Ezekiel 9

Ezekiel witnesses a divine commission of six executioners to judge Jerusalem, while a seventh figure marks a faithful remnant for preservation. The glory of the Lord, representing His presence, begins to depart from the temple as the judgment commences.

• God summons executioners for the city (v. 1).
• Six men arrive with weapons; a seventh man, clothed in linen (בַּד, H906), arrives to mark the faithful (v. 2).
• The glory of the God of Israel moves from the cherubim to the threshold (v. 3).
• The marked remnant is set apart; the six men execute judgment, starting at the sanctuary (vv. 4-7).
• Ezekiel intercedes, lamenting the destruction; God justifies the judgment due to the depth of Israel's sin (vv. 8-10).
• The man in linen reports the completion of his task (v. 11).

• Six executioners vs. one man with an inkhorn.
• The glory of the Lord moving from the cherubim to the threshold.
• The mark on the forehead.
• The command to begin judgment at the sanctuary (the house of God).
• The visceral reaction of the remnant: 'sigh' (H589) and 'cry' (H6030).

This passage establishes that divine judgment is comprehensive, starting with those closest to the truth, and emphasizes that even in total judgment, God sovereignly secures His own. It bridges the gap between the temple's corruption and the eventual departure of God's presence.

God's judgment is precise and impartial, directed against sin wherever it is found, yet He is faithful to identify and preserve those whose hearts truly grieve over the abominations of their culture.

The chapter moves from a summons of judgment to the execution of that judgment, interrupted by the intercession of the prophet and the justification of God's decree.

• God promises protection to those who grieve over the abominations in the city (Ezekiel 9:4, 6).

• Go through the midst of the city (Ezekiel 9:4).
• Set a mark upon the foreheads (Ezekiel 9:4).
• Smite; let not your eye spare (Ezekiel 9:5).
• Begin at my sanctuary (Ezekiel 9:6).

• The consequences for Israel's iniquity are severe and total, as the land is full of blood and the city full of perverseness (Ezekiel 9:9-10).

• Dated to the exile of Jehoiachin (c. 592 BC). Jerusalem was still intact but under the impending threat of Babylonian conquest.
• The 'ancient men' likely refer to the elders who were leading the nation into idolatry within the temple precincts.

• Linen (בַּד, H906) was the garment worn by priests during service; the man with the inkhorn acts in a priestly or mediatorial capacity.
• The 'mark' (taw) was the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet and, in ancient scripts, resembled a cross; here it functions as a seal of divine ownership and protection.

• The chapter is the second stage of the temple vision initiated in Ezekiel 8, where Ezekiel saw the hidden idolatry of the leaders.
• It serves as a grim prelude to the departure of the Glory (Shekinah) which completes the judgment cycle.

• This passage serves as the foundational text for 1 Peter 4:17, 'For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.'
• Regarding the preservation of the remnant, Matthew Henry observes that God's people have a 'Mediator' in the man with the inkhorn who secures them. This touches on the historical tension of election: some (including Henry) emphasize that the remnant are preserved by God’s sovereign decree and protection (the Reformed/Calvinist position), while others emphasize the individual's spiritual sensitivity and responsive grief to sin as the qualifying factor for the mark (the Synergistic/Arminian position). Both positions acknowledge the text's clear declaration that God reserves the right to judge while simultaneously providing a way of escape for those who are His.

• The marking of the faithful recalls the Passover in Exodus 12:13, where the blood on the doorposts served as a sign to spare the inhabitants from divine judgment.

• קָרָא (H7121): 'Cried' - properly, to address by name, implying a summons.
• פְּקֻדָּה (H6486): 'Executioners' - literally 'visitation', referring to the official divine reckoning.
• כָּבוֹד (H3519): 'Glory' - literally 'weight', referring to the substantial presence of God.
• מַפָּץ (H4660): 'Slaughter weapon' - refers to a tool for 'smiting to pieces'.

• The man with the inkhorn carries no weapon. His role is entirely separate from the executioners; he is a sustainer and protector, not a destroyer.
• The destruction is not described as being carried out by Babylonians, but by supernatural 'executioners' acting under direct divine orders.

• The nature of the 'six men' is not explicitly defined, leading scholars to debate whether they are celestial beings (angels) or symbols for the Babylonian armies, though their appearance from the north gate implies a divine, supernatural source.