Yehezkiel 6:7

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

Yehezkiel 6:10

6:10 They will know that I am the Lord; my threats to bring this catastrophe on them were not empty.’ ² 

Yehezkiel 6:3

6:3 Say, ‘Mountains of Israel, ³  Hear the word of the sovereign Lord! ⁴  This is what the sovereign Lord says to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I am bringing ⁵  a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. ⁶ 

[6:7]  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.

[6:10]  ² tn Heb “not in vain did I speak to do to them this catastrophe.” The wording of the last half of v. 10 parallels God’s declaration after the sin of the golden calf (Exod 32:14).

[6:3]  ³ 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.

[6:3]  sn The mountainous terrain of Israel would contrast with the exiles’ habitat in the river valley of Babylonia.

[6:3]  ⁴ 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).

[6:3]  ⁵ 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.

[6:3]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term refers to elevated platforms where pagan sacrifices were performed.