Ezekiel 9:6

6 Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the elderly men who [were] before the house.

Ezekiel 9:6 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 9:6

Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children,
and women
All, of them objects of compassion, because of their age and sex; and yet none to be spared; and which orders were exactly obeyed; see ( 2 Chronicles 36:17 ) ; but come not near any man on whom [is] the mark;
these were not to be slain; and though some were carried captive, as Daniel, and others; yet it was for their good and God's glory; see ( Revelation 7:3 Revelation 7:4 ) ( Revelation 9:3 Revelation 9:4 ) ; and begin at my sanctuary;
the temple, the house of God, and the priests and Levites that dwelt there. The Septuagint version is, "begin at my saints"; those who professed themselves to be the saints of the Lord, and were separated and devoted to his service; and so the Rabbins say ^F25, do not read (yvdqmm) , "at my sanctuary"; but (yvdwqmm) , "at those that sanctify me", or "my sanctified ones"; which they interpret of those that keep the whole law, from "aleph" to "tau"; see ( 1 Peter 4:17 ) ; then they began at the ancient men which [were] before the house;
the seventy elders of Israel, who offered incense to the idols portrayed upon the walls of the chambers of the temple, ( Ezekiel 8:10 Ezekiel 8:11 ) ; these they slew first.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 4. 1.

Ezekiel 9:6 In-Context

4 And the LORD said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of it.

5 And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

6 Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the elderly men who [were] before the house.

7 And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?