Ezekiel 25:15-16

A Prophecy Against Philistia

25:15 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘The Philistines ¹  have exacted merciless revenge, ²  showing intense scorn ³  in their effort to destroy Judah ⁴  with unrelenting hostility. ⁵  25:16 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note, I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines. I will kill ⁶  the Cherethites ⁷  and destroy those who remain on the seacoast.

[25:15]  ¹ sn The Philistines inhabited the coastal plain by the Mediterranean Sea, west of Judah.

[25:15]  ² tn Heb “have acted with vengeance and taken vengeance with vengeance.” The repetition emphasizes the degree of vengeance which they exhibited, presumably toward Judah.

[25:15]  ³ tn Heb “with scorn in (the) soul.”

[25:15]  ⁴ tn The object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but has been clarified as “Judah” in the translation.

[25:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “to destroy (with) perpetual hostility.” Joel 3:4-8 also speaks of the Philistines taking advantage of the fall of Judah.

[25:16]  ⁶ tn In Hebrew the verb “and I will cut off” sounds like its object, “the Cherethites,” and draws attention to the statement.

[25:16]  ⁷ sn This is a name for the Philistines, many of whom migrated to Palestine from Crete.