Ezekiel 23:47

47 And the host shall stone them and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses.

Ezekiel 23:47 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 23:47

And the company shall stone them with stones
Which was the punishment of adulterers and idolaters, ( Deuteronomy 13:10 ) ( 22:24 ) , this seems to refer to the Chaldean army casting out stones from their slings and engines into the city of Jerusalem, when they besieged it, by which they killed some, and beat down the houses, which fell upon others, and destroyed them. So the Targum,

``and the army shall stone them with the stones of a sling:''
and dispatch them with their swords;
cut them in pieces with them, such as sallied out of the city upon them, or they found without, or by any means fell into their hands: they shall slay their sons and their daughters;
when they broke into the city, and took it; or when they found them making their escape, and hiding themselves in secret places: and burn up their houses with fire;
as they did; the temple, the king's palace, the houses of noblemen, and all the houses in Jerusalem; see ( Jeremiah 52:13 ) .

Ezekiel 23:47 In-Context

45 But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is upon their hands."
46 For thus says the Lord GOD: "Bring up a host against them, and make them an object of terror and a spoil.
47 And the host shall stone them and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses.
48 Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done.
49 And your lewdness shall be requited upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry; and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD."
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.