Ezekiel7
New International Version
1The word of the Lord came to me:
2“Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel: “‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land!
3The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices.
4I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will surely repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. “‘Then you will know that I am the Lord.’
5“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘Disaster! Unheard-of disaster! See, it comes!
6The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. See, it comes!
7Doom has come upon you, upon you who dwell in the land. The time has come! The day is near! There is panic, not joy, on the mountains.
8I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices.
9I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. “‘Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.
10“‘See, the day! See, it comes! Doom has burst forth, the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed!
11Violence has arisen, a rod to punish the wicked. None of the people will be left, none of that crowd— none of their wealth, nothing of value.
12The time has come! The day has arrived! Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for my wrath is on the whole crowd.
13The seller will not recover the property that was sold— as long as both buyer and seller live. For the vision concerning the whole crowd will not be reversed. Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve their life.
14“‘They have blown the trumpet, they have made all things ready, but no one will go into battle, for my wrath is on the whole crowd.
15Outside is the sword; inside are plague and famine. Those in the country will die by the sword; those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague.
16The fugitives who escape will flee to the mountains. Like doves of the valleys, they will all moan, each for their own sins.
17Every hand will go limp; every leg will be wet with urine.
18They will put on sackcloth and be clothed with terror. Every face will be covered with shame, and every head will be shaved.
19“‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin.
20They took pride in their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols. They made it into vile images; therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.
21I will give their wealth as plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth, who will defile it.
22I will turn my face away from the people, and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure. They will enter it and will defile it.
23“‘Prepare chains! For the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence.
24I will bring the most wicked of nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated.
25When terror comes, they will seek peace in vain.
26Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor upon rumor. They will go searching for a vision from the prophet, priestly instruction in the law will cease, the counsel of the elders will come to an end.
27The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. “‘Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 7.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The desolation of the land. (1-15). The distress of the few who should escape. (16-22). The captivity. (23-27).
vv1-15
The abruptness of this prophecy, and the many repetitions, show that the prophet was deeply affected by the prospect of these calamities. Such will the destruction of sinners be; for none can avoid it. Oh that the wickedness of the wicked might end before it bring them to an end! Trouble is to the impenitent only an evil, it hardens their hearts, and stirs up their corruptions; but there are those to whom it is sanctified by the grace of God, and made a means of much good. The day of real trouble is near, not a mere echo or rumour of troubles. Whatever are the fruits of God's judgments, our sin is the root of them. These judgments shall be universal. And God will be glorified in all. Now is the day of the Lord's patience and mercy, but the time of the sinner's trouble is at hand.
vv16-22
Sooner or later, sin will cause sorrow; and those who will not repent of their sin, may justly be left to pine away in it. There are many whose wealth is their snare and ruin; and the gaining the world is the losing of their souls. Riches profit not in the day of wrath. The wealth of this world has not that in it which will answer the desires of the soul, or be any satisfaction to it in a day of distress. God's temple shall stand them in no stead. Those are unworthy to be honoured with the form of godliness, who will not be governed by its power.
vv23-27
Whoever break the bands of God's law, will find themselves bound and held by the chains of his judgments. Since they encouraged one another to sin, God would dishearten them. All must needs be in trouble, when God comes to judge them according to their deserts. May the Lord enable us to seek that good part which shall not be taken away.
Key Words
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
אַתָּה: thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
כֹּה: properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
אֲדֹנָי: the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)
אֲדָמָה: soil (from its general redness)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
קֵץ: an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after
Cross References
Ezekiel 7Amos's 'the end is come upon my people' directly parallels Ezekiel's announcement of Israel's end.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The rod of God's anger refers to the foreign instrument of judgment (Assyria/Babylon).
Supported by JFB
Paul's warning that buyers and rejoicers must live detached echoes Ezekiel's pre-exilic economic disruption.
Supported by JFB
The Jubilee law allowed land return, which exile now prevents for both buyer and seller.
Supported by JFB
Zephaniah echoes the warning that silver and gold cannot deliver in the Lord's wrath.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Establishes that wealth provides no security or soul-satisfaction in the day of wrath.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels the day of trouble, crying, and tumult in the valley of vision.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The great day of the Lord is near and hastens quickly, bringing trouble.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Lord casts off His altar and abandons His sanctuary to polluting enemies.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Contrast between Aaron's life-giving rod that budded and the rod of pride/punishment.
Supported by JFB
The classic covenant curse: sword without and terror within, alongside famine and pestilence.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Lamentations mourning the loss of the law and visions from the prophets.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Repeats God's solemn declaration that His eye will not spare or have pity.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Connects violence and wicked works to the growing rod of judgment.
Supported by JFB
Descriptions of extreme mourning, baldness, and wearing of sackcloth during destruction.
Supported by Matthew Poole