Ezekiel 9

1 And he cried in mine ears with great voice, and said, The visitings of the city have nighed, and each man hath in his hand an instrument of slaying. (And he cried in my ears with a loud voice, and said, The punishment of the city hath arrived, and each man have in his hand an instrument for killing, that is, a weapon.)

2 And lo! six men came from the way of the higher gate, that beholdeth to the north, and the instrument of death of each man was in his hand; also one man in the midst of them was clothed with linen clothes, and a penner of a writer at his reins; and they entered, and stood beside the brazen altar. (And lo! six men came from the way of the upper northern gate, and each man had an instrument of death in his hand; and one man in their midst was clothed in linen clothes, and had a writer's inkhorn at his side; and they entered, and stood beside the bronze altar.)

3 And the glory of the Lord of Israel was taken up from cherub[im], which glory was on it, to the threshold of the house (of the Lord); and the Lord called the man that was clothed with linen clothes, and had a penner of a writer in his loins. (Then the glory of the Lord of Israel was taken up from above the cherubim, which glory was upon them, to the threshold of the House of the Lord; and the Lord called to the man who was clothed in linen clothes, and had a writer's inkhorn at his side.)

4 And the Lord said to him, Pass thou by the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and mark thou Tau on the foreheads of men wailing and sorrowing on all [the] abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

5 And he said to them in mine hearing, Go ye through the city, and follow ye him, and smite ye; your eye spare not, neither do ye mercy. (And he said to the others in my hearing, Go ye through the city, and follow ye him, and strike ye them down; do not let your eye spare them, nor have ye any mercy on them.)

6 Slay ye till to death, an eld man, a young man, and a virgin, a little child, and women; but slay ye not any man, on whom ye see Tau; and begin ye at my saintuary. Therefore they began at the elder men, that were before the face of the house (And so they began with the elders, who were in front of the House of the Lord).

7 And he said to them, Defoul ye the house (of the Lord), and fill ye the foreyards with slain men; go ye out. And they went out, and killed them that were in the city. (And he said to them, Defile ye the House of the Lord, and fill ye the courtyards with the slain; go ye out. And they went out, and killed those who were in the city.)

8 And lo! when the slaying was [ful]filled, I was left (alone). And I fell down on my face, and I cried, and said, Alas! alas! alas! Lord God, therefore whether thou shalt lose all the remnants of Israel, and shalt shed out thy strong vengeance on Jerusalem? (And I fell down on my face, and I cried, and said, Alas! alas! alas! Lord God, and so shalt thou destroy all the remnants of Israel, and shalt thou pour out thy strong vengeance upon Jerusalem?)

9 And he said to me, The wickedness of the house of Israel and of Judah is full great, and the land is filled of bloods, and the city is filled with turning away; for they said, The Lord hath forsaken the land, and the Lord seeth not. (And he said to me, The wickedness of the house of Israel and Judah is very great, and the land is filled with bloodshed, or of murder, and the city is filled with turning away from righteousness; for they said, The Lord hath abandoned the land, and the Lord seeth not.)

10 Therefore and mine eye shall not spare, neither I shall do mercy; I shall yield the way of them on the head of them. (And so my eye shall not spare them, nor shall I have any mercy on them; I shall yield their ways back upon their own heads.)

11 And lo! the man that was clothed in linen clothes, that had a penner in his back (who had an inkhorn at his side), answered a word, and said, I have done, as thou commandedest to me.

Ezekiel 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

A vision denoting the destruction of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the departure of the symbol of the Divine presence.

Verses 1-4 It is a great comfort to believers, that in the midst of destroyers and destructions, there is a Mediator, a great High Priest, who has an interest in heaven, and in whom saints on earth have an interest. The representation of the Divine glory from above the ark, removed to the threshold, denoted that the Lord was about to leave his mercy-seat, and to pronounce judgment on the people. The distinguishing character of this remnant that is to be saved, is such as sigh and cry to God in prayer, because of the abominations in Jerusalem. Those who keep pure in times of general wickedness, God will keep safe in times of general trouble and distress.

Verses 5-11 The slaughter must begin at the sanctuary, that all may see and know that the Lord hates sin most in those nearest to him. He who was appointed to protect, reported the matter. Christ is faithful to the trust reposed in him. Is he commanded by his Father to secure eternal life to the chosen remnant? He says, Of all that thou hast given me, I have lost none. If others perish, and we are saved, we must ascribe the difference wholly to the mercy of our God, for we too have deserved wrath. Let us still continue to plead in behalf of others. But where the Lord shows no mercy he does no injustice; he only recompenses men's ways.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 9

In this chapter is contained a vision, representing the destruction of the idolatrous Jews, and the preservation of the godly that were among them, in which different persons were employed; they that were concerned in the destruction of the idolaters are described by their office; they had charge over the city; by their form and appearance, men; by their number, six; by the quarter from whence they came, the way of the higher gate northward; and by the weapons they had in their hands, slaughter ones; and by their place and posture, standing beside the brasen altar, Eze 9:1,2; among these were one clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side; to whom the glorious God of Israel, who was removed from the cherub to the threshold of the house, gave orders to go through the city of Jerusalem, and mark those that mourned over the abominations of it, Eze 9:3,4; and the rest he ordered to go through the city, and slay all of every age, and sex, and state, except those that had the mark; beginning at the sanctuary, and filling the courts with the slain; which orders were obeyed, Eze 9:5-7; upon which the prophet expostulates with the Lord, and intercedes for the people; but is not heard, because of the abounding of iniquity among them; their frequent shedding of blood; their perversion of justice; and their abominable infidelity and atheism; for which reasons he was determined to show them no mercy, Eze 9:8-10; and the chapter is closed with a report made by the man clothed with linen, that he had done as was commanded him, Eze 9:11.