Ezekiel 5 10

Ezekiel 5:10 kjv

Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.

Ezekiel 5:10 nkjv

Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will scatter to all the winds.

Ezekiel 5:10 niv

Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds.

Ezekiel 5:10 esv

Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds.

Ezekiel 5:10 nlt

Parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. I will punish you and scatter to the winds the few who survive.

Ezekiel 5 verses

Ezekiel 5 10 meaning

Ezekiel 5:10 graphically depicts the devastating judgment of God upon Jerusalem for its extreme disobedience. It prophesies an unparalleled famine during which the populace will resort to cannibalism – both fathers consuming sons and sons consuming fathers – within the city walls. This horror will be immediately followed by God’s active execution of judgments upon the city and the subsequent, complete dispersion of any surviving inhabitants to all corners of the world. It underscores the severity of divine wrath and the total breakdown of societal order as a consequence of national sin.

Ezekiel 5 10 Context

Ezekiel 5:10 is a horrifying climax in the prophet Ezekiel's message of judgment against Jerusalem and Judah. The preceding verses (Ezek 5:1-9) detail a symbolic action where Ezekiel divides his hair and beard into three portions, each representing a segment of Jerusalem's population and their grim fate: one-third dying by famine and pestilence, one-third by the sword, and one-third being scattered. Verse 10 specifically elaborates on the famine's severity, predicting cannibalism, and re-emphasizes the scattering of survivors.

Historically, this prophecy aligns with the impending Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (588-586 BC). The conditions described, including famine and scattering, were covenant curses warned in the Law (Lev 26, Deut 28) for persistent idolatry and disobedience. Judah, under the reign of King Zedekiah, had broken its covenant with God through rampant idol worship, social injustice, and defiance of God’s commands, despite repeated warnings through prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel. This verse vividly portrays God's ultimate judicial response to His people's unparalleled rebellion, revealing that even His own chosen city would not be exempt from severe punishment when it profaned His name and sanctuary. The graphic nature served as a stark warning and explanation for the exiles concerning Jerusalem's inevitable destruction.

Ezekiel 5 10 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן, lakhen): This word signifies a consequence, directly linking the severity of the coming judgment to the earlier stated transgressions of Jerusalem (Ezek 5:5-9). It signals that what follows is a just and proportionate divine response.
• fathers shall eat their sons (אָבוֹת יֹאכְלוּ בָנִים, ʾavot yokhelu vanim): "Fathers" (אָבוֹת, ʾavot) and "sons" (בָנִים, vanim) represent the fundamental unit of family. "Eat" (אָכַל, ʾakhal) here is stark; it implies not just consumption for survival but an act of desperation so extreme that it utterly destroys natural affection and the sanctity of family bonds. This reversal of the natural order underscores the horror and the complete breakdown of human society and morality under severe duress.
• in your midst (בְּתוֹכֵךְ, betochëkh): This phrase emphasizes the internal, public, and undeniable nature of the calamity. The atrocities will happen within the very heart of the city, witnessed by all, making it clear that God’s judgment is enacted within the community that sinned, rather than from an external enemy alone.
• and sons shall eat their fathers (וּבָנִים יֹאכְלוּ אֶת־אֲבֹתָם, uvanim yokhelu et-ʾavotam): This reversal of roles reiterates the comprehensive breakdown of familial piety and societal structure. It emphasizes the total collapse of order, respect, and sustenance, leaving no part of the family immune to the desperate act of survival.
• and I will execute judgments on you (וְעָשִׂיתִי בָךְ שְׁפָטִים, veʿasiti vakh shᵊfatim): "I" (וְעָשִׂיתִי, veʿasiti, "and I will do/make") signifies God's direct, active, and personal involvement in delivering punishment. "Judgments" (שְׁפָטִים, shᵊfatim) refers to divine judicial decrees, legal penalties, and retributions. This highlights that the calamities are not random misfortunes but deliberate, just, and inescapable verdicts from God against a sinful people.
• and I will scatter (וְאֵת כָּל־שְׁאֵרִיתֵךְ אֲזָרֶה, veʾet kol-shᵊʾeritēkh ʾazarah, broken into parts for clarity) "I will scatter" (אֲזָרֶה, ʾazarah): This verb signifies active, forceful dispersion, often like scattering chaff to the wind. It emphasizes that those who survive the famine and sword will not find refuge or stability but will be forcefully displaced by divine action.
• all your remnant (כָּל־שְׁאֵרִיתֵךְ, kol-shᵊʾeritēkh): "Remnant" (שְׁאֵרִית, shᵊʾerit) typically carries a connotation of hope for future restoration in other prophetic books, but here it starkly refers to those who have barely survived the prior judgments only to face further dispersion. The adjective "all" (כָּל, kol) emphasizes the complete and utter nature of this scattering.
• to every wind (לְכָל־רוּחַ, lᵊkhol-ruach): "Every wind" (כָּל־רוּחַ, kol-ruach) implies dispersion in all directions, to the four corners of the earth. This signifies a complete and utter loss of land, home, and national cohesion, underscoring the severity and extent of the exile.

Ezekiel 5 10 Bonus section

The horrors depicted in Ezekiel 5:10 had roots in ancient Near Eastern siege warfare, where cannibalism was an attested, though extreme, outcome of prolonged famine. However, the Bible frames it as a specific covenant curse (Lev 26:29; Deut 28:53-57), meaning it was not merely a military consequence but a direct judicial act of God fulfilling His warnings for disobedience. The detailed nature of the judgment against Jerusalem, broken down by percentages in Ezekiel's prophecy, serves as a direct refutation of any belief that their mere status as "God's chosen people" or the presence of the Temple provided automatic immunity from divine wrath. This also acts as a polemic against the surrounding pagan beliefs, where the efficacy of gods was often tied to their ability to protect their city and people. Ezekiel demonstrates that the God of Israel is not only capable of bringing such devastation but, in fact, does so out of justice, against His own unfaithful people, a stark difference from nationalistic cults. Furthermore, the theme of "scattering" or dispersion (Diaspora) becomes a defining element of Jewish history, a continuing physical manifestation of these prophetic judgments. Yet, even within these harsh judgments, a future hope of gathering (not mentioned in this verse but throughout Ezekiel and other prophets) remained, contingent on repentance and God’s mercy, underscoring His ultimate plan for redemption beyond immediate chastisement.

Ezekiel 5 10 Commentary

Ezekiel 5:10 is one of the most terrifying passages in Scripture, a stark testament to the consequences of radical apostasy and covenant unfaithfulness. The vivid prophecy of cannibalism within Jerusalem during the siege communicates not just physical destruction but also an ultimate moral and social collapse. This goes beyond mere natural disaster; it is a profound degradation and the antithesis of the divinely ordered family unit and community. God's declaration, "I will execute judgments on you," stresses His sovereign agency and judicial righteousness in delivering punishment. The scattering of "all your remnant to every wind" completes the picture of total devastation: not only will the city fall and its inhabitants suffer unspeakably, but those few survivors will also be stripped of their identity and dispersed globally, emphasizing a loss of national and spiritual rootedness. This extreme imagery serves to impress upon the exiles and future generations the gravity of profaning God’s covenant and the sanctity of His dwelling place. It reminds us that while God is love, He is also righteous, and His holiness demands a response to flagrant sin. The prophetic word leaves no doubt that His promises of judgment are as certain as His promises of blessing, underscoring the call to faithfulness.