Pulp Fiction’s Fake Ezekiel Bible Verse & Real Religious Meaning Explained

Pulp Fiction is a movie about many things, but ultimately it’s centered around religious themes of redemption and salvation woven into the story. Following multiple characters and plotlines in a non-chronological order, the film is an epic tale about two mobsters, Jules and Vincent, and the danger that surrounds their line of work.

While Pulp Fiction may seem absurdist and senselessly violent on the surface, it derives meaning through faith-based theming throughout. When one applies this lens to the chaotic narrative, the ridiculous events and the fates of each character make much more sense. Jules is the main vessel of religious redemption in Pulp Fiction, as his realization at the end of the film leads him to leave his life of evil and ultimately avoid the worse fate of his colleagues.

In a memorable Quentin Tarantino quote in a diner at the end of the movie, Jules tells Vincent that he believes God saved their lives earlier that day when they got in a shootout. He then contemplates his favorite Bible verse, Ezekiel 25:17, from the opening scene. While much of Jules’ version of the verse is an expansion on the original text, the real verse carries the same theme of God executing vengeance. Prior to the shootout, Jules focused on the themes of wrath in the verse, particularly screaming, “And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.” But by the end of the film, Jules is more concerned with the roles of the weak, the evil, and the path of the righteous man.

Ironically, while these themes are all present in other areas of the Bible, the real Ezekiel 25:17 only deals with God’s vengeance and fury. Tarantino likely added the additional text to make sure it included all the themes relevant to Jules (and to make for a better monologue). Thus, once Jules is convicted by divine intervention, he starts focusing less on executing God’s wrath, and more on carrying out God’s mercy, deciding to leave his life of crime to start a new life of peace. While Tarantino’s alterations take the verse largely out of its original context of God administering judgment upon nations that deal in vengeance and malice, the new verse serves as a concise summary of the movie’s Biblical themes.

As Pulp Fiction‘s non-chronological order shows in the earlier scenes, leaving was a good decision for Jules, as Vincent ends up dead the next day while their boss Marsellus is raped. Had Jules decided to continue with the mob, he could have easily been put in harm’s way soon after. This decision is realized when Jules peacefully negotiates with two robbers that hold up the diner rather than kill them, which he is very capable of doing.

Pulp Fiction‘s narrative is full of unlikely coincidences that support Jules’ articulate quote of divine intervention. Both the death of Vincent and the assault of Marsellus are extremely unlikely, as they result from crossing the path of Butch at just the wrong moment in time. Given Butch’s decision to betray the mob and fight his own righteous fight, there is also reason to believe that God was helping him escape and start a new life. Furthermore, Butch ultimately decides to go back and save Marsellus from Maynard, Zed, and the Gimp, just as Jules decides to spare the two robbers in the restaurant, which could mean that Butch and Jules are being rewarded for helping the weak.

Faith is at the core of Pulp Fiction‘s narrative. It motivates some characters to freedom and it justifies the bad fates of the evil. It then makes statements of the power of faith at large, showcasing how valuable it can be in navigating chaotic times. These added religious themes are part of what makes Pulp Fiction a multi-dimensional classic as well as one of the best crime movies ever made.