Ezekiel 5:1-5

God’s Razor of Judgment

1 “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair.
2 When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword.
3 But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment.
4 Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.
5 “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.

Ezekiel 5:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 5

This chapter is of the same argument with the former; and contains a type of Jerusalem's destruction; an explanation of that type; what were the reasons of God's judgments on that city; and the nature, rise, and end of them. The type is in Eze 5:1-4; the explanation of that type is in Eze 5:5; the reasons of the severe judgments threatened are changing the statutes of the Lord, and not walking in them, and defiling the sanctuary with their abominations, Eze 5:6-11; an account of the judgments of God, answerable to each of the parts in the type, Eze 5:12; the ends of these judgments are, with respect to God, the accomplishment of his anger, and the satisfaction of his justice; with respect to the Jews, bringing them to an acknowledgment that he had spoken in his zeal; and, with respect to the nations, their instruction and astonishment, Eze 5:13-15; and the chapter is concluded with an assurance that these judgments would be sent, Eze 5:16,17.

Cross References 10

  • 1. S Numbers 6:5; Isaiah 7:20
  • 2. Ezekiel 44:20
  • 3. S Leviticus 21:5; S 2 Samuel 10:4
  • 4. Zechariah 13:8
  • 5. Jeremiah 21:10; Ezekiel 15:7
  • 6. ver 10; Jeremiah 13:24
  • 7. ver 12; S Leviticus 26:33; S Jeremiah 9:16; S Jeremiah 39:1-2
  • 8. 2 Kings 25:12; S Psalms 74:11; Jeremiah 39:10
  • 9. Ezekiel 10:7; Ezekiel 15:7
  • 10. S Deuteronomy 4:6; S Lamentations 1:1; Ezekiel 16:14
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