Ezekiel7
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2“You, son of man, the Lord Yahweh says to the land of Israel, ‘An end! The end has come on the four corners of the land.
3Now the end is on you, and I will send my anger on you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations.
4My eye will not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations will be among you. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.’
5“The Lord Yahweh says: ‘A disaster! A unique disaster! Behold, it comes.
6An end has come. The end has come! It awakes against you. Behold, it comes.
7Your doom has come to you, inhabitant of the land! The time has come! The day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting, on the mountains.
8Now I will shortly pour out my wrath on you, and accomplish my anger against you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations.
9My eye won’t spare, neither will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways. Your abominations will be among you. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, strike.
10“‘Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has gone out. The rod has blossomed. Pride has budded.
11Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness. None of them will remain, nor of their multitude, nor of their wealth. There will be nothing of value among them.
12The time has come! The day draws near. Don’t let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is on all its multitude.
13For the seller won’t return to that which is sold, although they are still alive; for the vision concerns the whole multitude of it. None will return. None will strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.
14They have blown the trumpet, and have made all ready; but no one goes to the battle, for my wrath is on all its multitude.
15“‘The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the famine within. He who is in the field will die by the sword. He who is in the city will be devoured by famine and pestilence.
16But of those who escape, they will escape and will be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, everyone in his iniquity.
17All hands will be feeble, and all knees will be weak as water.
18They will also clothe themselves with sackcloth, and horror will cover them. Shame will be on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.
19They will cast their silver in the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold won’t be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath. They won’t satisfy their souls or fill their bellies; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity.
20As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein. Therefore I have made it to them as an unclean thing.
21I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a plunder; and they will profane it.
22I will also turn my face from them, and they will profane my secret place. Robbers will enter into it, and profane it.
23“‘Make chains, for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
24Therefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the pride of the strong to cease. Their holy places will be profaned.
25Destruction comes! They will seek peace, and there will be none.
26Mischief will come on mischief, and rumor will be on rumor. They will seek a vision of the prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.
27The king will mourn, and the prince will be clothed with desolation. The hands of the people of the land will be troubled. I will do to them after their way, and according to their own judgments I will judge them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”
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