Ezekiel 5:16

16 When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food.

Ezekiel 5:16 in Other Translations

16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

16 when I send against youthe deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread.

16 “I will shower you with the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you. The famine will become more and more severe until every crumb of food is gone.

16 "When I shoot my lethal famine arrows at you, I'll shoot to kill. Then I'll step up the famine and cut off food supplies.

16 When I shoot deadly arrows of famine at them, arrows for destruction that I will send to destroy you, [inhabitants of Jerusalem], I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of bread.

Ezekiel 5:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 5:16

When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famines
Either famine itself, which is as an arrow; it is taken out of the quiver of the Lord of hosts, and is shot by him; and moves swiftly when it has a commission; and is very destructive: or arrows which bring on a famine, such as drought, excessive rains, blasting, mildew, locusts, &c. or arrows which the famine brings, as leanness, faintness, blackness, and death; and, in either sense, are evil ones; and are sent of God for the following end: which shall be for [their] destruction, [and] which I will send to
destroy you;
God's design in sending them was to destroy, and that was answered; and a very destroying arrow famine is, and therefore called evil: and I will increase the famine upon you;
or "gather ^F25 [it] upon", or "against you"; as if it was an army with bows and arrows: and will break your staff of bread:
take away the virtue from the little they had, that that should not nourish and satisfy; (See Gill on Ezekiel 4:16).

---

FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Mkyle Poa) "famen congregabo, super vos", V. L. Pagninus; "famen colligam super vos", Montanus, Polanus, Starckius.

Ezekiel 5:16 In-Context

14 “I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.

15 You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke. I the LORD have spoken.

16 When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food.

17 I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the LORD have spoken.”

Cross References

• 1. S Leviticus 26:26; S Deuteronomy 32:24