Book of Ezekiel 30:13–18 in an English manuscript from early 13th century, MS. Bodl. Or. 62, fol. 59a. A Latin translation appears in the margins with further interlineations above the Hebrew.
The Ammonites were punished for gloating "maliciously" when Judah fell (Lamentations 2:15–16), and the land would be occupied by nomadic Arab tribes ("sons of the east" or "people of the east" in Ezekiel 25:4; cf. Isaiah 11:14).[1] This is the longest oracle and the only one spoken in the second person form among the other prophecies in this chapter (cf. Ezekiel 21:28–29 or 21:33-34 in Hebrew texts.[6]
"Son of man" (Hebrew: בן־אדם, ben adam): this phrase is used 93 times to address Ezekiel.[8]
There are two parts to the oracle against Ammon: verses 3-5 and 6–7, both for the malicious glee when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and when the people of Judah went into exile.[9]
Against Moab (25:8-11)
Moab is punished for gloating and stating that Judah is "like all other nations" (Ezekiel 25:8), which is considered an insult to Yahweh (cf. Ezekiel 36:20).[6] Therefore, similar to Ammon, the land of Moab would be given to the "people of the east" (cf. Jeremiah 48).[9][10]
Against Edom (25:12-14)
Edom's punishment is harsh and may be singled out for betraying the agreement with Judah to fight against Babylon (Jeremiah 27:3; committing "grievous offense" in Ezekiel 25:12), but instead became a Babylonian ally, taking Judean lands in the Negeb (cf. Jeremiah 49:7–22, Obadiah 1–14).[9]
I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes. And they shall know that I am the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon them.[12]
In the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, character Jules Winnfield ritually recites what is stated as Ezekiel 25:17 before he executes someone.[13] The passage is heard three times in the whole film. The final two sentences of Jules' speech are similar to the actual cited passage, which is based on the King James Version,[14] but the first two are fabricated from various biblical phrases.[15] The primary inspiration for the speech was the work of Japanese martial arts star Sonny Chiba, particularly in the film Karate Kiba (The Bodyguard; 1976).[16] In the 1980s television series Kage no Gundan (Shadow Warriors), Chiba's character would lecture the villain-of-the-week about how the world must be rid of evil before killing him.[17] A killer delivers a similar biblical rant in Modesty Blaise, a 1965 novel which is shown in two scenes of Pulp Fiction.[18]
^Thomas (2003) notes that instead of "the Lord", this version reads "... and they shall know that I am Chiba the Bodyguard ..." (pp. 61–62). Conard (2006) claims that the text originates from the film Bodigaado Kiba (Bodyguard Kiba or The Bodyguard; 1973) and that the end phrase there is "And you will know my name is Chiba the Bodyguard ..." (p. 135, n. 4).
^Enhanced Trivia Track, ch. 4, Pulp Fiction DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment).
^Enhanced Trivia Track, ch. 25, Pulp Fiction DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment).
Conard, Mark T. (2006). "Symbolism, Meaning, and Nihilism in Pulp Fiction", in The Philosophy of Film Noir, ed. Mark T. Conard (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky). ISBN0-8131-2377-1
Galambush, J. (2007). "25. Ezekiel". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 533–562. ISBN978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
