Ezekiel 23:48 demonstrates God’s unwavering determination to remove sin from among His people as both a judgment for unfaithfulness and a warning for future generations.
“Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be admonished and not commit lewdness as you have done.” (v.48)
Ezekiel prophesied before and during Judah’s exile to Babylon, roughly 600 years prior to Jesus’ advent, warning God’s people of the consequences of their unfaithfulness to Him. In this passage, God promises to bring a decisive end to the immoral conduct that had spread throughout the land, symbolized here as “lewdness.” This lewdness involved idol worship, political alliances with pagan nations, and moral corruption at every level of society. By “making lewdness cease,” God shows His resolve to eradicate the root of sin that led His people astray, ensuring that they recognize the gravity of unfaithfulness and idolatry.
The phrase “that all women may be admonished” indicates that the judgment on one group is meant as a warning to others. This verse continues the allegory of spiritual adultery in Ezekiel 23, in which the two sisters (representing Samaria and Jerusalem) had turned away from God. The “women” in question thus embody future generations who would observe God’s judgment upon the sinful practices of their forebears and be deterred from repeating them. The year 586 BC saw the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians, an event that served as a visible fulfillment of Ezekiel’s warnings and underscored this verse’s sobering message.
In light of broader scriptural themes, this verse illustrates how God, in His holiness, cannot indefinitely tolerate willful rebellion and idolatry among His people. Yet in the midst of the harsh judgment, there is also mercy: His purpose in halting wrongdoing is to restore a worshipful, faithful relationship with Himself, pointing ultimately to the redemption He provides in Christ for all who turn back to Him (John 3:16).
Set to dark mode
Ezekiel 23:48 meaning
“Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be admonished and not commit lewdness as you have done.” (v.48)
Ezekiel prophesied before and during Judah’s exile to Babylon, roughly 600 years prior to Jesus’ advent, warning God’s people of the consequences of their unfaithfulness to Him. In this passage, God promises to bring a decisive end to the immoral conduct that had spread throughout the land, symbolized here as “lewdness.” This lewdness involved idol worship, political alliances with pagan nations, and moral corruption at every level of society. By “making lewdness cease,” God shows His resolve to eradicate the root of sin that led His people astray, ensuring that they recognize the gravity of unfaithfulness and idolatry.
The phrase “that all women may be admonished” indicates that the judgment on one group is meant as a warning to others. This verse continues the allegory of spiritual adultery in Ezekiel 23, in which the two sisters (representing Samaria and Jerusalem) had turned away from God. The “women” in question thus embody future generations who would observe God’s judgment upon the sinful practices of their forebears and be deterred from repeating them. The year 586 BC saw the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians, an event that served as a visible fulfillment of Ezekiel’s warnings and underscored this verse’s sobering message.
In light of broader scriptural themes, this verse illustrates how God, in His holiness, cannot indefinitely tolerate willful rebellion and idolatry among His people. Yet in the midst of the harsh judgment, there is also mercy: His purpose in halting wrongdoing is to restore a worshipful, faithful relationship with Himself, pointing ultimately to the redemption He provides in Christ for all who turn back to Him (John 3:16).