Ezekiel 7 12

Ezekiel 7:12 kjv

The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

Ezekiel 7:12 nkjv

The time has come, The day draws near. 'Let not the buyer rejoice, Nor the seller mourn, For wrath is on their whole multitude.

Ezekiel 7:12 niv

The time has come! The day has arrived! Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for my wrath is on the whole crowd.

Ezekiel 7:12 esv

The time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all their multitude.

Ezekiel 7:12 nlt

Yes, the time has come;
the day is here!
Buyers should not rejoice over bargains,
nor sellers grieve over losses,
for all of them will fall
under my terrible anger.

Ezekiel 7 verses

Ezekiel 7 12 meaning

Ezekiel 7:12 declares the immediate and inevitable arrival of God's divinely appointed judgment upon Judah. It stresses that normal worldly activities like buying and selling, typically associated with gain and loss, will become entirely meaningless and irrelevant. The reason given is that God's fierce wrath will indiscriminately descend upon all the inhabitants and their amassed wealth, rendering all earthly possessions and economic endeavors vain in the face of such comprehensive destruction.

Ezekiel 7 12 Context

Ezekiel chapter 7 delivers a relentless and climactic oracle of divine judgment specifically against the land of Israel and its people, Judah, foretelling their impending desolation. It uses stark, definitive language, repeatedly declaring that "the end has come" (haqetz ba), marking the irreversible finality of God's patience. The preceding verses in chapter 7 highlight the comprehensiveness of this judgment, impacting all parts of the land and all social strata. It signifies the end of prosperity, peace, and security, dissolving all trust in human institutions, wealth, and false idols. Verse 12 is situated within this grim pronouncement, emphasizing the imminence of the "day" and the futility of engaging in typical human pursuits when universal wrath is about to break forth. Historically, this prophecy came during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, with the initial exile already taking place, pointing to the final and utter destruction of the city and temple.

Ezekiel 7 12 Word analysis

• The time is come (הָעֵת בָּא, `ha'et ba'`):
  • הָעֵת (`ha'et`): "The time" - not merely an arbitrary moment, but a specifically appointed, divinely ordained period or season. It denotes a moment in God's sovereign plan.
  • בָּא (`ba'`): "is come" - a verb implying arrival and certainty. In the Hebrew perfect tense, it conveys that the event is already as good as done, a complete certainty in God's eyes, emphasizing its inevitability.
  • Together: Highlights the absolute certainty and fixed nature of the divinely determined judgment. This is not a speculative future but an accomplished decree from God's perspective.
• the day draws near (הַיּוֹם קָרַב, `hayyom qarav`):
  • הַיּוֹם (`hayyom`): "The day" - often used in prophetic literature to refer to "the day of the Lord," a specific day of divine visitation, judgment, or salvation. Here, it denotes judgment.
  • קָרַב (`qarav`): "draws near" - literally "is near" or "has come close." It indicates imminence and a sense of urgent proximity. This phrase parallels "the time is come," intensifying the message.
  • Together: Reinforces the concept of impending, unavoidable judgment. The double declaration ("time is come," "day draws near") heightens the urgency and certainty.
• let not the buyer rejoice (אַל-יִשְׂמַח הַקּוֹנֶה, `al-yismaḥ haqqoneh`):
  • אַל-יִשְׂמַח (`al-yismaḥ`): "let not rejoice" - a negative imperative, a direct command not to find pleasure.
  • הַקּוֹנֶה (`haqqoneh`): "the buyer" - referring to one who acquires property, makes gains, or sees economic opportunity. In normal times, a successful buyer rejoices in their acquisition or profit.
  • Together: Under the coming wrath, any economic "success" or acquisition is utterly futile. There is no reason for worldly pleasure when all will be lost.
• nor the seller mourn (וְהַמּוֹכֵר אַל-יִתְאַבֵּל, `vehammokher al-yit'abel`):
  • וְהַמּוֹכֵר (`vehammokher`): "nor the seller" - one who sells or disposes of property, usually to avoid loss or gain capital. In normal times, a seller might mourn a loss or missed opportunity, or lament their need to sell. The KJV's "mourn" for `yit'abel` (to mourn, grieve, lament) aligns with the concept of distress associated with selling under unfavorable conditions or just the act of parting with possessions. Some alternative readings or textual interpretations exist regarding the exact Hebrew word, which could lean towards 'the oppressed' or 'the diminished,' but the majority scholarly consensus, particularly in the English translations like KJV, retains "seller" to create an economic pair.
  • אַל-יִתְאַבֵּל (`al-yit'abel`): "let not mourn" - another negative imperative, commanding against sorrow or lamentation.
  • Together: In the face of God's universal judgment, traditional concerns of gain or loss, joy or sorrow over economic transactions, become meaningless. Whether one profited or lost in the world's economy, the divine judgment transcends these concerns, making all such earthly pursuits irrelevant. The focus shifts from human economics to divine justice.
• for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof (כִּי-חָרוֹן אֶל-כָּל-הֲמוֹנָהּ, `ki ḥaron el kol hamonah`):
  • כִּי-חָרוֹן (`ki-ḥaron`): "for wrath" - `ḥaron` (חָרוֹן) refers to fierce anger, burning wrath, or indignation, particularly God's. `Ki` means "for," giving the reason for the previous statement.
  • אֶל-כָּל-הֲמוֹנָהּ (`el kol-hamonah`): "upon all the multitude thereof" - `hamonah` (הֲמוֹנָהּ) means its multitude, its tumultuous crowd, its population, its abundance of wealth, or its tumult/uproar. The suffix "-ah" refers to "the land" or "Jerusalem" (implied context).
  • Together: This is the definitive reason why normal life, with its buying and selling, becomes irrelevant. God's consuming wrath is not partial; it is universal, encompassing every person and every aspect of the land's prosperity. This emphasizes the comprehensive and inescapable nature of the impending doom.

• "The time is come, the day draws near": This phrase functions as a solemn, emphatic declaration of immediacy and certainty. The parallelism strengthens the urgency of the message. It's a divine appointment that cannot be avoided or delayed.
• "let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn": This is an idiom describing the cessation of normal economic activity. In an apocalyptic scenario, traditional measures of success (buying for profit) and failure (selling at a loss, or distress over loss of possessions) lose all significance. The impending disaster renders all human endeavors, gains, and losses moot. Earthly goods and their exchange cease to hold value.
• "for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof": This provides the justification and inevitability for the above statements. God's comprehensive, universal anger, aimed at the entire population and their worldly abundance, obliterates all previous human concerns and distinctions. The emphasis is on the totality and indiscriminacy of divine judgment.

Ezekiel 7 12 Bonus section

This verse reflects a common prophetic motif known as "the Day of the Lord" – a term not always referring to a single eschatological event but often a specific period of divine intervention and judgment within history. For Judah, this "Day" was the Babylonian invasion and destruction of Jerusalem. The prophetic declaration effectively freezes time for the community; their normal socio-economic rhythms are abruptly suspended, and they are forced to confront an existential crisis where their focus shifts entirely from marketplace dynamics to survival and accountability before God. This imagery later becomes a potent metaphor for any comprehensive, world-altering divine judgment, ultimately culminating in the final Day of the Lord referenced in the New Testament. The disruption of economic order symbolizes a complete breakdown of societal norms and security, demonstrating God's ultimate authority over all human affairs, including the economy.

Ezekiel 7 12 Commentary

Ezekiel 7:12 functions as an oracle of inescapable, final judgment. It is not merely a prediction but a divine decree declared as an accomplished fact. The repetition of "the time is come, the day draws near" conveys an overwhelming sense of immediacy and divine predetermination, signaling that Judah's probation has ended. In the face of this certain doom, the traditional human preoccupations with economic gain or loss ("buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn") are utterly exposed as futile. God's impending wrath ("for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof") is so universal and destructive that the distinctions and anxieties of worldly commerce become meaningless. All that was held valuable – property, wealth, business dealings – will be consumed by God's anger, affecting every person in the land without exception. This serves as a stark warning against placing trust in material security or ignoring the spiritual reality of God's righteous judgment. It underscores a central biblical truth: ultimate value resides not in temporal acquisitions but in one's standing before God.