Ezekiel 7:14-24

14 "They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but none goes to battle, 1for my wrath is upon all their multitude.
15 2The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. 3He who is in the field dies by the sword, 4and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour.
16 5And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like 6doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each one over his iniquity.
17 7All hands are feeble, and all knees turn to water.
18 8They put on sackcloth, and 9horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and 10baldness on all their heads.
19 They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. 11Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. 12For it was 13the stumbling block of their iniquity.
20 14His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and 15they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore 16I make it an unclean thing to them.
21 And I will give it into the hands of 17foreigners for prey, 18and to the wicked of the earth for spoil, and 19they shall profane it.
22 I will turn my face from them, and 20they shall profane my treasured[a] place. Robbers shall enter 21and profane it.
23 22"Forge a chain![b]23For the land is full of bloody crimes 24and the city is full of violence.
24 I will bring 25the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. 26I will put an end to the pride of the strong, 27and their holy places[c] shall be profaned.

Ezekiel 7:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 7

This chapter contains a prophecy of the speedy destruction of the Jews, as being just at hand; of the particular judgments that should come upon them; of the horror that should seize them, and the distress that all ranks of men among them should be in, a few only escaping, who are described as in mournful circumstances. The destruction in general is denounced as being very near; the end being come, which is often repeated; and as it is represented as sudden, so without mercy; which is declared, Eze 7:1-14; the particular judgments, sword, pestilence, and famine, are mentioned in Eze 7:15, and the few that should escape are compared to mourning doves, Eze 7:16; the trembling, horror, and shame that should be upon all, are intimated in Eze 7:17,18; the unprofitableness of their gold and silver to deliver them, and the unsatisfying nature of these things, are expressed, Eze 7:19; the profanation and destruction of their temple are prophesied of, Eze 7:20-22; and for their murder, rapine, and oppression, it is threatened that their houses should be possessed by the worst of Heathens, and their holy places defiled; and one calamity should come upon another; when their application to prophets, priests, and ancient men for counsel, would be in, vain, Eze 7:23-26; and king, prince, and people, should be in the most melancholy and distressed circumstances, Eze 7:27.

Cross References 27

  • 1. ver. 12
  • 2. [Ezekiel 6:12; Lamentations 1:20]
  • 3. Jeremiah 14:18
  • 4. Jeremiah 14:18
  • 5. Ezekiel 6:8
  • 6. [Isaiah 38:14]
  • 7. Ezekiel 21:7; Isaiah 13:7; Jeremiah 6:24
  • 8. Isaiah 15:2, 3; Lamentations 2:10
  • 9. Psalms 55:5
  • 10. See Isaiah 3:24
  • 11. Proverbs 11:4; Zephaniah 1:18
  • 12. [1 Timothy 6:10]
  • 13. Ezekiel 14:3, 4, 7; Ezekiel 44:12
  • 14. [Isaiah 64:11]
  • 15. [Ezekiel 16:17]; See Ezekiel 8:5-16
  • 16. [Ezekiel 9:7; Ezekiel 24:21; Ezekiel 25:3]
  • 17. See Ezekiel 28:7
  • 18. [ver. 24; Ezekiel 23:46]
  • 19. [See ver. 20 above]
  • 20. [See ver. 20 above]
  • 21. [See ver. 20 above]
  • 22. [Jeremiah 27:2]
  • 23. Ezekiel 8:17; Ezekiel 9:9; Ezekiel 11:6; Ezekiel 22:3, 4; Jeremiah 6:7
  • 24. [ver. 11]
  • 25. [ver. 21; Habakkuk 1:6, 13]
  • 26. [ver. 11]
  • 27. See ver. 20

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Or secret
  • [b]. Probably refers to an instrument of captivity
  • [c]. By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew and those who sanctify them
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.