Ezekiel 9:2
in Ezekiel 9And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, each with a weapon of slaughter in his hand. With them was another man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lieth toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. And they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.
KJV
And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
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This verse in Ezekiel 9
Commentary
10 notes on this verseAnd, behold, six men,.... Either angels the form of men; or the generals of Nebuchadnezzar's army, as Kimchi interprets it; whose names are, Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, Jer 39:3; these six executioners of God's vengeance are, in the Talmud (n), called "wrath, anger, fury, destruction, breach, and consumption:'' came from the way of the higher gate, Kimchi observes, from the Rabbins, that this is the eastern gate called the higher or upper gate, because it was above the court of the Israelites.
This site's exposition
Draw near, O executioners of the city
on Ezekiel 9:1-2
Six men come from the Upper Gate, “which faces north,” each with “a weapon of slaughter in his hand.” With them is “another man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side,” priestly dress and a scribe’s tool. One hand marks before six hands strike.
This site's exposition
a writing kit at his side
Six armed men arrive from the Upper Gate on the north side, each carrying a weapon of slaughter. Albert Barnes reads them as angels of wrath, coming from the side where invading armies entered the land. They stand beside the bronze altar, the place of sacrifice.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verses 2, 3) And behold, six men were coming from the way of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand. And there was one man among them clothed in linen, with a scribe's inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar. And the glory of the God (Vulgate: Lord) of Israel went up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the scribe's inkhorn at his side.
The Reformation2 voices
And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter-weapon in his band; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:98%@v2
Et ecce sex viri venientes e via portae superioris quae est e regione aquilonis: et cuique instrumentum mallei sui in manu sua: et vir unus in medio ipsorum vestitus lineis, et atramentarium scribae in lumbis ejus: et venerunt, et steterunt e regione altaris aenei. Now the Prophet writes that God's command was not vain or empty, because the effect appears directly by vision.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
At that gate of the temple the destroying angels entered, to show what it was that opened the door to them. Note, That way that sin lies judgments may be expected to come. Observe where they placed themselves: They went in and stood beside the brazen altar, on which sacrifices were wont to be offered and atonement made.
), one for each of the principal gates of Jerusalem. Two destroying angels were sent against Sodom, but six against Jerusalem; for Jerusalem's doom in the judgment will be thrice as heavy as that of Sodom. There is an angel watching at every gate to destroy, to bring in judgments from every quarter, and to take heed that none escape.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Stood beside the brazen altar - To signify that the people against whom they had their commission were, for their crimes, to be sacrificed to the demands of Divine justice.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Six men - angels of wrath - figurative of destruction. They come from the north, the quarter from which invading armies entered the holy land. These “six” angels, with the “one among them,” a superior over the six, make up the number “seven,” a number symbolic of God’s covenant with His people. The higher gate - The north gate of the court of the priests. The temple rose by platforms; as there was a north gate to the outer and also to the inner court, the latter was probably distinguished as the “higher gate.” It was built by Jotham 2Ki 15:35. Clothed with linen - The priestly garment Exo 28:6, Exo 28:8; Lev 16:4. This “One Man” (Compare Dan 10:5; Rev 1:13) was the “angel of the covenant,” the great high priest, superior to those by whom He was surrounded, receiving direct communication from the Lord, taking the coals of vengeance from between the cherubim Eze 10:2, but coming with mercy to the contrite as well as with vengeance to the impenitent; these are attributes of Jesus Christ Joh 5:30; Luk 2:34; Mat 9:13; Joh 6:39. A writer’s inkhorn - Usually a flat case about nine inches long, by an inch and a quarter broad, and half an inch thick, the hollow of which serves to contain the reed pens and penknife. At one end is the ink-vessel which is twice as heavy as the shaft. The latter is passed through the girdle and prevented from slipping through by the projecting ink-vessel. The whole is usually of polished metal, brass, copper or silver. The man with the inkhorn has to write in the Book of Life the names of those who shall be marked. The metaphor is from the custom of registering the names of the Israelites in public rolls. Compare Exo 32:33; Psa 69:28; Isa 4:3; Php 4:3; Rev 3:5.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
six men Our Rabbis explained them in Tractate Shabbath (55a) as Anger, Wrath, Fury, Destroyer, Breaker, Annihilator.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Bring near those appointed over the city Bring near the appointees whom I appointed to destroy the city.
from upon the cherub which was on the Ark cover, for the Shechinah had been resting there until then, and it began to withdraw and to go outside little by little in ten steps, and this is the first stepfrom the cherub to the threshold of the Holy of Holies.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
27 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִנֵּ֣ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| שִׁשָּׁ֣ה | shishah | six | H8337 → | 216 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֡ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| בָּאִ֣ים׀ | baim | [were] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מִדֶּרֶךְ־ | miderekh- | from [the] direction of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| שַׁ֨עַר | shaar | [the] gate | H8179 → | 374 times |
| הָעֶלְי֜וֹן | haelyon | <the> upper | H5945 → | 53 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מָפְנֶ֣ה | mafeneh | [is] faced | H6437 → | 135 times |
| צָפ֗וֹנָה | tzafonah | north -ward | H6828 → | 153 times |
| וְאִ֨ישׁ | veish | and everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כְּלִ֤י | keli | [the] weapon of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| מַפָּצוֹ֙ | mapatzo | shattering his | H4660 → | |
| בְּיָד֔וֹ | beyado | [was] in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְאִישׁ־ | veish- | and a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶחָ֤ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בְּתוֹכָם֙ | betokham | [was] in midst of them | H8432 → | 418 times |
| לָבֻ֣שׁ | lavush | clothed | H3847 → | 110 times |
| בַּדִּ֔ים | badim | linen<s> | H906 → | 23 times |
| וְקֶ֥סֶת | vekeset | and [the] writing-case of | H7083 → | 3 times |
| הַסֹּפֵ֖ר | hasofer | <the> scribe | H5608 → | 159 times |
| בְּמָתְנָ֑יו | bematenav | [was] at hips his | H4975 → | 47 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַיַּ֣עַמְד֔וּ | vaiyaamdu | and they stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| אֵ֖צֶל | ʾetzel | beside | H681 → | 61 times |
| מִזְבַּ֥ח | mizbach | [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| הַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃ | hanechoshet | <the> bronze | H5178 → | 140 times |
וְהִנֵּ֣הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
שִׁשָּׁ֣הsix
shishahH8337 →216 times
אֲנָשִׁ֡יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
בָּאִ֣ים׀[were] coming
baimH935 →2568 times
מִדֶּרֶךְ־from [the] direction of
miderekh-H1870 →707 times
שַׁ֨עַר[the] gate
shaarH8179 →374 times
הָעֶלְי֜וֹן<the> upper
haelyonH5945 →53 times
אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מָפְנֶ֣ה[is] faced
mafenehH6437 →135 times
צָפ֗וֹנָהnorth -ward
tzafonahH6828 →153 times
וְאִ֨ישׁand everyone
veishH376 →1663 times
כְּלִ֤י[the] weapon of
keliH3627 →325 times
מַפָּצוֹ֙shattering his
mapatzoH4660 →
בְּיָד֔וֹ[was] in hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 times
וְאִישׁ־and a man
veish-H376 →1663 times
אֶחָ֤דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בְּתוֹכָם֙[was] in midst of them
betokhamH8432 →418 times
לָבֻ֣שׁclothed
lavushH3847 →110 times
בַּדִּ֔יםlinen<s>
badimH906 →23 times
וְקֶ֥סֶתand [the] writing-case of
vekesetH7083 →3 times
הַסֹּפֵ֖ר<the> scribe
hasoferH5608 →159 times
בְּמָתְנָ֑יו[was] at hips his
bematenavH4975 →47 times
וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙and they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
וַיַּ֣עַמְד֔וּand they stood
vaiyaamduH5975 →521 times
אֵ֖צֶלbeside
ʾetzelH681 →61 times
מִזְבַּ֥ח[the] altar of
mizbachH4196 →401 times
הַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃<the> bronze
hanechoshetH5178 →140 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 16:4He is to wear the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments. He must tie a linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are holy garments, and he must bathe himself…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 44:17–18
When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen garments; they must not wear anything made of wool when they minister at the gates of the inner court or…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 28:39–43
You are to weave the tunic with fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and fashion an embroidered sash.
- Exodus 30:20
Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made by fire to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die.
- Hebrews 7:26
Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
- Ezekiel 44:17–18
Through
Revelation 15:6And out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in clean and bright linen and girded with golden sashes around their chests.
it leads to
- Revelation 1:13
and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.
- Revelation 15:1
Then I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven final plagues, with which the wrath of God is completed.
- Revelation 1:13
Through
Ezekiel 10:2And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And…
it leads to
- Revelation 8:5
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
- Ezekiel 10:16
When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and even when they spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not veer away from their side.
- Revelation 8:5
Where this verse is studied
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About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.