Ezekiel 25:1-7 · Bible study
Ezekiel 25:1-7 Commentary: Judgment on Ammon for Gloating
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Ezekiel pivot from Israel to the nations? This study examines Ammon's sin of gloating and God's sure judgment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Judgment on Ammon for gloating over Israel’s fall; God defends His sanctuary and people.
- Key words: “Aha!” (v.3), clapped hands, stamped feet (v.6), “men of the east” (v.4).
- Main debate: Identity of “men of the east”, nomad Arabs or Chaldeans? Commentators are divided.
- Theological theme: God’s justice is both historical and revelatory; judgment leads to knowledge of Yahweh.
- Best use: A warning against pride and gloating, and an assurance that God sees and will avenge His people’s suffering.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them.
3Tell the Ammonites to hear the word of the Lord GOD, for this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you exclaimed, “Aha!” when My sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Israel was laid waste, and when the house of Judah went into exile,
4therefore I will indeed give you as a possession to the people of the East. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.
5I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and Ammon a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’
6For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you clapped your hands and stomped your feet and rejoiced over the land of Israel with a heart full of contempt,
7therefore I will indeed stretch out My hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.’
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, set your face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them.
3Tell the children of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of the Lord Yahweh! The Lord Yahweh says, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against my sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,
4therefore, behold, I will deliver you to the children of the east for a possession. They will set their encampments in you and make their dwellings in you. They will eat your fruit and they will drink your milk.
5I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and the children of Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”
6For the Lord Yahweh says: “Because you have clapped your hands, stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the contempt of your soul against the land of Israel,
7therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand on you, and will deliver you for a plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish out of the countries. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”
KJV King James Version 1769
1The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
2Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;
3And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;
4Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.
5And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
6For thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;
7Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, set thy face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them:
3and say unto the children of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity:
4therefore, behold, I will deliver thee to the children of the east for a possession, and they shall set their encampments in thee, and make their dwellings in thee; they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.
5And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the children of Ammon a couching-place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
6For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast clapped thy hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the despite of thy soul against the land of Israel;
7therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the nations; and I will cut thee off from the peoples, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,
2`Son of man, set thy face unto the sons of Ammon, and prophesy against them;
3and thou hast said to the sons of Ammon: Hear ye a word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because of thy saying, Aha, to My sanctuary, Because it hath been polluted, And unto the ground of Israel, Because it hath been desolate, And unto the house of Judah, Because they have gone into a removal:
4Therefore, lo, I am giving thee to sons of the east for a possession, And they set their towers in thee, And have placed in thee their tabernacles. They eat thy fruit, and they drink thy milk,
5And I have given Rabbah for a habitation of camels, And the sons of Ammon for the crouching of a flock, And ye have known that I am Jehovah.
6For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because of thy clapping the hand, And of thy stamping with the foot, And thou rejoicest with all thy despite in soul Against the ground of Israel,
7Therefore, lo, I--I have stretched out My hand against thee, And have given thee for a portion to nations, And I have cut thee off from the peoples, And caused thee to perish from the lands; I destroy thee, and thou hast known that I am Jehovah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, set thy face against the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them;
3and say unto the children of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity:
4therefore behold, I will give thee to the children of the east for a possession, and they shall set their encampments in thee, and make their dwellings in thee; they shall eat thy fruits, and they shall drink thy milk.
5And I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and the children of Ammon a couching-place for flocks: and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah.
6For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast clapped the hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the despite of thy soul against the land of Israel;
7therefore behold, I will stretch out my hand upon thee, and will give thee for a spoil to the nations; and I will cut thee off from the peoples, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee, and thou shalt know that I [am] Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2Son of man, set thy face against the children of Ammon, and thou shalt prophesy of them.
3And thou shalt say to the children of Ammon: Hear ye the word of the Lord God: Thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast said: Ha, ha, upon my sanctuary, because it was profaned: and upon the land of Israel, because it was laid waste: and upon the house of Juda, because they are led into captivity:
4Therefore will I deliver thee to the men of the east for an inheritance, and they shall place their sheepcotes in thee, and shall set up their tents in thee: they shall eat thy fruits: and they shall drink thy milk.
5And I will make Rabbath a stable for camels, and the children of Ammon a couching place for flocks: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
6For thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast clapped thy hands and stamped with thy foot, and hast rejoiced with all thy heart against the land of Israel:
7Therefore behold I will stretch forth my hand upon thee, and will deliver thee to be the spoil of nations, and will cut thee off from among the people, and destroy thee out of the lands, and break thee in pieces: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Ezekiel 25:1-7 opens a series of oracles against the nations (Ezekiel 25, 32) following the judgment on Israel. The Ammonites are charged with exulting over the profanation of God’s sanctuary, the desolation of Israel’s land, and the captivity of Judah (v.3). Their gloating is expressed by clapping hands and stamping feet (v.6). The judgment matches the sin: they will be given as a possession to the “men of the east”, likely Arab nomads or Chaldeans, and their capital Rabbah will become a stable for camels (v.5). The repeated refrain “then you will know that I am Yahweh” (vv.5,7) is the purpose of the punishment: that even pagan nations might acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty. Barnes notes that these prophecies demonstrate the conflict between God’s servants and the powers of the world, and Clarke connects the fulfillment to Nebuchadnezzar’s campaigns shortly after Jerusalem’s fall. The consensus is that God’s judgment on Ammon is both historical and symbolic: historical in that the Ammonites ceased to exist as a nation, symbolic in that God always vindicates His holy name and His people’s suffering.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God judges those who gloat over His people’s suffering, and He uses historical events to reveal that He is Yahweh, the sovereign Lord over all nations.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Ammon’s sin | They gloated over the profanation of the temple, the desolation of Israel, and Judah’s captivity. | Some see this as primarily religious hostility (hating the sanctuary and the worship of Yahweh), while others emphasize national enmity and territorial rivalry. |
| Identity of “men of the east” | They are a group from the east that would dispossess Ammon. | Clarke and Wesley identify them as Arab nomads (Scenite Arabs, Ishmaelites); Gill adds Chaldeans and Syrians; JFB links them to the Arab nomads of Arabia-Deserta. |
| Extent of fulfillment | Historically fulfilled through Nebuchadnezzar’s campaigns and subsequent Arab incursions. | Some argue for complete national destruction (Ammon no longer exists as a people); others note that individuals survived and were absorbed into other nations (Jeremiah 49:6 hints at a future restoration). |
| Purpose of the oracle in Ezekiel’s book | It is part of a series (chapters 25, 32) that follows the judgment on Israel. | Barnes says the purpose is to show the conflict between God’s servants and the world; Keil emphasizes that the judgment on the nations demonstrates God’s sovereignty and prevents them from being lifted up by Israel’s fall. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ammon was a distant relative of Israel, descended from Lot’s younger daughter (Genesis 19:38). Yet from the days of the judges they were persistent enemies. They harassed the tribes east of the Jordan, were crushed by Jephthah (Judges 10, 11), and later suffered under David’s campaigns (2 Samuel 10, 12). After the northern tribes were carried away, Ammon and Moab seized the depopulated country (Jeremiah 49:1; Zephaniah 2:8). During Judah’s final struggle with Babylon, they showed their old animosity (2 Kings 24:2), and after the fall of Jerusalem, their king instigated the murder of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 40:14).
Ezekiel delivered this oracle around 590 BC, during the siege of Jerusalem or shortly after its capture. The phrase “set your face” (see Ezekiel 6:2) signals determined opposition. The “men of the east” likely refers to nomadic Arab tribes from the desert east of the Jordan, the people of Kedar and the Ishmaelites, who lived in tents, reared camels, and lived on milk and fruit. Such a description fits the judgment: where Ammon had cities and palaces, there would be encampments and flocks (v.4-5).
The gestures of clapping hands and stamping feet were cultural expressions of contempt and joy (see Job 27:23; Nahum 3:19). The Ammonites delighted in three things: the profanation of the sanctuary (the ultimate insult to God), the desolation of Israel’s land, and the captivity of Judah. They saw it as the triumph of their god Chemosh over Yahweh. But the judgment would turn their celebration into loss. Rabbah, their proud capital, would become a camel pasture. The repeated goal, “then you will know that I am Yahweh”, shows that God’s judgments are never blind rage; they are designed to reveal His identity to those who deny Him.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Ezekiel 25:1-7. The multiple English translations (KJV, ASV, BSB, WEB, etc.) show only minor differences in phrasing, for example, “men of the east” (WEB, KJV) vs “children of the east” (ASV), none of which affect the passage’s meaning or interpretation.
Reception History
Early church fathers, such as Jerome, read this passage as a warning against gloating over the misfortunes of God’s people, seeing it as a demonstration of God’s justice. Medieval commentators often allegorized the judgment on Ammon as a type of God’s eventual victory over heresy and pride. Reformed interpreters (e.g., Calvin, the Geneva Bible) highlighted the principle that God will not tolerate contempt for His covenant and His sanctuary. In more recent centuries, this oracle has been a source of comfort for persecuted Christians, reminding them that God sees the scorn of their enemies and will act in history to vindicate His name. The passage has also been used in homilies against the sin of schadenfreude, delight in another’s distress.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The sin of gloating. Ammon clapped hands and stamped feet when God’s sanctuary was profaned, His land laid waste, and His people taken captive (v.3,6). They rejoiced with contempt. The sin is not simply feeling happy at a rival’s misfortune; it is rejoicing over the very things that break God’s heart.
- The judgment that fits the crime. Because they gloated over the fall of Israel, Ammon would become a possession for nomads. Their fortified city would become a camel stable. The ones who said “Aha!” would be silenced by becoming a byword (v.4-5). God’s justice is not arbitrary; it mirrors the offense.
- The purpose: knowing the Lord. Twice the oracle ends with “then you will know that I am Yahweh” (vv.5,7). Even nations that reject God are brought to acknowledge Him through His judgments. The revelation of God’s name is mercy hidden in severity.
Five-point outline
- God’s word comes to the prophet, addressing a foreign nation (v.2).
- The accusation: exulting over the sanctuary’s profanation, the land’s desolation, the people’s captivity (v.3).
- The sentence: delivered to nomads; Rabbah becomes a camel pasture (v.4-5).
- The second indictment: the hand-clapping and foot-stamping expressed contempt (v.6).
- The second sentence: stretched-out hand, cut off from peoples, destroyed from countries (v.7).
Illustration hooks
- Cheering when a rival sports team loses badly, especially if you had no part in the win. That gut-level delight at someone else’s humiliation is nearby to what Ammon felt.
- Taking secret pleasure in a coworker’s mistake that benefits you. The inner smirk says, “They deserved it.”
- Watching the news and feeling satisfied when a public figure you dislike falls into scandal. The passage asks: what is in your heart when others suffer?
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is it ever okay to be happy when bad things happen to bad people?”
- “Does God really care about nations that don’t know Him? Why would He judge them at all?”
- “How can I guard my heart from gloating when someone who hurt me finally faces consequences?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage challenges us to examine our hearts when we see others suffer, even if we think they deserve it. Ammon looked at Jerusalem’s fall and said “Aha!”, a word of contempt and glee. But God heard that joy as an attack on His own sanctuary and people. As you read Ezekiel 25:1-7, ask yourself: what do I secretly celebrate when my enemies stumble?
Discussion questions
- What did the Ammonites do wrong, according to verses 3 and 6? List the specific actions and attitudes.
- Why does God focus on their reaction to the sanctuary’s profanation? What does that tell you about His priorities?
- The judgment involves “men of the east” setting up encampments (v.4). How does this punishment fit the crime of pride and gloating?
- Verse 5 ends with “Then you will know that I am Yahweh.” What does this phrase reveal about God’s goal in judgment?
- Ammon was a distant relative of Israel (Genesis 19:38). How does family history make their hostility worse, or explain their resentment?
- Can you think of a time when you were tempted to gloat over someone else’s failure? What helped you resist, or what did you learn after giving in?
- If God judges pagan nations for mocking His people, what comfort does that give believers today who face scorn or persecution?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 19:38 | The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day. |
| Jeremiah 9:25 | “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their flesh: |
| Jeremiah 9:26 | Egypt, Judah, Edom, the children of Ammon, Moab, and all who have the corners of their hair cut off, who dwell in the wilderness, for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.” |
| Jeremiah 25:21 | Edom, Moab, and the children of Ammon; |
| Jeremiah 27:3 | Then send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the children of Ammon, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. |
| Jeremiah 49:1 | Of the children of Ammon. Yahweh says: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Malcam possess Gad, and his people dwell in its cities? |
| Jeremiah 49:6 | “But afterward I will reverse the captivity of the children of Ammon,” says Yahweh. |
| Ezekiel 6:2 | “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them, |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights the historical irony that Nebuchadnezzar, through divination, chose to attack Jerusalem first, sparing the Ammonites temporarily. But their gloating over Judah's ruin brought God's judgment, and within five years they were conquered and eventually vanished as a distinct people, surviving only in history.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the Ammonites' recognition of the Lord does not imply their conversion. Rather, they will come to acknowledge that a single Most High rules over human history and that this God is the God of Israel, even without embracing worship of Him.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotators emphasize that the Ammonites' true offense was their gleeful scorn at the sanctuary's pollution and Israel's downfall. Their mocking joy, expressed as "Ha, ha," directly provokes God's detailed judgment, which turns their fertile land into desolate pasture for camels and sheep.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that God foreknew the Ammonites would rejoice over Jerusalem's fall, so He pronounced judgment before it happened. Their sin was not just hatred but taking delight in the sanctuary's profanation and their kinsmen's ruin. The judgment fit the crime: those who clapped in scorn would be plundered and dispossessed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that these judgments on surrounding nations come during the interval of silence about Israel, underscoring that if Israel was not spared, the corrupt heathen certainly would not be. The seven nations denounced represent the perfect number of God's enemies. Ammon's exultation over the fall of Jerusalem and its sanctuary
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch sees Ammon's sin as deeper than national hatred: their joy at the temple's profanation shows they despised Israel's divine calling. The punishment is twofold — their land becomes pasture for Bedouin nomads, while the Chaldeans cut them off entirely from the nations.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats these prophecies as a deliberate transition from judgment to compassion, arranged in seven symbolic oracles. He argues that Babylon is absent because it was God's instrument for executing judgment on Israel and the surrounding nations, not itself subject to prophetic judgment here.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the helplessness of Chemosh, Ammon's god, when the Lord Jehovah, God of the whole earth, sends judgment. The prophet must set his face like flint, speaking with bold assurance as God's representative who knows his errand is backed by divine authority.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that Ezekiel's forced silence during the siege was a living sign to the Jews. When he spoke again, his prophecies turned against surrounding nations, not Israel. On the Ammonites' mockery and judgment, Wesley notes that calamity can bring strangers to know God, which is far better than wealth without Him.