Ezekiel 14:13

13 Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of the bread of it, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal;

Ezekiel 14:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 14:13

Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing
grievously
That is, the inhabitants of the land, when they are in general become sinners against God and his law; and not merely sinners, as all men are, but grievous ones, notorious sinners, guilty of very gross enormities, of great prevarication, perfidy, and treachery; for God is a God longsuffering, and has great patience with a people; and does not usually come forth in his judgments against nation, until sin has universally prevailed among them, and they are guilty of grievous abominations, and those continued in: but when this is the case, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it;
his hand of vindictive wrath and justice, and cause it to fall heavily, and men to feel it: and will break the staff of the bread thereof;
take away bread corn from the nation, the support of human life; which is that unto it, and the stay of it, as a staff is to a decrepit old man, that cannot walk without one; or take away the virtue of it, so as though it might be had and eaten, yet not be nourishing; see ( Ezekiel 4:16 ) ; and will send famine upon it;
by causing a drought, restraining rain, sending mildew, locusts, caterpillars to eat up the fruits of the earth: and will cut off man and beast from it;
the latter for the sake of the former, and both through want of food.

Ezekiel 14:13 In-Context

11 that the house of Yisra'el may go no more astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, says the Lord GOD.

12 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

13 Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of the bread of it, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal;

14 though these three men, Noach, Daniyel, and Iyov, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, says the Lord GOD.

15 If I cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals;