Ezekiel 9:9

9 He answered me, "The sin of Israel and Judah is very great. The land is full of murderers. They are not being fair to one another anywhere in Jerusalem. They say, 'The LORD has deserted the land. He doesn't see us.'

Ezekiel 9:9 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 9:9

Then he said unto me
In order to satisfy the prophet, and make him easy, and show the equity and justice of the divine proceedings: the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] exceeding great;
it cannot be well conceived or expressed how great it is; it abounded and superabounded: this is the answer in general, but in particular it follows: and the land is full of blood;
of murders, as the Targum interprets it; of shedding of innocent blood; and even of all atrocious and capital crimes: and the city full of perverseness;
or of perversion of judgment, as the Targum; the city of Jerusalem, where was the highest court of judicature, where the sanhedrim of seventy one sat to do justice and judgment, have nothing but perversion and injustice: for they say, the Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not;
does not concern himself with human affairs, and takes no notice of what is done below; and, having imbibed such atheistical principles, were hardened in sin, and gave themselves over to all iniquity; having no restraints upon them from the consideration of the providence of God, and his government of the world: or else the sense is, that the Lord had withheld his mercy and favours from them; and therefore they showed no regard to him, and looked upon all their evils and calamities as fortuitous events, and not as ordered by him as punishments for their sins.

Ezekiel 9:9 In-Context

7 Then he said to the men, "Make the temple 'unclean.' Fill the courtyards with dead bodies. Go!" So they went out and started killing people all through the city.

8 While they were doing it, I was left alone. I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out, "LORD and King, are you going to destroy all of the Israelites who are still left alive? Will you pour out your burning anger on all those who remain in Jerusalem?"

9 He answered me, "The sin of Israel and Judah is very great. The land is full of murderers. They are not being fair to one another anywhere in Jerusalem. They say, 'The LORD has deserted the land. He doesn't see us.'

10 So I will not spare them or feel sorry for them. Anything that happens to them will be their own fault."

11 Then the man who was wearing linen clothes returned. He had the writing kit. He reported, "I've done what you commanded."