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Ezekiel 15

God uses the worthlessness of burned vine wood to announce judgment against Jerusalem for its unfaithfulness.

YHWH speaks to Ezekiel about vine wood, asking whether it can serve any purpose among the trees of the forest. Even an intact vine branch cannot provide a peg for hanging a vessel; fire leaves it still less useful. God then identifies the inhabitants of Jerusalem with this wood destined for fuel. He declares that fire will overtake them and their land will become desolate because of their unfaithfulness.

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2“Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
3Will wood be taken of it to make anything? Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel on it?
4Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both its ends, and the middle of it is burned. Is it profitable for any work?
6Therefore the Lord GOD says: “As the vine wood among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7I will set my face against them. They will go out from the fire, but the fire will still devour them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.
8I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,” says the Lord GOD.
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Key verses
Ezekiel 15:2The opening question challenges any assumption that vine wood holds an advantage over the other trees of the forest.
Ezekiel 15:6God identifies Jerusalem’s inhabitants as the objects of judgment, making the vine comparison a direct threat.
Ezekiel 15:7Escape from one fire will provide no refuge from God’s opposition, through which Jerusalem will recognize YHWH.
Where this chapter reaches

Isaiah and Jeremiah also use vine imagery for God’s people and connect their failure with divine judgment, sharing Ezekiel’s warning against unfaithfulness. John shares the image of vine branches burned in fire, though its teaching centers on remaining in Jesus and bearing fruit.

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After reading the whole chapter

What changes in your reading when God identifies the vine wood with Jerusalem’s inhabitants?

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What questions does the connection between unfaithfulness and desolation raise for you?

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Questions people ask about Ezekiel 15

What does the vine represent in Ezekiel 15?

Verse 6 identifies the vine wood with the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The comparison concerns wood that cannot serve as building material or even a peg, and becomes still less useful after burning. God uses that image to announce Jerusalem’s coming judgment, with unfaithfulness named as the cause.

Why does God say the fire will still devour Jerusalem in Ezekiel 15:7?

The statement means that escaping one fire will not secure escape from God’s judgment. God declares his opposition to Jerusalem, and the next verse announces the land’s desolation. The chapter does not identify separate historical events behind each mention of fire, so assigning each fire to a specific attack goes beyond its wording.

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Ezekiel · 48 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).