Ezekiel 6:7

6:7 The slain will fall among you and then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹ 

Ezekiel 7:4

7:4 My eye will not pity you; I will not spare ²  you. ³  For I will hold you responsible for your behavior, ⁴  and you will suffer the consequences of your abominable practices. ⁵  Then you will know that I am the Lord!

Ezekiel 7:9

7:9 My eye will not pity you; I will not spare ⁶  you. For your behavior I will hold you accountable, ⁷  and you will suffer the consequences of your abominable practices. Then you will know that it is I, the Lord, who is striking you. ⁸ 

Ezekiel 36:11

36:11 I will increase the number of people and animals on you; they will increase and be fruitful. ⁹  I will cause you to be inhabited as in ancient times, and will do more good for you than at the beginning of your history. ¹⁰  Then you will know that I am the Lord.

¹ sn The phrase you will know that I am the Lord concludes over sixty oracles in the book of Ezekiel and indicates the ultimate goal of God’s action. The phrase is often used in the book of Exodus as well (Exod 7:5; 14:4, 18). By Ezekiel’s day the people had forgotten that the Lord (Yahweh) was their covenant God and had turned to other gods. They had to be reminded that Yahweh alone deserved to be worshiped because only he possessed the power to meet their needs. Through judgment and eventually deliverance, Israel would be reminded that Yahweh alone held their destiny in his hands.

² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term is primarily emotional: “to pity,” which in context implies an action, as in being moved by pity in order to spare them from the horror of their punishment.

³ tn The pronoun “you” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

⁴ tn “I will set your behavior on your head.”

⁵ tn Heb “and your abominable practices will be among you.”

⁶ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term is primarily emotional: “to pity,” which in context implies an action, as in being moved by pity in order to spare them from the horror of their punishment.

⁷ tn Heb “According to your behavior I will place on you.”

⁸ tn The MT lacks “you.” It has been added for clarification.

⁹ sn These verbs occur together in Gen 1:22, 28; 9:1.

¹⁰ tn Heb “your beginning.”