Ezekiel 14 19

Ezekiel 14:19 kjv

Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:

Ezekiel 14:19 nkjv

"Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast,

Ezekiel 14:19 niv

"Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals,

Ezekiel 14:19 esv

"Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast,

Ezekiel 14:19 nlt

"Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land, and the disease killed people and animals alike.

Ezekiel 14 verses

Ezekiel 14 19 Meaning

Ezekiel 14:19 describes one of God's severe judgments upon a land (specifically referring to Judah/Israel in context) that persistently rebels against Him and practices idolatry. Should the Lord send a pestilence – a widespread and often fatal disease – into such a land, He declares that He will pour out His full, burning wrath, causing extensive bloodshed. The ultimate aim of this devastating plague, fueled by divine anger, is to utterly remove and destroy both people and animals from that land, ensuring a comprehensive judgment. This verse underscores God's absolute sovereignty over calamity and His righteous indignation against sin.

Ezekiel 14 19 Context

Ezekiel chapter 14 takes place during the Babylonian exile. The prophet Ezekiel is among the exiles, while the temple in Jerusalem still stands, but its fall is imminent. In this chapter, elders of Israel, presumably those seeking counsel from God, come to Ezekiel. However, God reveals that these very elders harbor idols in their hearts and are hypocritical in their seeking (Eze 14:1-3). God declares that He will answer them "according to their idolatry," indicating judgment, not blessing or guidance they seek. He asserts His sovereignty over judgment and then outlines a series of devastating judgments—famine (vv. 13-14), wild beasts (vv. 15-16), and the sword (vv. 17-18)—that He will bring upon any rebellious land, emphasizing that even the righteousness of figures like Noah, Daniel, or Job would save only themselves, not the land. Verse 19 continues this sequence, focusing on pestilence as another inescapable divine judgment for such profound corporate sin. The broader historical context is one of a covenant people who have consistently broken their covenant vows, prompting God to execute the curses forewarned in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

Ezekiel 14 19 Word analysis

• Or if I send (וְכִי־אֶשַׁלַּח - v'chi eshallakh): The Hebrew phrase indicates a conditional statement ("and if," "now if"). God explicitly identifies Himself as the active agent. This is not a natural disaster, but a direct, deliberate act of divine judgment. "Eshallakh" (אֶשַׁלַּח) comes from shalakh, meaning to send forth, implying purposeful dispatch.
• a pestilence (דֶּבֶר - dever): This Hebrew term denotes plague, pestilence, or an epidemic that causes widespread death. It's consistently depicted in the Old Testament as a direct judgment from God (e.g., against Egypt in Exodus, Israel for David's census). It often represents a swift, invisible, and terrifying destruction, striking indiscriminately.
• into that land (אֶל־הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא - el ha'aretz hahi): "To the land, the same." While broadly referring to any land that defies God, within Ezekiel's prophetic context, it primarily refers to Israel/Judah, who, as God's covenant people, face heightened accountability.
• and pour out My wrath (וְשָׁפַכְתִּי חֲמָתִי - v'shafachti chamati): Shafakhti (שָׁפַכְתִּי) means "I will pour out," an idiom emphasizing fullness, totality, and irresistibility of action, like emptying a vessel completely. Chamati (חֲמָתִי) translates to "My burning anger" or "My fury." This word for wrath denotes intense, passionate, often destructive divine displeasure, revealing the profound depth of God's offense against sin.
• on it in blood (עָלֶיהָ בְּדָם - aleyha b'dam): "Upon her (the land) in blood" or "by means of blood." This phrase clarifies the outcome and character of the pestilence. It signifies massive bloodshed and death—the physical evidence of the pestilence's destructive power. Beyond mere physical death, "in blood" can carry connotations of bloodguilt, where the land's persistent sin results in its own defilement and judgment "by means of blood," a judicial consequence.
• to cut off (לְהַכְרִית - l'hakhrit): Derived from karat, meaning to cut off, to sever, or to destroy. This term indicates a complete, decisive, and final eradication. It implies that the connection to life, prosperity, and the very existence within that land is irreversibly terminated.
• man and beast (אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה - adam u'behema): This emphasizes the comprehensiveness of the judgment. God's judgment spares no living thing that sustains the life and economy of the land. This echoes judgments like the Noahic flood (Gen 6-7) and covenant curses, signifying a total desolation of the ecosystem as a mark of divine displeasure.

• "Or if I send a pestilence into that land": This phrase highlights God's active, intentional role as the ultimate bringer of this judgment. It's not a random affliction, but a targeted divine act of sending forth the plague.
• "and pour out My wrath on it in blood": This expression combines the intensity of divine fury (chamah) with the devastating physical manifestation of that anger, resulting in death and bloodshed. The act of "pouring out" implies an overwhelming, undiluted flood of judgment.
• "to cut off man and beast from it": This signifies a total ecological and societal devastation. It communicates that the judgment aims for complete desolation, removing all forms of life and production that enable habitation. The severing of man and beast symbolizes the end of a people and the land's desolation.

Ezekiel 14 19 Bonus section

The "four dreadful judgments" (Eze 14:21), introduced in Ezekiel 14 and explicitly listed later in verse 21 as sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, constitute a classical biblical motif of God's comprehensive judgment. This specific sequence signifies a complete breakdown of societal order and natural harmony. Pestilence, in this context, targets the internal vitality of a community, bringing sickness and death that often paralyzes its ability to function and defend itself, thereby making it more vulnerable to the other judgments. This cumulative destruction is designed not for random devastation but to unequivocally demonstrate God's just recompense for persistent, egregious sin. These four judgments reflect a perfect divine design to ensure the complete cessation of life and productivity within a rebellious land.

Ezekiel 14 19 Commentary

Ezekiel 14:19 powerfully demonstrates God's unwavering justice and sovereignty, particularly in the face of deep-seated corporate sin and idolatry within His covenant people. It highlights that pestilence is not merely a natural phenomenon but a tool of divine judgment, purposefully "sent" by God Himself. The vivid imagery of "pouring out My wrath in blood" underscores the severity and the non-negotiable nature of God's anger against rebellion, ensuring an outcome of widespread death and destruction. The judgment extends comprehensively to "man and beast," indicating a total desolation of the land and its inhabitants. This verse reinforces the larger theme of Ezekiel 14: God's justice will not be averted by superficial acts of worship or even the presence of a few righteous individuals when a nation's heart is entirely turned from Him. It serves as a stern warning against spiritual hypocrisy and an assertion of the certain, catastrophic consequences of prolonged disobedience, confirming the covenant curses of old.