Ezekiel 7:15-25

15 'The 1sword is outside and the plague and the famine are within. He who is in the field will die by the sword; famine and the plague will also consume those in the city.
16 'Even when their survivors 2escape, they will be on the mountains like 3doves of the valleys, all of them 4mourning, each over his own iniquity.
17 'All 5hands will hang limp and all knees will become like water.
18 'They will 6gird themselves with sackcloth and 7shuddering will overwhelm them; and shame will be on all faces and 8baldness on all their heads.
19 'They will 9fling their silver into the streets and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their 10silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetite nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling.

The Temple Profaned

20 'They transformed the beauty of His ornaments into pride, and 11they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore * I will make it an abhorrent thing to them.
21 'I will give it into the hands of the 12foreigners as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it.
22 'I will also turn My 13face from them, and they will profane My secret place; then robbers will enter and profane it.
23 '14Make the chain, for the land is full of 15bloody crimes and the city is 16full of violence.
24 'Therefore, I will bring the worst of the 17nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the 18pride of the strong ones cease, and their 19holy places will be profaned.
25 'When anguish comes, they will seek 20peace, but there will be none.

Ezekiel 7:15-25 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 20

  • 1. Jeremiah 14:18; Ezekiel 5:12; Ezekiel 6:11, 12; Ezekiel 12:16
  • 2. Ezra 9:15; Isaiah 37:31; Ezekiel 6:8; Ezekiel 14:22
  • 3. Isaiah 38:14
  • 4. Isaiah 59:11; Nahum 2:7
  • 5. Isaiah 13:7; Ezekiel 21:7; Ezekiel 22:14; Hebrews 12:12
  • 6. Isaiah 15:3; Ezekiel 27:31; Amos 8:10
  • 7. Job 21:6; Psalms 55:5
  • 8. Ezekiel 27:31
  • 9. Isaiah 2:20; Isaiah 30:22
  • 10. Proverbs 11:4; Zephaniah 1:18
  • 11. Jeremiah 7:30
  • 12. 2 Kings 24:13; Psalms 74:2-8; Jeremiah 52:13
  • 13. Jeremiah 18:17; Ezekiel 39:23, 24
  • 14. Jeremiah 27:2
  • 15. Ezekiel 9:9; Hosea 4:2
  • 16. Ezekiel 8:17
  • 17. Ezekiel 21:31; Ezekiel 28:7
  • 18. Ezekiel 33:28
  • 19. 2 Chronicles 7:20; Ezekiel 24:21
  • 20. Ezekiel 13:10, 16

Footnotes 4

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