Ezekiel 5 2

Ezekiel 5:2 kjv

Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.

Ezekiel 5:2 nkjv

You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after them.

Ezekiel 5:2 niv

When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword.

Ezekiel 5:2 esv

A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. And a third part you shall take and strike with the sword all around the city. And a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them.

Ezekiel 5:2 nlt

Place a third of it at the center of your map of Jerusalem. After acting out the siege, burn it there. Scatter another third across your map and chop it with a sword. Scatter the last third to the wind, for I will scatter my people with the sword.

Ezekiel 5 verses

Ezekiel 5 2 meaning

Ezekiel 5:2 graphically portrays the three main categories of severe judgment awaiting the inhabitants of Jerusalem following the completion of the Babylonian siege. A third of the population is destined to perish by famine and pestilence within the city, symbolized by burning. Another third is marked for death by the sword outside the city, likely during attempts to flee or in direct combat. The final third will be scattered into exile among the nations, but even then, God's judgment will pursue them, bringing further tribulation and death by the sword. This prophecy underscores the divine certainty and the multi-faceted nature of the impending doom, revealing that there would be no safe haven from God's wrath due to their persistent rebellion and idolatry.

Ezekiel 5 2 Context

This verse is part of a series of highly symbolic acts and prophetic pronouncements that God commanded Ezekiel to perform to vividly communicate the certainty and severity of Jerusalem's destruction. In Ezekiel 5:1, God instructs Ezekiel to shave his hair and beard, an act deeply dishonoring in Israelite culture, signifying humiliation, mourning, and a loss of identity or power (2 Sam 10:4-5, Isa 15:2). This hair represents the entire population of Jerusalem. The cutting and dividing of the hair into three equal portions in Ezekiel 5:1 sets the stage for the specific fates detailed in verse 2, revealing how God would meticulously oversee the judgment.

Historically, this prophecy points directly to the devastating siege of Jerusalem by the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar, which culminated in the city's fall in 586 BC. This period saw immense suffering within the city from famine and pestilence, violent deaths from the invading army, and the eventual deportation of survivors into exile. Ezekiel’s ministry to the exiles in Babylon before the final fall of Jerusalem served as a stark warning and explanation for why God allowed such catastrophe upon His covenant people. Their persistent idolatry, social injustice, and defiance of God's law, highlighted in previous chapters, led directly to these precise and multi-faceted judgments, which reflected the covenant curses pronounced in texts like Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

Ezekiel 5 2 Word analysis

• You are to burn a third of it: הִבְעַרְתָּ (hiv‘artā) - 'cause to burn', 'kindle'. The verb denotes deliberate action. The burning of a third of the hair symbolizes those who would perish within the city walls during the siege, primarily through famine and pestilence, as the city itself would eventually be consumed by fire.
• in the fire: בָּאֵשׁ (ba'esh). Fire is a recurring biblical motif for divine wrath and destructive judgment (Isa 9:19, Jer 4:4, Am 1:4). Within the siege context, this often manifests as pestilence and starvation, causing bodies to be "burnt up" by fever or decay, as well as the actual burning of the city by the Babylonians.
• in the middle of the city: בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר (bĕtōkh hā'îr). This location specifies those who die inside Jerusalem during the siege, experiencing its horrors directly. It signifies the inability to escape and the profound suffering endured within its besieged walls (Lam 2:10-12).
• when the days of the siege are completed: בְּמִלֹאות יְמֵי הַמָּצוֹר (bĕmillō't yĕmê hammātsôr). This precise timing indicates that this part of the judgment occurs during or at the conclusion of the siege, reinforcing the suffering due to its duration and the subsequent destruction.
• Then take a third and strike it with the sword: וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת הַשְּׁלִישִׁית תַּכֶּה בַחֶרֶב (vĕlāqaḥtā 'et hashshlîshît takkeh baḥerev). The verb תַּכֶּה (takkeh) means 'strike down', 'smite', or 'kill', emphasizing violent, military death.
• the sword: חֶרֶב (ḥerev). The primary instrument of war and execution in the ancient world, representing direct military conquest and death at the hands of the enemy (Lev 26:25, Jer 9:16, Ez 6:12).
• all around the city: סָבִיב לָהּ (sāviv lāh). This implies those who fell in battle attempting to defend the city or those who tried to flee and were caught and slaughtered by the Babylonian forces surrounding Jerusalem. It also includes deaths in the immediate environs of the city.
• And a third you are to scatter: וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית תְּזָרֶה (vĕhashshlîshît tĕzarēh). The verb זָרָה (zārah) means 'to scatter', 'to spread abroad', referring to dispersion or exile. This points to the surviving inhabitants who would be forcibly removed from their land.
• to the wind: לָרוּחַ (lā-rúaḥ). This metaphor emphasizes uncontrolled, wide-ranging dispersion, seemingly without direction or pattern, like chaff scattered by the wind (Ps 1:4). It symbolizes the diaspora and forced resettlement of the Jewish people (Deut 28:64).
• and I will unleash a sword pursuit after them: וְחֶרֶב אָרִיק אַחֲרֵיהֶם (vĕḥerev 'ārîq 'aḥărêhem). This is a crucial addition. אָרִיק ('ārîq) means 'I will draw out' or 'unleash', implying active divine involvement. It signifies that even those who survived the initial judgments and went into exile would not be entirely safe from God's hand. The sword of judgment would continue to pursue them, ensuring that the covenant curses of exile included continued suffering and loss for many, not just relocation (Jer 44:27, Am 9:4). This highlights the severity and completeness of God's wrath, leaving no true escape.

Ezekiel 5 2 Bonus section

The deliberate division into "thirds" in Ezekiel 5:2 finds a striking echo in later prophecy, particularly Zechariah 13:8-9, where "two-thirds" are cut off and perish, and "one-third" is refined through fire. While Ezekiel’s context is largely about destruction due to rebellion, Zechariah introduces the nuance of refining. However, both highlight a divine, specific, and often painful, separation or categorization of the people. This precise arithmetic underscores that divine judgment is never arbitrary but meticulously applied according to God's holy standards. Furthermore, the fate of the three parts of the hair can be linked back to the comprehensive list of covenant curses found in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, where siege, sword, famine, pestilence, and dispersion are consistently enumerated as consequences for covenant infidelity. The "sword pursuit" after those scattered suggests that mere physical removal from the land does not negate God's authority or presence in judging the heart's rebellion. This was a direct refutation of any notion among the exiles that they were beyond God's reach or that their suffering was merely due to earthly conflicts, rather than divine decree.

Ezekiel 5 2 Commentary

Ezekiel 5:2 details the precise, tripartite judgment Yahweh pronounces upon Jerusalem, demonstrating His divine sovereignty and meticulous execution of justice. The hair, once a symbol of the people's identity and covenant relationship, is now the object of a controlled, segmented judgment. Each "third" signifies not randomness, but a deliberate apportionment of punishment, reflective of divine calculation rather than chaos. The initial symbolic actions foreshadow the historical events: the first third perishes within the city due to famine and plague intensified by the siege, followed by its burning. The second third represents those killed by military might outside the walls. The final third signifies exile, a punishment severe enough, but amplified by God's promise of continued pursuit by the sword, ensuring that even in foreign lands, judgment would still find them. This comprehensive and precise destruction underlines the depth of Jerusalem's rebellion, surpassing other nations (Ez 5:6), thus necessitating a correspondingly unparalleled punishment from a righteous and covenant-keeping God. The prophet emphasizes God's personal involvement, proclaiming, "I will unleash," making it clear that human agents merely fulfilled the divine decree.