The big picture
Ezekiel 15 opens in verse 1 with “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,”, reaches its middle movement near verse 4 with “Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and…”, and closes in verse 8 with “And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the…” Repeated or prominent terms include fire, LORD, work, meet, tree. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Ezekiel · King James Version · 8Ezekiel 15:1-8
1–8: The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 15:1–8 opens with “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,” and reaches “And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD .” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 15 develops its own movement around fire, LORD, work, meet, tree, with particular weight carried by fire, LORD, work.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 4 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, word. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.
“Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Ezekiel 15:1-8
King James Version1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
3Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
4Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?
5Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?
6Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD ; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD , when I set my face against them.
8And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD .
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Ezekiel 15:1 begins with “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,”
Where the chapter turns
Ezekiel 15:4 forms a natural hinge: “Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?”
The final note
Ezekiel 15:8 leaves the reader with “And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD .”
A word trail through the chapter
The words fire, LORD, work, meet, tree, burned help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What is Abram invited to trust?
God's promise of an heir and innumerable descendants despite his present childlessness.
Why does the delay matter?
The covenant is larger than one lifetime and includes suffering before deliverance.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.