Ezekiel 5:11

Famine, Sword, and Dispersion

11 Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon you with pity, nor will I spare you.

Ezekiel 5:11 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 5:11

Wherefore, [as] I live, saith the Lord God
This is a form of an oath, and shows that what is after said should certainly be done; God would not repent of it, nor revoke it: surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary, with all thy detestable
things, and with all thine abominations:
that is, with their idols and idolatrous worship, which were detestable and abominable to the Lord; so Manasseh not only built altars for Baal in the house of the Lord, but set up in it a graven image of the grove, ( 2 Kings 21:3 2 Kings 21:4 2 Kings 21:7 ) ; therefore will I also diminish [thee];
as they lessened his glory by such abominable actions, so he threatens that he would lessen their privileges and blessings; as they took away from him the worship and honour that were due to him, so he would take away from them their civil and church state, his sanctuary, word, and ordinances, and deprive them of everything that was valuable and excellent. The Targum paraphrases it,

``I will cut off the strength of thine arm;''

weaken her power: neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity;
when in the greatest misery and distress. The Targum is,

``my Word shall not spare''

Ezekiel 5:11 In-Context

9 Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.

10 As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’

11 Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon you with pity, nor will I spare you.

12 A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them.

13 And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD, in My zeal have spoken.