Ezequiel 14:17

17 O si yo trajere espada sobre la tierra, y dijere: Espada, pasa por la tierra; e hiciere talar de ella hombres y bestias

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 Y si hiciere pasar mala bestia por la tierra, y la asolare, y fuere desolada que no haya quien pase a causa de la bestia

16 y estos tres varones estuvieren en medio de ella, vivo yo, dijo el Señor DIOS, ni a sus hijos ni a sus hijas librarán; ellos solos serán libres, y la tierra será asolada

17 O si yo trajere espada sobre la tierra, y dijere: Espada, pasa por la tierra; e hiciere talar de ella hombres y bestias

18 y estos tres varones estuvieren en medio de ella, vivo yo, dijo el Señor DIOS, no librarán a sus hijos ni a sus hijas; ellos solos serán libres

19 O si pestilencia enviare sobre esa tierra, y derramare mi ira sobre ella en sangre, para talar de ella hombres y bestias