Ezekiel 14:15

15 "Or I might send wild animals into that land, leaving the land empty and without children. Then no one would pass through it because of the animals.

Ezekiel 14:15 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 14:15

If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land
Evil and hurtful ones; not so much those that are poisonous as pernicious; such, as lions, tigers, foxes, wolves, and bears, that are very ravenous and devouring, and especially in a time of famine before threatened; though sometimes God makes use of lesser creatures to do damage to a land, and the fruits of it, as locusts, caterpillars but the former seem to be intended here, which sometimes God threatens and sends to a people disobedient and rebellious; see ( Leviticus 26:22 ) ( 2 Kings 17:25 ) ; and they spoil it;
or, "make it childless" ^F24; they or I bereave the inhabitants of it of their children; or bereave it of other cattle that are tame, as sheep and oxen, as well as of men and women also, and even destroy the fruits of the earth: so that it be desolate;
having neither men nor cattle, corn or tillage, or any other fruit; all being destroyed by the evil beats, who have commission to pass through it, and lay it waste wherever they come, without control: that no man may pass through because of the beasts;
for fear of them: not only the inhabitants of the land should be destroyed by them, but even travellers, such as come from other countries, would not choose to pass through it because of the beasts; so that it would on this account be destitute both of inhabitants and of travellers; and must be a most desolate place, where only wild beasts were to be seen, ranging about at pleasure.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (hylkv) "orbaturas eam", Pagninus, Montanus; "orbaturas eam", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; "orbam fecere illam", Cocceius, Starckius.

Ezekiel 14:15 In-Context

13 "Human, if the people of a country sin against me by not being loyal, I will use my power against them. I will cut off their supply of food and send a time of hunger, destroying both people and animals.

14 Even if three great men like Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that country, their goodness could save only themselves, says the Lord God.

15 "Or I might send wild animals into that land, leaving the land empty and without children. Then no one would pass through it because of the animals.

16 As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They could save only themselves, but that country would become empty.

17 "Or I might bring a war against that country. I might say, 'Let a war be fought in that land,' in this way destroying its people and its animals.