Ezekiel 23:47

47 And the assemblage shall stone them with stones, and despatch them with their swords; they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire.

Ezekiel 23:47 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 23:47

And the company shall stone them with stones
Which was the punishment of adulterers and idolaters, ( Deuteronomy 13:10 ) ( 22:24 ) , this seems to refer to the Chaldean army casting out stones from their slings and engines into the city of Jerusalem, when they besieged it, by which they killed some, and beat down the houses, which fell upon others, and destroyed them. So the Targum,

``and the army shall stone them with the stones of a sling:''
and dispatch them with their swords;
cut them in pieces with them, such as sallied out of the city upon them, or they found without, or by any means fell into their hands: they shall slay their sons and their daughters;
when they broke into the city, and took it; or when they found them making their escape, and hiding themselves in secret places: and burn up their houses with fire;
as they did; the temple, the king's palace, the houses of noblemen, and all the houses in Jerusalem; see ( Jeremiah 52:13 ) .

Ezekiel 23:47 In-Context

45 And righteous men, they shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, and with the judgment of women that shed blood; for they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.
46 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will bring up an assemblage against them, and will give them to be driven hither and thither and spoiled.
47 And the assemblage shall stone them with stones, and despatch them with their swords; they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire.
48 And I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land, and all women shall receive instruction and shall not do according to your lewdness.
49 And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord Jehovah.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or 'hew them in pieces:' cf. 21.19, Note.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.