Ezekiel 9:1
in Ezekiel 9Then I heard Him call out in a loud voice, saying, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with a weapon of destruction in hand.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause ye them that have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
KJV
He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
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This verse in Ezekiel 9
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Chapter IX—Verse 1) And he cried out in my ears with a loud voice, saying: The visitations of the city have drawn near. In place of visitations, the Seventy translated 'vengeance.' For I will exact vengeance, and I will repay, says the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35). And every vengeance is like that of a sick person, like one who has wounds, like someone waiting for healing hands, according to what is written elsewhere: I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with lashes, but I will not take away my mercy from them (Psalm 88:33-34).
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.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
As to the general meaning, God commands his servants who held authority over the devoted city, to approach, or apply themselves, or be ready to fulfill his work, and let each, says he, have his instrument of destruction: here destruction is taken actively.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Them - Those whom God hath appointed to destroy the city: perhaps angels. Every man - Everyone; 'tis an Hebrew idiom. Each of these had a weapon proper for that kind of destruction which he was to effect; and so, some to slay with the sword, another with the pestilence, another with famine.
He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice,....
It denotes also the prophet's unwillingness to be told this: he was deaf on that ear, but there is no remedy, their sin will not admit an excuse and therefore their judgment will not admit a delay: " He cried it in my ears with a loud voice; he made me hear it, and I heard it with a sad heart." 2.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Cause them that have charge over the city - By those six men with destroying weapons the Chaldeans are represented, who had received commission to destroy the city; and when the north is mentioned in such cases, Chaldea and the Chaldean armies are generally intended. There appears to have been six men with a sort of slaughter-bills, and one man with an inkhorn. These may represent the seven counsellors of the eastern monarchs, who always saw the king’s face, and knew all the secrets of the government.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
cried--contrasted with their "cry" for mercy (Eze 8:18) is the "cry" here for vengeance, showing how vain was the former. them that have charge--literally, officers; so "officers" (Isa 60:17), having the city in charge, not to guard, but to punish it. The angels who as "watchers" fulfil God's judgments (Da 4:13, 17, 23;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Them that have charge - The angels who have charge to execute God’s sentence. Every man - “angels,” not “men.”
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Bring near those appointed over the city Bring near the appointees whom I appointed to destroy the city.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
six men Our Rabbis explained them in Tractate Shabbath (55a) as Anger, Wrath, Fury, Destroyer, Breaker, Annihilator.
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
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרָ֣א | vaiyikra' | and he called out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| בְאָזְנַ֗י | veazenai | in ears my | H241 → | 187 times |
| ק֤וֹל | kol | a voice | H6963 → | 506 times |
| גָּדוֹל֙ | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| קָרְב֖וּ | karevu | they have drawn near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| פְּקֻדּ֣וֹת | pekudot | [the] punishments of | H6486 → | |
| הָעִ֑יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וְאִ֛ישׁ | veish | and everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כְּלִ֥י | keli | [the] weapon of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| מַשְׁחֵת֖וֹ | mashcheto | destruction his | H4892 → | |
| בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ | beyado | [is] in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
וַיִּקְרָ֣אand he called out
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
בְאָזְנַ֗יin ears my
veazenaiH241 →187 times
ק֤וֹלa voice
kolH6963 →506 times
גָּדוֹל֙great
gadolH1419 →526 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
קָרְב֖וּthey have drawn near
karevuH7126 →280 times
פְּקֻדּ֣וֹת[the] punishments of
pekudotH6486 →
הָעִ֑ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
וְאִ֛ישׁand everyone
veishH376 →1663 times
כְּלִ֥י[the] weapon of
keliH3627 →325 times
מַשְׁחֵת֖וֹdestruction his
mashchetoH4892 →
בְּיָדֽוֹ׃[is] in hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 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
Isaiah 6:8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”
it leads to
- Exodus 4:10–13
“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
- Acts 26:16–17
‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I…
- Ephesians 3:8
Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
- Acts 22:21
Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
- Isaiah 65:1
“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I…
- Exodus 4:10–13
Through
Revelation 14:7And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea…
it leads to
- Exodus 20:11
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath…
- Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
- Nehemiah 9:6
You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give…
- Exodus 20:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Ezekiel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.