Ezekiel 14:6-16

6 Therefore say thou to the house of Israel, The Lord God saith these things, Be ye converted (Be ye turned), and go ye away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your filths.

7 For why a man, a man of the house of Israel, and of converts, whoever is a comeling in Israel, if he is aliened from me, and setteth his idols in his heart, and setteth steadfastly the cause of stumbling of his wickedness against his face (For a man, a man of the house of Israel, and of the converts, yea, whomever is a newcomer in Israel, if he is alienated from me, and steadfastly setteth the cause of stumbling of his wickedness before his face), and he cometh to the prophet, to ask me by him, I the Lord shall answer him by myself.

8 And I shall set my face on that man, and I shall make him into ensample, and into a proverb, and I shall lose him from the midst of my people; and ye shall know, that I am the Lord. (And I shall set my face against that person, and I shall make him into an example, and into a proverb, and I shall remove him from the midst of my people; and ye shall know, that I am the Lord.)

9 And when a prophet erreth, and speaketh a word, I the Lord shall deceive that prophet (I the Lord have deceived that prophet); and I shall stretch forth mine hand [up]on him, and I shall do him away from the midst of my people Israel.

10 And they shall bear their wickedness; by the wickedness of the asker, so the wickedness of the prophet shall be; (And they shall bear their wickedness; as the wickedness of the asker, so shall be the wickedness of the prophet;)

11 that the house of Israel err no more from me, neither be defouled in all their trespassings; but that it be into a people to me, and I be into God to them, saith the Lord of hosts. (so that the house of Israel no more go astray from me, nor be defiled with all their trespassings; but that they shall become my people, and I shall become their God, saith the Lord of hosts.)

12 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me, that it trespassing do trespass (that trespassing it do trespass), I shall stretch forth mine hand on it, and I shall all-break the staff of bread thereof; and I shall send hunger into it, and I shall slay of it man and beast.

14 And if these three men, Noe, Daniel, and Job, be in the midst thereof, they by their rightfulness shall deliver their souls, saith the Lord of hosts. (And even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in its midst, they would only be able to save their own souls, or their own lives, by their righteousness, saith the Lord of hosts.)

15 That if also I bring in worst beasts on the land, that I destroy it, and if it is without (a) way, for that no passer is for the beasts, (And if I should bring in evil, or wild, beasts on the land, so that I destroy it, and it is without a safe way, so that no one can pass through because of those beasts,)

16 and these three men that be before-said, be therein, I live, saith the Lord God, for they shall neither deliver sons, neither daughters, but they alone shall be delivered; forsooth the land shall be made desolate. (and if these three men who were spoken of before, were there, as I live, saith the Lord God, they would not be able to save even their own sons, or their own daughters, but they alone would be saved; and the land would be made desolate.)

Ezekiel 14:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 14

In this chapter are contained the displeasure of God at hypocritical idolaters that sought unto him, and at the false prophets; the judgments that should come upon them, and which should not be averted by the intercession of the best of men; and yet a promise that a remnant should be saved. The elders of Israel are said to sit before the prophet, Eze 14:1; to whom the Lord gives an account of them, Eze 14:2,3; and orders the prophet what he should say to them, that the Lord would answer them himself, Eze 14:4,5; and that he should bid the house of Israel repent and turn from their idols, or else the Lord would set his face against them, and cut them off, both them and the false prophets they sought unto; and this is threatened in order to reform them, and continue them his covenant people, Eze 14:6-11; and then the judgment of famine is particularly threatened; to avert which, the prayers of the best of men would be of no effect, Eze 14:12-14; and next the judgment of noisome beasts, with the same intimation, Eze 14:15,16; likewise the sword, Eze 14:17,18; and also the pestilence, Eze 14:19,20; and much less when they should be all sent together, Eze 14:21; and the chapter is concluded with a promise that a remnant should be saved; which would be a comfort to the captives of Babylon, and accounts for what the Lord had done, or would do, in Jerusalem, Eze 14:22,23.