Ezekiel 14:8-18

8 "I will 1set My face against that man and make him a 2sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.
9 "But if the prophet is prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the LORD, who have prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and 3destroy him from among My people Israel.
10 "They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be,
11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer 4stray from Me and no longer 5defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be 6My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD."

The City Will Not Be Spared

12 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
13 "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by 7committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its 8supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast,
14 even 9though these three men, 10Noah, 11Daniel and 12Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver 13themselves," declares the Lord GOD.
15 "If I were to cause 14wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so * that no one would pass through it because * of the beasts,
16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. 15They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate.
17 "Or if I should 16bring a sword on that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the country and 17cut off man and beast from it,'
18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered.

Ezekiel 14:8-18 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.

Cross References 17

  • 1. Jeremiah 44:11; Ezekiel 15:7
  • 2. Isaiah 65:15; Ezekiel 5:15
  • 3. Jeremiah 6:14, 15; Jeremiah 14:15
  • 4. Ezekiel 44:10, 15; Ezekiel 48:11
  • 5. Ezekiel 11:18; Ezekiel 37:23
  • 6. Ezekiel 11:20; Ezekiel 34:30; Ezekiel 36:28
  • 7. Ezekiel 15:8; Ezekiel 20:27
  • 8. Leviticus 26:26; Isaiah 3:1; Ezekiel 4:16
  • 9. Jeremiah 15:1
  • 10. Genesis 6:8; Genesis 7:1; Hebrews 11:7
  • 11. Ezekiel 28:3; Daniel 1:6; Daniel 9:21; Daniel 10:11
  • 12. Job 1:1, 5; Job 42:8, 9
  • 13. Ezekiel 16:18, 20; Ezekiel 18:20
  • 14. Leviticus 26:22; Numbers 21:6; Ezekiel 5:17; Ezekiel 14:21
  • 15. Genesis 19:29; Ezekiel 18:20
  • 16. Leviticus 26:25; Ezekiel 5:12; Ezekiel 21:3, 4
  • 17. Ezekiel 25:13; Zephaniah 1:3

Footnotes 5

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