Ezekiel 14:15

15 If I send wild animals through the land to ravage it, so that it is made desolate, and no one may pass through because of the animals;

Ezekiel 14:15 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 14:15

If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land
Evil and hurtful ones; not so much those that are poisonous as pernicious; such, as lions, tigers, foxes, wolves, and bears, that are very ravenous and devouring, and especially in a time of famine before threatened; though sometimes God makes use of lesser creatures to do damage to a land, and the fruits of it, as locusts, caterpillars but the former seem to be intended here, which sometimes God threatens and sends to a people disobedient and rebellious; see ( Leviticus 26:22 ) ( 2 Kings 17:25 ) ; and they spoil it;
or, "make it childless" ^F24; they or I bereave the inhabitants of it of their children; or bereave it of other cattle that are tame, as sheep and oxen, as well as of men and women also, and even destroy the fruits of the earth: so that it be desolate;
having neither men nor cattle, corn or tillage, or any other fruit; all being destroyed by the evil beats, who have commission to pass through it, and lay it waste wherever they come, without control: that no man may pass through because of the beasts;
for fear of them: not only the inhabitants of the land should be destroyed by them, but even travellers, such as come from other countries, would not choose to pass through it because of the beasts; so that it would on this account be destitute both of inhabitants and of travellers; and must be a most desolate place, where only wild beasts were to be seen, ranging about at pleasure.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F24 (hylkv) "orbaturas eam", Pagninus, Montanus; "orbaturas eam", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; "orbam fecere illam", Cocceius, Starckius.

Ezekiel 14:15 In-Context

13 Mortal, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it human beings and animals,

14 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job, these three, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord God.

15 If I send wild animals through the land to ravage it, so that it is made desolate, and no one may pass through because of the animals;

16 even if these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would save neither sons nor daughters; they alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.

17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, "Let a sword pass through the land," and I cut off human beings and animals from it;