Ezekiel 6:12

12 The one who is far off will die by plague; the one who is near will fall by the sword; and the one who remains and is spared^[a] will die of famine. In this way I will exhaust My wrath on them.

Ezekiel 6:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 6:12

He that is far off shall die of the pestilence
That flies from the enemy into the wilderness, or into other countries, thinking himself safe there, the plague shall seize him, and he shall die of that; there is no fleeing from God, and escaping his hand; when he resolves to punish for sin, he has various ways to execute his wrath: and he that is near shall fall by the sword;
that is out of the city, and near it, attempting to get away; but within the reach of the enemy, shall be slain by him: and he that remaineth, and is besieged, shall die by the famine;
that abides in the city, and does not attempt to go out; but continues in the siege, hoping the enemy will be obliged to depart, shall perish by the grievous famine. The Targum is,

``he that remains, and goes into the cities of siege, shall die with famine:''

thus will I accomplish my fury upon them;
which before had been gradually, by little and little, falling upon them, in order to bring them to repentance; but being incorrigible, wrath is brought upon them to the uttermost; and God fulfils the whole counsel of his will in their destruction.

Ezekiel 6:12 In-Context

10 And they will know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten to bring this disaster on them without a reason.

11 "This is what the Lord God says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, and cry out over all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, who will fall by the sword, famine, and plague.

12 The one who is far off will die by plague; the one who is near will fall by the sword; and the one who remains and is spared will die of famine. In this way I will exhaust My wrath on them.

13 You will [all] know that I am the Lord when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every green tree and every leafy oak-the places where they offered pleasing aromas to all their idols.

14 I will stretch out My hand against them, and wherever they live I will make the land a desolate waste, from the wilderness to Diblah. Then they will know that I am Yahweh."

Footnotes

• [a]. Or besieged