Ezekiel 9:6

6 Give up to destruction old men and young men and virgins, little children and women: but do not come near any man who has the mark on him: and make a start at my holy place. So they made a start with the old 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 The Lord said to him, Go through the town, through the middle of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the brows of the men who are sorrowing and crying for all the disgusting things which are done in it.

5 And to these he said in my hearing, Go through the town after him using your axes: do not let your eyes have mercy, and have no pity:

6 Give up to destruction old men and young men and virgins, little children and women: but do not come near any man who has the mark on him: and make a start at my holy place. So they made a start with the old men who were before the house.

7 And he said to them, Make the house unclean, make the open places full of dead: go forward and send destruction on the town.

8 Now while they were doing so, and I was untouched, I went down on my face, and crying out, I said, Ah, Lord! will you give all the rest of Israel to destruction in letting loose your wrath on Jerusalem?