Ezekiel 5:3

3 And thou shalt take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.

Ezekiel 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 5:3

Thou shall also take thereof a few in number
These are they that were left in the land of Judea by Nebuzaradan, for vinedressers and husbandmen, and such as returned out of Egypt into the land of Judah, ( Jeremiah 44:28 ) ( 52:16 ) ; and bind them in thy skirts;
in the pockets of them; signifying both the very small number of them, and their preservation. Jarchi and Kimchi interpret these of those that were carried captive to Babylon, and lived there, and were preserved, and returned again.

Ezekiel 5:3 In-Context

1 And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp sword; [as] a barber's razor shalt thou take it unto thee, and shalt cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
2 A third part shalt thou burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and thou shalt take a third part, and smite with the sword round about it; and a third part thou shalt scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
3 And thou shalt take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.
4 And of these again shalt thou take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; therefrom shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.
5 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations, and countries are round about her.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.