Yechezkel 5:16

16 When I shall send upon them disastrous khitzim (arrows) of ra’av (famine), which shall be for mashchit (destruction), and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the ra’av (famine) upon you, and will break your mateh lechem (staff of bread, food supply):

Yechezkel 5:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 5:16

When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famines
Either famine itself, which is as an arrow; it is taken out of the quiver of the Lord of hosts, and is shot by him; and moves swiftly when it has a commission; and is very destructive: or arrows which bring on a famine, such as drought, excessive rains, blasting, mildew, locusts, &c. or arrows which the famine brings, as leanness, faintness, blackness, and death; and, in either sense, are evil ones; and are sent of God for the following end: which shall be for [their] destruction, [and] which I will send to
destroy you;
God's design in sending them was to destroy, and that was answered; and a very destroying arrow famine is, and therefore called evil: and I will increase the famine upon you;
or "gather ^F25 [it] upon", or "against you"; as if it was an army with bows and arrows: and will break your staff of bread:
take away the virtue from the little they had, that that should not nourish and satisfy; (See Gill on Ezekiel 4:16).

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Mkyle Poa) "famen congregabo, super vos", V. L. Pagninus; "famen colligam super vos", Montanus, Polanus, Starckius.

Yechezkel 5:16 In-Context

14 Moreover I will make thee a ruin, and a cherpah among the Goyim that are all around thee, before the eyes of all that pass by.

15 So it shall be a cherpah (reproach) and a gedufah (taunt), a musar and a meshammah (astonishment, object of horror) unto the Goyim that are all around thee, when I shall execute shefatim (judgments) on thee in anger and in chemah and in tokhchot chemah (furious rebukes). I Hashem have spoken.

16 When I shall send upon them disastrous khitzim (arrows) of ra’av (famine), which shall be for mashchit (destruction), and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the ra’av (famine) upon you, and will break your mateh lechem (staff of bread, food supply):

17 So will I send upon you ra’av (famine) and chayyah ra’ah (wild beasts), and they shall leave thee bereaved as childless: and dever and dahm shall pass through thee; and I will bring the cherev upon thee. I Hashem have spoken.