Ezekiel 15

Chapter Overview

What happens in Ezekiel 15

God compares Jerusalem to a grapevine. While Israel often thought of itself as God's special vine, God points out that grapevine wood is useless for building anything. If it was useless when it was whole, it is even more useless after being burned.

Scripture

The Useless Vine

Study note

Grapevines were valuable for their fruit but their wood was worthless. You could not build anything from it or even hang a pot on a peg made from it. God asked a pointed question: if vine wood was useless when it was whole, how much more useless was it after being partially burned? This was a picture of Jerusalem, which had already been partially burned and weakened by earlier Babylonian invasions.

1 The Lord gave me this message. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 "Son of man, think about this: what makes grapevine wood better than any other kind of wood from the forest?" Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

3 "Is it useful for building anything? Can you even make a simple peg from it to hang things on?" Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

4 "No, it gets tossed into the fire as fuel. The fire chars both ends and scorches the middle. What good is it now?" 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?

5 "It was not useful when it was whole. It surely won't be useful after fire has burned and blackened it!" 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 hath devoured it, and it is burned?

Jerusalem Will Be Burned

Study note

God applied the comparison directly to Jerusalem. Just as useless vine wood is thrown into the fire, so God would give up the people of Jerusalem to be consumed. They had already been through one fire (the first deportation in 597 BC) but had not learned their lesson. Now a greater fire was coming. God would make the land desolate because the people had been unfaithful.

6 The Lord God says: "I toss grapevine wood from the forest into the fire because it is useless. I will do the same thing to the people of Jerusalem." Therefore 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.

7 "I have set my face against them. They may have escaped one fire, but another fire will devour them. When I turn against them, you will recognize that I am the Lord." And 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.

8 "I will turn the land into a wasteland because its people have been unfaithful, says the Lord God." And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

Key Themes

Themes in Ezekiel 15

Uselessness without GodIsrael as a fruitless vinePurpose and fruitfulnessJudgment on unfaithfulness

Prophetic Connections

How this chapter points to Christ

Ezekiel 1-6 John 15:1-6

Jesus used the vine image directly, calling himself the true vine and saying that branches that do not remain in him are cut off — a clear echo of Ezekiel's fruitless vine parable.

Apply This Today

Living Ezekiel 15

A vine that does not bear fruit has no other purpose. In the same way, when we are disconnected from God, we lose our sense of purpose. This chapter reminds us that our value comes from staying connected to God and bearing fruit in our lives.

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