Ezekiel 9

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 9

1¶ He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man [with] his destroying weapon in his hand.

2And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them [was] clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

3And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which [had] the writer's inkhorn by his side;

4And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

5¶ And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

6Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which [were] before the house.

7And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

8And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

9Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

10And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, [but] I will recompense their way upon their head.

11And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which [had] the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

God commands six executioners to approach Jerusalem, one of whom is to mark the foreheads of the righteous who lament the city's abominations. The other five are then ordered to utterly slay all inhabitants without the mark, beginning at the sanctuary. Ezekiel intercedes, but God justifies the judgment due to Israel's great iniquity and their belief that God has forsaken them.

Medium Summary

In a vision, Ezekiel hears a command for six men with destroying weapons to draw near Jerusalem. These men appear, one of whom is clothed in linen and carries a writer's inkhorn. The glory of God moves to the temple threshold, and the man with the inkhorn is instructed to mark the foreheads of those who grieve over the city's widespread abominations. Following this, the other five men are commanded to execute all others, sparing no one, from old to young, beginning at the sanctuary. Ezekiel witnesses the slaughter and intercedes, questioning if God will destroy all the remnant of Israel. God responds by asserting the immense iniquity of Israel and Judah, citing their belief that the Lord has abandoned the land and does not see, thus justifying the severe judgment without pity. The man with the inkhorn subsequently reports the completion of his task.

Long Summary

Ezekiel is given a vision where he hears a loud command for those with charge over Jerusalem, wielding destroying weapons, to draw near. Six men appear from the north gate, each with a slaughter weapon, and one among them is distinguished by being clothed in linen and carrying a writer's inkhorn. They position themselves beside the brazen altar. The glory of the God of Israel then ascends from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, from where the Lord calls to the man with the inkhorn. He is instructed to traverse Jerusalem and place a mark upon the foreheads of all who sigh and cry over the numerous abominations committed within the city. Subsequently, the Lord commands the other five men to follow through the city and smite, explicitly stating that their eyes should not spare, nor should they have pity. They are to utterly slay old and young, maids, little children, and women, but are strictly forbidden from harming anyone bearing the mark. The judgment is to commence at the sanctuary, starting with the ancient men before the house. The command further includes defiling the house and filling the courts with the slain. As the slaughter proceeds, Ezekiel, left alone, falls upon his face and cries out, questioning if the Lord God intends to destroy all the residue of Israel in His outpouring of fury upon Jerusalem. God responds by explaining that the iniquity of both the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness, for they erroneously believe the Lord has forsaken the earth and does not see. Therefore, God declares that His eye will not spare, nor will He have pity, but He will recompense their way upon their own heads. Finally, the man clothed with linen reports that he has fulfilled the Lord's command.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Judgment and ExecutionGod commands six men, five with slaughter weapons and one with an inkhorn, to execute judgment upon Jerusalem, demonstrating His active role in punishing sin.
  • Mark of PreservationA man clothed in linen marks the foreheads of those who lament the city's abominations, signifying God's protection for the righteous amidst widespread destruction.
  • Impartial DestructionThe command to slay spares no age or gender, emphasizing the severity and comprehensiveness of God's wrath, which even begins at the sanctuary.
  • Ezekiel's IntercessionEzekiel's desperate plea for the remnant of Israel highlights the prophet's role as an intercessor, though God's resolve for judgment remains firm.
  • Justification for WrathGod explicitly states that the judgment is a direct consequence of Israel and Judah's exceeding iniquity, bloodshed, and their false belief that He has forsaken them and does not see.
  • Glory's MovementThe movement of the glory of God from the cherub to the threshold of the house precedes the judgment, indicating God's presence and authority in the unfolding events.