Ezekiel 5:1 kjv
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
Ezekiel 5:1 nkjv
"And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber's razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair.
Ezekiel 5:1 niv
"Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair.
Ezekiel 5:1 esv
"And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair.
Ezekiel 5:1 nlt
"Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a razor to shave your head and beard. Use a scale to weigh the hair into three equal parts.
Ezekiel 5 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 5:2 | "A third of your people you shall burn with fire in the midst of the city..." | Judgment and purification by fire |
| Eze 5:3 | "Then you shall take a small number of them and bind them in your garment..." | Scattering and preservation of a remnant |
| Eze 5:4 | "Then take some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them with fire..." | Judgment through fire, further destruction |
| Eze 5:10 | "Therefore the fathers shall eat their sons among you, and the sons shall eat their fathers..." | Extreme famine and societal breakdown |
| Eze 5:12 | "A third of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with hunger..." | Death by disease and famine as judgment |
| Jer 15:2 | "And should there be left of them a remnant, my sword will slay them from that day forward..." | Continued judgment upon survivors |
| Jer 17:3 | "O my God, remember favorably in the case of Tobiah and ... according to their deeds..." | Intercession for judgment |
| Isa 1:25 | "And I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye..." | Divine refinement through judgment |
| Psa 50:3 | "Our God shall come and not be silent; fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be tempestuous all around Him." | God's righteous judgment involving fire |
| 2 Sam 24:14 | "David said to God, 'I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great, but let me not fall into the hand of man.'" | Divine judgment preferred over human cruelty |
| Luke 12:49 | "I came to cast fire upon the earth, and what I will if it is already kindled." | Christ's prophetic statement about division/judgment |
| Rev 11:13 | "and in that same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell..." | Symbolic destruction and earthquake |
| Deut 28:52 | "and they shall besiege you in all your towns, until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout your land." | Siege leading to downfall |
| Micah 3:12 | "Therefore because of you Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become heaps of ruins..." | Destruction of Zion/Jerusalem |
| Zeph 3:8 | "Therefore wait for me, declares the Lord, for the day when I will rise up to seize the prey." | Day of divine judgment and spoil |
| Eze 6:8 | "But I will leave a remnant, that some of you may escape the nations to which you are scattered..." | Preservation of a remnant through scattering |
| Jer 14:12 | "Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them..." | Rejection of insincere worship during judgment |
| Ezek 4:4 | "Sit on your left side and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of days that you lie on it you shall bear their iniquity." | Symbolic bearing of Israel's sin |
| Amos 3:2 | "You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." | Accountability of God's chosen people |
| John 15:6 | "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." | Those who do not abide in Christ are judged |
Ezekiel 5 verses
Ezekiel 5 1 Meaning
The prophet Ezekiel is commanded to perform a symbolic action using a razor. This action represents judgment against Jerusalem and its inhabitants, signifying complete destruction and scattering. The act itself is violent and personal, highlighting the severity of God's impending judgment.
Ezekiel 5 1 Context
Ezekiel 5 is situated within a broader prophetic context where Ezekiel is divinely instructed to perform symbolic acts that vividly illustrate God's impending judgment on Jerusalem and its people for their persistent idolatry and sin. This chapter follows a period where Ezekiel has been called to be a watchman for the house of Israel, delivering God's message of both judgment and a future hope. The symbolic act in this verse, taking a razor and shaving the head, is a prelude to further symbolic actions depicting the destructive consequences of their unfaithfulness. The message is directed towards Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, which is soon to face a devastating siege and destruction by the Babylonians.
Ezekiel 5 1 Word Analysis
וְאַתָּה (və’attâ): "And you" - A conjunctive particle (וְ) "and" followed by the second-person masculine singular pronoun (אַתָּה) "you." This directly addresses the prophet Ezekiel, initiating his specific instruction.
בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-’āḏām): "son of man" - A title repeatedly used to address Ezekiel throughout the book, emphasizing his humanity in contrast to the divine authority of God and highlighting his role as a messenger to humanity. This designation grounds the prophetic message in human experience.
לְקַח־לְךָ (ləqaḥ-ləḵā): "take for yourself" - The infinitive construct (לְקַח) "to take" combined with the preposition (לְ) "to" and the second-person masculine singular possessive suffix (ךָ) "you." This indicates a personal command for Ezekiel to take something for his own use or for the execution of his task.
חֶרֶב (ḥereḇ): "a sharp razor" - From the root חרב (ḥrb), meaning "to be dry," and by extension, "sword," "razor," or "dagger." In this context, it signifies a sharp instrument used for shaving, symbolizing a tool of destruction or decisive action.
וְגַלַּח (wəgallaeḥ): "and shave" - A conjunctive particle (וְ) "and" followed by the second-person masculine singular Piel imperative form of the verb גָּלַח (gālaḥ), meaning "to shave." This is a direct command for the act of shaving.
עַל־רֹאשְׁךָ (‘al-ro’šəḵā): "upon your head" - The preposition (עַל) "upon" or "over" combined with the noun (רֹאשׁ) "head" and the second-person masculine singular possessive suffix (ךָ) "your." This specifies the precise location for the shaving action.
וְעַל־זְקָנֶךָ (wə‘al-zəqāneḵā): "and upon your beard" - Similar construction to the previous phrase: (עַל) "upon" + (זָקָן) "beard" + (ךָ) "your." Shaving the beard was a practice associated with mourning, disgrace, or severe shame in the ancient Near East.
וְגִלַּחְתָּ (wəgillaeḥtā): "you shall shave off" - A conjunctive particle (וְ) "and" followed by the second-person masculine singular Qal perfect form of the verb גָּלַח (gālaḥ). This signifies a completed action of shaving.
מַעֲלֹות (ma‘ălôṯ): "upon your head" - Although usually meaning "ascents" or "steps," here in combination with the previous phrase "upon your head," it emphasizes the thoroughness of the shaving, perhaps a second, complete removal. However, some interpret this as a duplication for emphasis or clarity, already covered by "upon your head." Some scholars suggest it implies "scalp."
וְאֶת־חֻקֹּות (wə’eṯ-ḥuqqôṯ): "and the razor of a tonsor" (or "the implements of a barber") - The conjunctive particle (וְ) "and" plus the direct object marker (אֶת) and the plural feminine noun (חֻקֹּות), often translated as "customs" or "statutes," but in the context of shaving, likely refers to the tools or the profession of a barber or tonsor. This highlights that it's not just any shaving, but one done with specific tools associated with a barber.
לְקַח־בַּשְּׁכֶם (ləqaḥ-baššəḵem): "take in your possession" or "cut in your possession." (The exact interpretation of 'לְקַח' here is debated. Some suggest "take away," others "divide" or "take portions"). Given the subsequent actions with hair, "take portions" or "cut portions" seems plausible, implying segments of hair. The presence of "your" within this phrase connects it directly to the prophet.
Ezekiel 5 1 Bonus Section
The act of shaving, particularly the head and beard, carried specific cultural weight. It wasn't merely cosmetic; it was a profound ritualistic act. In pagan contexts, such rituals were often performed to appease deities or as expressions of extreme grief. God repurposes this potent cultural symbol of lamentation and disgrace to represent the severity of His judgment upon His own people for their covenant infidelity and idolatry. The use of the razor specifically by the prophet underscores that this is a divine judgment, carried out through human agency, with razor-sharp precision and a decisive cut. It foreshadows the complete severing of Jerusalem from its status and glory.
Ezekiel 5 1 Commentary
The initial instruction to Ezekiel in chapter 5 is stark: he is to obtain a sharp razor and shave his head and beard. This act is not casual but deeply symbolic. Shaving one's head and beard was an act of profound grief, shame, or humiliation in the ancient Near East, often associated with pagan mourning rites which Israel was warned against. By performing this, Ezekiel embodies the deep shame and sorrow that Jerusalem will experience. The reference to the razor, and potentially barber's implements (חֻקֹּות), suggests a process that is both invasive and complete, like a barber shaping or removing hair. This action underscores God's judgment as comprehensive, stripping away the dignity and perceived security of the city and its people, leaving them exposed and shamed before the nations. The phrase "upon your head... and upon your beard" emphasizes that both the highest honor (head) and the marks of respect and maturity (beard) are targeted in this judgment.