Ezekiel 9 10

Ezekiel 9:10 kjv

And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

Ezekiel 9:10 nkjv

And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head."

Ezekiel 9:10 niv

So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done."

Ezekiel 9:10 esv

As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads."

Ezekiel 9:10 nlt

So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done."

Ezekiel 9 verses

Ezekiel 9 10 Meaning

Ezekiel 9:10 is a divine declaration of unmitigated judgment against the apostate people of Jerusalem. God asserts His unswerving commitment to justice, stating that His "eye" will not withhold or show pity, nor will He express compassion. He declares His intent to justly and fully recompense their sinful "conduct" directly upon their "own heads," signifying that they will personally suffer the full, appropriate consequences of their actions without any reprieve.

Ezekiel 9 10 Context

Ezekiel 9:10 is found within a visionary chapter that depicts God's impending judgment upon Jerusalem and the Temple, leading to their destruction by Babylon. Chapters 8-11 form a literary unit describing the abominations in the Temple, the glory of the Lord departing, and the resulting judgment. Specifically, in chapter 9, God commands six angelic executioners (or men with weapons) to bring slaughter upon the city, but first, one man clothed in linen is instructed to mark those who "sigh and groan over all the abominations" committed in the city (Ezek 9:4). This marking distinguishes the righteous for preservation. The subsequent command is to slaughter all others, "old men, young men, and maidens, little children and women," starting from the sanctuary, "without pity or compassion" (Ezek 9:5-6). Ezekiel 9:10 directly follows this command and the initial stages of its execution, serving as God's personal reaffirmation and solemn oath that He will indeed carry out this judgment with complete resolve, offering no mercy or clemency for the deep-seated wickedness of His people. The people of Judah had persisted in idolatry, moral depravity, and defiance of God's law, believing Jerusalem and the Temple were inviolable, which this judgment firmly refutes.

Ezekiel 9 10 Word analysis

• And as for me, (וַאֲנִי - wa'ani): This is an emphatic personal pronoun. The "ו" (wa) acts as a conjunction ("and" or "but"), while "אֲנִי" (ani) is "I." This construction highlights God's personal resolve and direct involvement in the judgment. It underscores that this decision is His sovereign decree.
• my eye (גַּם־עֵינִי - gam-'eini): "גַּם" (gam) means "also" or "even," intensifying the phrase. "עֵינִי" ('eini) is "my eye." In biblical usage, the "eye" (עין - ayin) often represents observation, awareness, and particularly emotion like pity or compassion, or lack thereof. The phrase "even My eye" stresses that even His customary inclination to perceive with mercy will be overridden by the necessity of justice.
• will not spare, (לֹא־תָחוֹס - lo'-takhos): "לֹא" (lo') is the negation "not." "תָחוֹס" (takhos) comes from the verb חוּס (ḥus), meaning "to pity, to spare, to look upon with compassion, to hold back." This emphasizes that God will not hold back His hand of judgment.
• nor will I have pity; (וְלֹא־אֶחְמוֹל - v'lo'-ekhmol): "וְלֹא" (v'lo') is "and not" or "nor." "אֶחְמוֹל" (ekhmol) comes from the verb חָמַל (ḥamal), which means "to pity, to be merciful, to show compassion, to spare." Often used alongside חוּס (ḥus), this intensifies the declaration that no mercy will be shown, affirming absolute, unmitigated judgment. It conveys an utter lack of emotional softening towards the guilty.
• I will repay (נָתַתִּי - natatti, literally "I have put/given"): "נָתַתִּי" is the perfect tense of the verb נָתַן (natan), "to give, to put, to place." The use of the perfect tense here, though referring to a future act in human perception, denotes the certainty, finality, and established decree of God's action. It’s as good as done in God's eternal plan. The active form emphasizes God as the initiator of this recompense.
• their conduct (כְּדַרְכָּם - k'darkam): "כְּ" (k') means "according to" or "as." "דַּרְכָּם" (darkam) is "their way/path," referring to their course of life, behavior, or conduct. The word דֶּרֶךְ (derek) often carries moral connotations in Scripture, indicating how one lives their life. Thus, God's judgment is precisely measured and applied based on the totality of their evil actions and sinful lifestyle.
• on their own heads. (בְרֹאשָׁם - b'rosham): "בְּ" (b') means "on" or "upon." "רֹאשָׁם" (rosham) is "their head." This is a common biblical idiom meaning that the consequences of one's actions, whether good or evil, will fall directly and personally upon oneself. It signifies direct personal responsibility and a fitting retribution where the harm returns to its originator.

Words-group analysis:

• "And as for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity;": This phrase highlights God's determined resolution. It reveals a specific attribute of God—His justice—taking precedence over His mercy in the context of persistent, defiant sin. It's a solemn declaration, an oath that leaves no room for reprieve. The pairing of "not spare" and "not have pity" is a strong rhetorical device in Hebrew, reinforcing the absolute finality of the decision. This formula is characteristic of intense divine judgment pronouncements in Scripture, emphasizing God's role as the supreme Judge who acts with unwavering resolve when His holiness and justice demand it.
• "I will repay their conduct on their own heads.": This phrase establishes the principle of divine retribution. The consequences are proportionate ("according to their conduct") and directly assigned to the responsible parties ("on their own heads"). It’s a powerful statement of just recompense, affirming that sin does not go unpunished and that individuals are personally accountable before God for their deeds. The use of the perfect tense "I have given" (often translated as future "I will repay" in this context) conveys the certainty and divine decree of this retribution, already established and fixed in God's counsel.

Ezekiel 9 10 Bonus section

• The phrase "my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity" is a judicial formula found repeatedly in both the Mosaic Law (e.g., Deut 7:16; 13:8; 19:13, 21; 25:12) and prophetic books (e.g., Jer 13:14; Lam 2:2, 21; Ezek 5:11; 7:4, 9; 8:18), often in contexts demanding extreme severity against evil or apostasy. Its use in Ezekiel highlights that Jerusalem's sins were deemed so severe that they warranted the same, uncompromised judgment as that meted out to Israel's pagan enemies, or even for heinous crimes within Israel's own community that threatened its holiness.
• This verse stands as a strong polemic against the false prophets who continued to declare peace and invincibility for Jerusalem (Ezek 13). It directly confronts the misplaced trust in the physical presence of the Temple as a guarantee of safety, proving that God's presence, rather than protecting unrepentant sinners, would depart, making way for judgment.
• The perfect tense "I have put" (נָתַתִּי - natatti) for what we perceive as future action ("I will repay") is a common Hebrew idiom called the "prophetic perfect." It signifies the certainty and immutability of God's word and decree—what God has purposed is as good as done. This adds to the sense of finality and inescapability of the judgment described.
• While this verse depicts severe judgment without pity, it does not contradict God's merciful nature. Rather, it reveals the boundary of His patience and the necessary outworking of His justice when mercy is persistently spurned. Even in Ezekiel, promises of restoration and a new covenant emerge (Ezek 36), showing that judgment is a pathway to eventual purification and restoration for a remnant. This specific judgment, however, leaves no room for clemency for the targeted unrighteous within Jerusalem at that time.

Ezekiel 9 10 Commentary

Ezekiel 9:10 serves as God's solemn and emphatic reaffirmation of His impending, unmitigated judgment on Jerusalem for its pervasive idolatry and wickedness. It communicates the critical theological principle that while God is abounding in steadfast love and mercy, His holy character demands justice. When a people or nation, despite repeated warnings and patience, descends into defiant apostasy, desecrates what is holy, and ignores His truth, a point is reached where divine mercy withdraws, and justice takes its course. The imagery of God's "eye" not sparing emphasizes a deliberate, unblinking decision, devoid of emotional clemency. This judgment is not capricious but is a precise repayment, "according to their conduct," underscoring personal responsibility and the ethical foundation of God's rule. The consequences are borne directly by the perpetrators ("on their own heads"), signifying an inescapable and just recompense for their actions. This verse powerfully reminds us of the serious consequences of sin and God's unwavering commitment to uphold righteousness.