Verses 23-29 end with the recognition formula Then they will know that I am the LORD. The people who are left in the land of Israel will acknowledge God after he destroys their country completely because of their sins. F

When I have made the land a desolation and a waste: See the comments on the previous verse.

Because of all their abominations which they have committed: All their abominations refers back to the list of sins in verses 25-26 and gives the reason why God will destroy the land. For the Hebrew word rendered abominations, see the comments on 5.9. Here it may be rendered “sins” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

Translators may rearrange this verse by placing the when clause first, as Good News Translation has done. A model that does this is:

• When I destroy their land and leave it in ruins as punishment for their sins, then they will know that I am Yahweh.

Another possible model is:

• I will destroy their land and leave it in ruins. This is punishment for their sins. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .