Ezekiel 9:5
in Ezekiel 9And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye through the city after him, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity;
KJV
And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
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This verse in Ezekiel 9
Commentary
6 notes on this verseYou have given a sign, the blood itself of a lamb without blemish, slain for the sin of the world. And Ezekiel says that a sign was given on the foreheads of the persons.
This site's exposition
Follow him through the city and start killing
on Ezekiel 9:5-7
The six are sent after the man in linen: “do not show pity or spare anyone,” sparing only those with the mark. “Now begin at My sanctuary” turns the sword on “the elders who were before the temple,” the leaders of the corruption shown in chapter 8.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
In Ezekiel the prophet, when the angel who had been sent had slain everyone and the slaughter had begun at the holy places, only those whom he had signed with the letter tau—that is, with the mark of the cross—remained unharmed.
(Verse 4 and following) And the Lord said to him: Go through the middle of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who groan and lament over all the abominations that are done in the midst of it. And to the others he said while I was listening: Go through the city after him and strike. Your eye shall not spare, nor shall you show pity. Old men, young men and maidens, little children and women, kill them all to total destruction. But on whomsoever you shall see Thau, ye shall not kill him: and begin ye at my sanctuary. So they began with the ancient men who were before the house. Or, as the Hebrews understand it, because the Law is called Torah among them, which is written with the letter at the beginning of its name; those who have fulfilled the precepts of the Law received this sign. And to come to our point, the ancient Hebrew letters, which the Samaritans still use today, have the shape of the letter Thau at the end, which bears resemblance to a cross, which is painted on the foreheads of Christians and is frequently marked in handwriting. There are those who think that, because in the Hebrew alphabet this is the last letter, it is demonstrated that the remains of the saints survive in a multitude of sinners. Therefore, those who groan and lament are saved; those who not only did not consent to evil deeds, but also mourned the sins of others, just as Samuel mourned over Saul (3 Kings 16), and the apostle Paul mourned over those who did not repent after sin. And he himself also said: We who are in this tabernacle groan (2 Cor. 5:2). And elsewhere: I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart (or in my mind) (Al. cordi meo). […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And, to the others he said in mine hearing,.... To the other six men that had the slaughter weapons in their hands: go ye after him through the city; that is, after the man clothed with linen; for he was sent out first to take care of the righteous, and preserve them; and the rest were not suffered to stir till he was gone; and then they are bid to go after him.
They are warned not to do the least hurt to those that were marked for salvation: " Come not near any man upon whom is the mark; do not so much as threaten or frighten any of them; it is promised them that there shall no evil come nigh them, and therefore you must keep at a distance from them." The king of Babylon gave particular orders that Jeremiah should be protected.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּלְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ | uleeleh | and to these | H428 → | 746 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בְּאָזְנַ֔י | beazenai | in ears my | H241 → | 187 times |
| עִבְר֥וּ | ʾivru | pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| בָעִ֛יר | vair | in the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| אַחֲרָ֖יו | ʾacharav | after him | H310 → | 715 times |
| וְהַכּ֑וּ | vehaku | and strike | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אַל | ʾal- | not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תָּחֹ֥ס | tachos | let it look with compassion | H2347 → | 24 times |
| עֵינְכֶ֖ם | eineikhem | eye your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וְאַל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּחְמֹֽלוּ׃ | tachmolu | you show pity | H2550 → | 41 times |
וּלְאֵ֙לֶּה֙and to these
uleelehH428 →746 times
אָמַ֣רhe said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
בְּאָזְנַ֔יin ears my
beazenaiH241 →187 times
עִבְר֥וּpass
ʾivruH5674 →556 times
בָעִ֛ירin the city
vairH5892 →1090 times
אַחֲרָ֖יוafter him
ʾacharavH310 →715 times
וְהַכּ֑וּand strike
vehakuH5221 →499 times
אַלnot
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תָּחֹ֥סlet it look with compassion
tachosH2347 →24 times
עֵינְכֶ֖םeye your
eineikhemH5869 →887 times
וְאַל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תַּחְמֹֽלוּ׃you show pity
tachmoluH2550 →41 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
1 Kings 18:40Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
it leads to
- Judges 4:7
And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.’”
- Deuteronomy 18:20
But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put…
- Deuteronomy 13:5
Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the…
- Judges 4:7
Through
Ezekiel 5:11Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 7:20
His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.
- Ezekiel 11:18
When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations.
- Ezekiel 7:20
Through
Ezekiel 7:4I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that I am…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 6:7
The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.
- Ezekiel 5:11
Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon…
- Ezekiel 11:21
But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”
- Ezekiel 6:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Ezekiel
This page draws on Basil of Caesarea, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 20:3 (PS 59); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Maximus of Turin, SERMON 45:2 and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.