Ezekiel 6:3

6:3 Say, ‘Mountains of Israel, ¹  Hear the word of the sovereign Lord! ²  This is what the sovereign Lord says to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I am bringing ³  a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. ⁴ 

Ezekiel 6:6

6:6 In all your dwellings, the cities will be laid waste and the high places ruined so that your altars will be laid waste and ruined, your idols will be shattered and demolished, your incense altars will be broken down, and your works wiped out. ⁵ 

Ezekiel 6:13

6:13 Then you will know that I am the Lord – when their dead lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and all the mountaintops, under every green tree and every leafy oak, ⁶  the places where they have offered fragrant incense to all their idols.

Ezekiel 17:22

17:22 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘I will take a sprig ⁷  from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it. ⁸ 

I will pluck from the top one of its tender twigs;

I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

Ezekiel 17:24

17:24 All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord.

I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree.

I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout.

I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it!’”

Ezekiel 20:28

20:28 I brought them to the land which I swore ⁹  to give them, but whenever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there and presented the offerings that provoke me to anger. They offered their soothing aroma there and poured out their drink offerings.

Ezekiel 20:40

20:40 For there on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord, all the house of Israel will serve me, all of them ¹⁰  in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will seek your contributions and your choice gifts, with all your holy things.

Ezekiel 31:14

31:14 For this reason no watered trees will grow so tall; their tops will not reach into the clouds, nor will the well-watered ones grow that high. ¹¹  For all of them have been appointed to die in the lower parts of the earth; ¹²  they will be among mere mortals, ¹³  with those who descend to the pit.

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¹ tn The phrase “mountains of Israel” occurs only in the book of Ezekiel (6:2, 3; 19:9; 33:28; 34:13, 14; 35:12; 36:1, 4, 8; 37:22; 38:8; 39:2, 4, 17). The expression refers to the whole land of Israel.

sn The mountainous terrain of Israel would contrast with the exiles’ habitat in the river valley of Babylonia.

² tn The introductory formula “Hear the word of the sovereign Lord” parallels a pronouncement delivered by the herald of a king (2 Kgs 18:28).

³ tn Heb “Look I, I am bringing.” The repetition of the pronoun draws attention to the speaker. The construction also indicates that the action is soon to come; the Lord is “about to bring a sword against” them.

⁴ tn The Hebrew term refers to elevated platforms where pagan sacrifices were performed.

⁵ tn The Hebrew verb translated “wiped out” is used to describe the judgment of the Flood (Gen 6:7; 7:4, 23).

⁶ sn By referring to every high hill…all the mountaintops…under every green tree and every leafy oak Ezekiel may be expanding on the phraseology of Deut 12:2 (see 1 Kgs 14:23; 2 Kgs 16:4; 17:10; Jer 2:20; 3:6, 13; 2 Chr 28:4).

⁷ sn The language is analogous to messianic imagery in Isa 11:1; Zech 3:8; 6:4 although the technical terminology is not the same.

⁸ tc The LXX lacks “and plant it.”

⁹ tn Heb “which I lifted up my hand.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “all of it.”

¹¹ tn Heb “and they will not stand to them in their height, all the drinkers of water.”

¹² tn Heb “for death, to the lower earth.”

¹³ tn Heb “the sons of men.”