Ezekiel 14:12-23

Jerusalem will not be Spared

12 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},

13 "Son of man, when a land sins against me by {acting very unfaithfully}, then I will stretch out my hand against it, and I will break for it [the] {supply of food}, and I will send against it famine, and I will cut it off, [both] human and animal.

14 And if [even] the three of these men were in the midst of it--Noah, Daniel, and Job--they, through their righteousness, would save [only] {themselves}!" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

15 "If a fierce animal I [should] let cross through the land, and it [should] make it childless and it will be [a] desolation, so that [there will] not [be] one crossing over [the land] {due to} the presence of the animal,

16 [even if] these three men [were] in the midst of it, {as surely as I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "surely they will not save sons and daughters; {they themselves alone}, they will be saved, but the land will be [a] desolation.

17 Or, if I bring a sword over that land, and I say, 'Sword, let it cross over into the land!' And I will cut off from it [both] human and animal.

18 And [if] these three men [were] in the midst of it, {as surely as I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "they will not save sons and daughters, but {they alone} will be saved.

19 And if I [were to] send a plague to that land, and I pour out my rage on it with blood to cut it off, [both] human and animal,

20 and [if] Noah, Daniel, and Job [were] in the midst of her, {as surely as I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "surely not [a] son, surely not [a] daughter will they save by their righteousness; they would save {themselves}."

21 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: "How much more when I send my four punishments--the evil sword, and famine, and [a] fierce animal, and a plague--to Jerusalem to cut it off, [both] human and animal!

22 But look! A remnant will be left over in it, sons and daughters {who will be brought out}. Look! They are coming out to you, and you will see their way, and with their deeds you will be consoled with respect to the evil that I brought over Jerusalem, all of [it] that I brought over it.

23 And they will console you when you see their way and their deeds, and you will know that not for nothing I did all that I did in it," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

Ezekiel 14:12-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 14

In this chapter are contained the displeasure of God at hypocritical idolaters that sought unto him, and at the false prophets; the judgments that should come upon them, and which should not be averted by the intercession of the best of men; and yet a promise that a remnant should be saved. The elders of Israel are said to sit before the prophet, Eze 14:1; to whom the Lord gives an account of them, Eze 14:2,3; and orders the prophet what he should say to them, that the Lord would answer them himself, Eze 14:4,5; and that he should bid the house of Israel repent and turn from their idols, or else the Lord would set his face against them, and cut them off, both them and the false prophets they sought unto; and this is threatened in order to reform them, and continue them his covenant people, Eze 14:6-11; and then the judgment of famine is particularly threatened; to avert which, the prayers of the best of men would be of no effect, Eze 14:12-14; and next the judgment of noisome beasts, with the same intimation, Eze 14:15,16; likewise the sword, Eze 14:17,18; and also the pestilence, Eze 14:19,20; and much less when they should be all sent together, Eze 14:21; and the chapter is concluded with a promise that a remnant should be saved; which would be a comfort to the captives of Babylon, and accounts for what the Lord had done, or would do, in Jerusalem, Eze 14:22,23.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "was"
• [b]. Literally "to say"
• [c]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [d]. Literally "acting unfaithfully doing infidelity"
• [e]. Literally "staff of bread"
• [f]. Literally "their souls"
• [g]. Literally "declaration of"
• [h]. Literally "from the face of"
• [i]. Literally "live I"
• [j]. Literally "declaration of"
• [k]. Literally "they to alone them"
• [l]. Hebrew "in"
• [m]. Literally "live I"
• [n]. Literally "declaration of"
• [o]. Literally "they to alone them"
• [p]. Literally "live I"
• [q]. Literally "declaration of"
• [r]. Literally "their souls"
• [s]. Or "And"
• [t]. Literally "the ones being brought out"
• [u]. Hebrew "for"
• [v]. Or "upon"
• [w]. Literally "declaration of"