“Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a prediction of exile; it's God commissioning Ezekiel to forge the very chains of captivity, highlighting that the land's pervasive "bloody crimes" and the city's rampant violence have created an inescapable bondage. This imagery reveals that their sin wasn't just individual wrongdoing, but a societal condition that demanded to be bound and taken away.
“Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel has just declared that the end of the land is coming, a swift and final judgment from God. Now, he’s instructed to "forge a chain" – a symbolic act representing the coming captivity and bondage for the people. This divine judgment is directly linked to the pervasive violence, murder, and injustice that have filled the land and its cities, cries that have reached God's ears.
Why would God tell Ezekiel to 'make a chain' in the middle of his prophecy? It sounds like a physical act, but it's a powerful symbol for what's coming.
The command to 'make a chain' isn't about physically forging metal. It's a symbolic act, a prophetic visual aid. This chain represents the inescapable captivity and judgment awaiting Israel.
Ezekiel doesn't just mention violence; he calls it 'bloody crimes' and 'violence.' What's the big deal about the kind of sin described here?
The specific sins mentioned – 'bloody crimes' and 'violence' – are not just minor infractions. They represent a profound corruption that cries out for justice.
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Understand the original words
chamas · Hebrew Noun
An act of lawlessness or oppression characterized by physical force or cruelty, often used to describe social injustice and the breakdown of order that invites divine wrath.
The 'chain' Ezekiel is commanded to 'forge' symbolizes the literal chains of captivity that awaited the Judeans, a direct consequence of the pervasive violence, bloodshed, and injustice that had infected the land and the city.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, marking a significant expansion of imperial power into the region and a precursor to later exiles.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian forces conquer Judah, deporting a portion of the elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This event signifies the rising threat of Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Jerusalem is besieged again, and King Jehoiachin, along with thousands more Judeans and craftsmen, are exiled to Babylon. Ezekiel is among this group.
c. 590 BC
Ezekiel's Call and Ministry Begins
Ezekiel receives his prophetic call in exile near the Chebar River in Babylon, beginning his ministry to the exiles and delivering messages of judgment and hope for Jerusalem.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's armies destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and scattering the remaining population into exile. Ezekiel's prophecy of the chain is directly tied to this devastating event.
c. 585 BC
Third Babylonian Deportation
After Jerusalem's fall, Zedekiah and the final wave of Judeans are deported to Babylon, completing the destruction of the kingdom and solidifying Babylonian dominance.
This passage echoes the same theme of societal decay due to violence and injustice, highlighting how unchecked sin leads to judgment.
Micah 3:10Micah also speaks of leaders building cities with blood and wickedness, directly linking corrupt foundations to divine retribution, much like Ezekiel's prophecy.
Isaiah 1:21-23This passage contrasts Jerusalem's former glory with its current state of moral corruption, showing how justice has been replaced by violence and impurity.
Genesis 6:11-13The description of the land being 'full of violence' mirrors the state of the world before the flood, where God saw the widespread corruption and decided on judgment.
barnesEzekiel 7:23: "Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence."
Make a chain - Forge the chain, the chain of imprisonment determined for them.
clarkeEzekiel 7:23: "Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence."
Make a chain - Point out the captivity; show them that it shall come, and show them the reason: "Because the land is full of bloody crimes," etc.
This isn't just a prediction of exile; it's God commissioning Ezekiel to forge the very chains of captivity, highlighting that the land's pervasive "bloody crimes" and the city's rampant violence have created an inescapable bondage. This imagery reveals that their sin wasn't just individual wrongdoing, but a societal condition that demanded to be bound and taken away.
Ezekiel has just declared that the end of the land is coming, a swift and final judgment from God. Now, he’s instructed to "forge a chain" – a symbolic act representing the coming captivity and bondage for the people. This divine judgment is directly linked to the pervasive violence, murder, and injustice that have filled the land and its cities, cries that have reached God's ears.
Ezekiel has just declared that the end of the land is coming, a swift and final judgment from God. Now, he’s instructed to "forge a chain" – a symbolic act representing the coming captivity and bondage for the people. This divine judgment is directly linked to the pervasive violence, murder, and injustice that have filled the land and its cities, cries that have reached God's ears.
"“Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence." — This isn't just a prediction of exile; it's God commissioning Ezekiel to forge the very chains of captivity, highlighting that the land's pervasive "bloody crimes" and the city's rampant violence h…
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Last reviewed October 2026