Ezekiel 9:1

1 Then the LORD thundered, “Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!”

Ezekiel 9:1 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 9:1

He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice
That is, the glory of the Lord God of Israel, whom the prophet saw in the temple, and who directed him from place to place, and showed him all the abominations committed there: this loud voice of the Lord was not so much to excite the attention of the prophet, as to call together the ministers of his vengeance; and to show the greatness of his indignation, and the vehemence of his wrath, which was stirred up by the sins of the people: saying, cause them that have the charge over the city to draw near;
or,

``who were appointed over the city,''
as the Targum; that is, the city of Jerusalem; by whom are meant either the ministering angels, who had been the guardians of it, but now were to be employed another way; or the princes of the Chaldean army, who had a charge against the city to destroy it; see ( Isaiah 10:6 ) ( Jeremiah 34:21 ) . The Syriac version is, "draw near, ye avengers of the city"; and the Septuagint and Arabic versions are "the vengeance of the city draws nigh": even every man [with] his destroying weapon in his hand;
weapons of war, as bows and arrows, sword and spear; see ( Jeremiah 6:22 Jeremiah 6:23 ) .

Ezekiel 9:1 In-Context

1 Then the LORD thundered, “Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!”
2 Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer’s case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the LORD called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case.
4 He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”
5 Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity!
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