Yechezkel 9:5

5 And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye through the Ir after him [i.e., the man with the scribal kit], and strike down; let not your eye have pity, and do not spare;

Yechezkel 9:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 9:5

And, to the others he said in mine hearing
To the other six men that had the slaughter weapons in their hands: go ye after him through the city;
that is, after the man clothed with linen; for he was sent out first to take care of the righteous, and preserve them; and the rest were not suffered to stir till he was gone; and then they are bid to go after him. The Syriac version is,

``to them that were with him he said to them before me, go through the city after me;''

as if these were the words of the man clothed with linen to the other six; and so the Arabic version; of it the other is the true reading, and gives the right sense, as the following words show: and smite;
the inhabitants of the city: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity;
not that the Chaldeans were inclined to mercy and pity, for they were a cruel and barbarous people; but this is said to show the resentment of God against the sins of the Jews; and that it was his will they should act the severe part they did.

Yechezkel 9:5 In-Context

3 And the Kavod Elohei Yisroel was gone up from the Keruv (Cherub), whereupon it was, to the miftan HaBeis [HaMikdash] (the Threshold of the Beis HaMikdash). And He called to the ish clothed with linen, which had the keset hasofer at his side;

4 And Hashem said unto him, Go through the midst of the Ir, through the midst of Yerushalayim, and put a TAV upon the mitzekhot (foreheads) of the anashim that grieve and lament for kol hato’evot that are being done in the midst thereof.

5 And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye through the Ir after him [i.e., the man with the scribal kit], and strike down; let not your eye have pity, and do not spare;

6 Slay utterly zaken (old man) and bochur (young man), betulah, little children, and nashim; but come not near any ish upon whom is the TAV; and begin at My Mikdash. Then they began with the anashim hazekenim which were before the Beis [HaMikdash][1K 4:17].

7 And He said unto them, Make the Beis [HaMikdash] tameh, and fill the khatzerot (coutyards) with chalalim (slain ones); go ye forth. And they went forth, and slaughtered in the Ir.