But here, Ezekiel uses the same phrase for idol worship. What's going on?
In the Old Testament, the idea of a 'pleasing aroma' or 'sweet savor' was specifically linked to the sacrifices offered to the Lord. It symbolized acceptance and communion between God and His people.
When Ezekiel uses this phrase to describe the offerings made to idols, it's a profound and bitter irony. It highlights how the Israelites had taken something sacred, meant only for Yahweh, and defiled it by offering it to lifeless, detestable objects.
This wasn't just a religious error; it was a cosmic insult. The 'pleasing aroma' offered to idols was, in God's eyes, a foul stench, an offense that brought His judgment. Their attempts to appease their gods only provoked the true God.
God's judgment isn't random. Ezekiel shows us how destruction falls precisely where sin took root.
Ezekiel vividly describes the aftermath of judgment: the slain lying among idols, around altars, on high hills, mountaintops, and under trees. These weren't just random locations; they were the very places where the Israelites had actively engaged in their idolatrous worship.
Think about it: they sought favor and protection from their gods in these specific spots, performing rituals and offering sacrifices. Now, those same places would become scenes of death and devastation.
This illustrates a core principle of God's justice: judgment often mirrors the sin. Their worship spaces become their death sites. Their idols, meant to provide safety, become silent witnesses to their slaughter. God makes His presence and power known through the total failure of their false gods to protect them.
Ask a follow-up
Ezekiel says they will 'know that I am the LORD.' But this isn't a gentle, loving recognition. What kind of knowledge is this?
The phrase 'you shall know that I am the LORD' appears multiple times in Ezekiel. Here, it's not about a heartfelt, repentant understanding that leads to transformation. Instead, it's a harsh, experiential knowledge gained through devastating defeat and loss.
They had ignored God, denied His sovereignty, and chased after other gods. Their idols offered false promises of security and prosperity, but ultimately delivered only destruction.
When their slain countrymen lie scattered among the very idols they trusted, the Israelites will be forced to acknowledge the supreme power and reality of Yahweh. This knowledge will come through the undeniable evidence of His vengeance, proving that their idols were powerless and that only the LORD is God. It's a terrifying knowledge, one born out of suffering rather than surrender.
Understand the original words
gillul · Hebrew Noun
Objects of worship—whether physical images or abstract idols—that usurp the place of the one true God in the human heart and life.
mizbeach · Hebrew Noun
A structure, usually of stone or earth, upon which sacrifices were offered to a deity. In the Old Testament, these became focal points of forbidden worship when used for pagan gods.
nichoch · Hebrew Noun
An act of obedience or sacrifice meant to show devotion, often used in a perverted way in idolatrous contexts to describe the 'fragrance' of sacrifices offered to false gods.
This verse paints a stark picture of God's judgment following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The "pleasing aroma" offered to idols is ironically juxtaposed with the stench of death, highlighting how the very places of illicit worship become sites of slaughter, utterly failing to protect those who trusted in them.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and intensifying idolatrous practices among those who remained or were exiled.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports Judeans, including members of the royal family and skilled workers, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Babylon deports more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel and another group of elites, following a rebellion against Babylonian rule.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Babylon conquers Jerusalem, destroys the Temple, and deports the majority of the remaining population. This event fulfills many prophecies and is the backdrop for Ezekiel's message.
c. 586-570 BC
Ezekiel's Prophecies of Judgment
Ezekiel delivers powerful prophecies from exile, detailing God's judgment against Judah and Jerusalem for their persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness.
This passage highlights how Israel, like in Ezekiel, engaged in idolatrous worship in similar natural settings, offering sacrifices under trees and on hills, showing a long-standing pattern of disobedience.
Hosea 4:13Hosea also describes the Israelites offering sacrifices under trees and on hills, emphasizing the pervasiveness of their idolatry and their misplaced devotion, mirroring Ezekiel's descriptions.
Ezekiel 6:3-7These verses directly precede this one and detail the prophesied judgment against the high places and altars, setting the stage for verse 13 which shows the ultimate outcome of that judgment.
Isaiah 57:5-6This passage condemns similar idolatrous practices, mentioning sacrifices offered under trees and on mountains, illustrating that the sins Ezekiel addresses were a national, historical issue that God had long been judging.
Leviticus 26:30This verse from the Law describes a consequence of disobedience that echoes Ezekiel's prophecy, stating that God would destroy their high places and cast their carcasses among their idols.
barnesEzekiel 6:13: "Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols."
Sweet savor - Compare Genesis 8:21 . Words, applied to the smell of sacrifices accepted by God, applied here to idol-sacrifices in irony.
calvinEzekiel 6:13: "Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols."
- Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green…
This verse highlights a stark irony: the very places where the Israelites offered their "pleasing aroma" to idols will become the gruesome sites of their demise. God’s judgment isn't just about punishment, but about a complete reversal, turning sacred worship spots into scenes of death, proving the utter powerlessness of their false gods.
God is detailing the utter devastation that will come upon Israel for their pervasive idolatry. He's just described the scattered survivors who will remember Him, but now he focuses on the vast majority who will be slain. Their dead bodies will litter the very places where they offered sacrifices and incense to their idols, demonstrating the complete powerlessness of those false gods and the inescapable judgment of the Lord.
God is detailing the utter devastation that will come upon Israel for their pervasive idolatry. He's just described the scattered survivors who will remember Him, but now he focuses on the vast majority who will be slain. Their dead bodies will litter the very places where they offered sacrifices and incense to their idols, demonstrating the complete powerlessness of those false gods and the inescapable judgment of the Lord.
"And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all…" — This verse highlights a stark irony: the very places where the Israelites offered their "pleasing aroma" to idols will become the gruesome sites of their demise. God’s judgment isn't just about punis…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
