Ezequiel 14:17

17 Ou, se eu trouxer a espada sobre aquela terra, e disser: Espada, passa pela terra; de modo que eu extermine dela homens e animais;

Ezequiel 14:17 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 14:17

Or [if] I bring a sword upon that land
The land which had grievously sinned; the same land into which a famine should come, and through which evil beasts should pass; to which, if the Lord should add, as he would, a third judgment, the sword; suffer a foreign enemy to come in among them, and destroy them. So the Targum,

``or if those that slay with the sword I should bring upon that land;''

the Chaldean army, as he did; the sword has its commission from God; war is not by chance; the invasion of a foreign enemy is from the Lord; and all the mischiefs and ravages of a tumultuous army are all by divine order: and say, sword, go through the land;
not only enter the borders of it, or proceed far in it, but even go through it; which is terrible indeed! but if the Lord bids it go, it must go, and does; it is a servant of his, and punctually obeys his commands; that is, such are those that use it, however profane and wicked they may be in themselves, as generally armies consist of dissolute persons; yet these are under a divine direction, and are obedient to the will of God, though they may know it not. So the Targum,

``and I say that they that kill with the sword pass through the land:''

so that I cut off man and beast from it;
by the sword; the one being destroyed as an enemy, the other for food.

Ezequiel 14:17 In-Context

15 Se eu fizer passar pela terra bestas feras, e estas a assolarem, de modo que ela fique desolada, sem que ninguém possa passar por ela por causa das feras;

16 ainda que esses três homens estivessem no meio dela, vivo eu, diz o Senhor Deus, que nem a filhos nem a filhas livrariam; eles só ficariam livres; a terra, porém, seria assolada.

17 Ou, se eu trouxer a espada sobre aquela terra, e disser: Espada, passa pela terra; de modo que eu extermine dela homens e animais;

18 ainda que aqueles três homens estivessem nela, vivo eu, diz o Senhor Deus, eles não livrariam nem filhos nem filhas, mas eles só ficariam livres.

19 Ou, se eu enviar a peste sobre aquela terra, e derramar o meu furor sobre ela com sangue, para exterminar dela homens e animais;