Ezekiel 9:5 kjv
And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Ezekiel 9:5 nkjv
To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.
Ezekiel 9:5 niv
As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion.
Ezekiel 9:5 esv
And to the others he said in my hearing, "Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity.
Ezekiel 9:5 nlt
Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity!
Ezekiel 9 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 13:6-9 | "If your brother, the son of your mother...entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’...you shall not pity him or spare him" | No pity for idolatry |
| Deut 32:39-43 | "I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal...I will take vengeance on My adversaries" | God's absolute power and vengeance |
| 1 Sam 15:2-3 | "Go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them," | Unsparing judgment |
| Ps 78:49-51 | "He let loose on them His burning anger...a company of destroying angels." | Angels as agents of wrath |
| Prov 1:24-31 | "Because I have called and you refused...I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock..." | Wisdom's scorn for unheeded warnings |
| Isa 13:9-11 | "Behold, the day of the LORD comes...with wrath and fierce anger...to punish the world for its evil" | Day of the LORD's judgment |
| Jer 13:14 | "And I will dash them one against another...I will not pity or spare or have compassion..." | Divine judgment without mercy |
| Jer 21:7 | "And afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah...into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar...he shall strike them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them," | Political judgment, no mercy |
| Lam 2:21 | "In the streets the young and the old lie...You have killed them in the day of your anger, slaying without pity." | Lament over God's unsparing judgment |
| Eze 5:11 | "I also will withdraw My eye and I will not pity, nor will I spare." | Reinforces divine unpitying justice in Ezekiel |
| Eze 7:8-9 | "Now soon I will pour out My wrath on you...My eye will not pity you, nor will I spare," | Reiterates unyielding wrath |
| Joel 2:15-17 | "Even now, declares the LORD, return to Me with all your heart...Who knows whether He will not turn and relent..." | Potential for God to relent, but here no. |
| Zech 1:15 | "I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster." | God's anger at complicit nations |
| Matt 13:47-50 | "The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace." | Final separation and judgment by angels |
| Matt 24:36-39 | "For as were the days of Noah...so will be the coming of the Son of Man." | Sudden, comprehensive judgment on the unprepared |
| Luke 17:28-30 | "Just as it was in the days of Lot...so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed." | Sudden destruction for the ungodly |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," | God's universal wrath |
| 2 Thess 1:7-9 | "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven...inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God..." | Future judgment for those opposing God |
| Heb 10:26-27 | "For if we go on sinning deliberately...there remains no longer a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire..." | Dire consequence of deliberate sin |
| 2 Pet 2:4-9 | "if He did not spare the ancient world...but preserved Noah...then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment," | Judgment on ungodly, salvation for righteous |
| Rev 7:2-4 | "Do not harm the earth...until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." | Sealing for protection before judgment |
| Rev 9:3-4 | "They were told not to harm the grass...but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads." | Specific targeting of unsealed in judgment |
| Rev 14:14-20 | "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come...for her grapes are ripe." | Final harvest of God's wrath |
Ezekiel 9 verses
Ezekiel 9 5 Meaning
Ezekiel 9:5 reveals a divine command given to the agents of judgment to mercilessly execute the unfaithful inhabitants of Jerusalem. After those who lament the city's abominations are marked for salvation (Eze 9:4), the remaining, identified by the absence of the mark, are subjected to widespread, uncompromising destruction. The instruction emphasizes the complete lack of pity or sparing in the face of widespread spiritual corruption and idolatry.
Ezekiel 9 5 Context
Ezekiel chapter 9 depicts a visionary scene of divine judgment unfolding within the temple precincts and city of Jerusalem. Preceding this verse, the prophet witnesses various idolatrous abominations being committed even within God's sanctuary (Eze 8). In response to this deep defilement and rebellion, the glory of the Lord departs from the cherubim (Eze 9:3). Six angelic executioners, each with a destructive weapon, are summoned (Eze 9:1-2). Critically, a seventh figure, clothed in linen and carrying a writing case, is instructed to go through the city and place a mark (Tav) on the foreheads of those who "sigh and groan over all the abominations" committed in Jerusalem (Eze 9:4). Only after this separation is completed does verse 5 provide the stark command for the executioners to carry out indiscriminate destruction upon all those not bearing the mark. The historical context is the impending Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem (586 BCE), understood prophetically as God's judgment against His covenant people for their pervasive idolatry, injustice, and refusal to repent. This vision counters the false hope prevalent in Jerusalem that God would protect them unconditionally.
Ezekiel 9 5 Word analysis
- To the others: (אֶל-הָאֲחֵרִים - el-hā'akhērim) Refers to the six men with "slaughter weapons" (Eze 9:2). This highlights that multiple agents are involved in executing the judgment, all acting under a single divine authority. They are distinct from the "man clothed in linen" who marked the righteous.
- he said: (אָמַר - 'āmar) Implies the Lord God, whose glory was present (Eze 9:3) or a celestial figure authorized to issue the command. The divine voice carries ultimate authority in orchestrating this judgment.
- as I heard: (בְאָזְנָי - b'oznay, lit. "in my ears") Emphasizes Ezekiel's direct reception of the divine utterance, lending authenticity and certainty to the message. It's not a secondary report but a primary auditory experience within the vision, highlighting its veracity and gravity.
- 'Go through the city: (עִבְרוּ בָעִיר - ‘iḇrū ḇā‘îr) A command for extensive, pervasive action. The judgment is not localized but is to sweep across the entirety of Jerusalem, targeting its inhabitants universally.
- after him: (אַחֲרָיו - ’aḥărāw) Refers to the man in linen who marked the faithful (Eze 9:4). This establishes the critical sequence of events: salvation and identification precedes the execution of judgment. Judgment follows the definitive separation.
- and strike; (וְהַכּוּ - wəhakkū) A forceful, unambiguous command to inflict severe physical harm leading to death. The term signifies decisive, destructive action.
- do not let your eye have pity, (אַל-תָּחֹס עֵינְכֶם - ’al-tāḥōs ‘êneyḵem, lit. "do not let your eye pity") An absolute negation of compassion. Pity (חוס - chûs) signifies emotional sympathy leading to a desire to spare or protect. This command forbids any human or angelic sentiment of mercy, stressing the divine resolve in judgment.
- nor spare;' (וְאַל-תַּחְמְלוּ - wə’al-taḥməlu) Reinforces the previous command. To spare (חמל - ḥāmal) means to hold back, to show leniency, or to desist from an intended act. Its use alongside "pity" creates a double emphasis on the absolute and unyielding nature of the destruction. There are no exceptions or mitigations permitted.
- "Go through the city after him and strike": This phrase succinctly outlines the order, scope, and intensity of the judgment. The city-wide penetration signifies a total accounting, and the action "after him" (the marker) clearly indicates the selectivity of the targets: those without the protective mark. The imperative "strike" ensures deadly execution.
- "do not let your eye have pity, nor spare": This is a powerful, duplicated negative command. The repetition underscores the complete absence of clemency or compassion that is to characterize this act of divine justice. It portrays judgment as unswerving and thorough, demonstrating God's ultimate intolerance for prolonged, unrepentant sin among His people.
Ezekiel 9 5 Bonus section
The juxtaposition of the mark for salvation (Eze 9:4) and the unsparing destruction (Eze 9:5) presents a crucial theological distinction. God's judgment is not indiscriminate but precisely targeted. Those who "sigh and groan" over sin demonstrate a penitent heart that elicits divine preservation, while those immersed in abominations face the full force of His wrath. This dual aspect of justice – saving the righteous and punishing the wicked – underscores God's moral perfection. Furthermore, the scene emphasizes divine sovereignty; God alone determines the criteria for salvation and executes judgment, overriding human pity or intervention when necessary to fulfill His purposes. The use of heavenly agents performing such a grim task indicates the sacred and absolute nature of the judgment being carried out on earth.
Ezekiel 9 5 Commentary
Ezekiel 9:5 lays bare the uncompromising severity of divine judgment upon unrepentant spiritual defection. Following the demarcation of the faithful, this verse signifies God's justice precisely targeting those steeped in idolatry and corruption within Jerusalem. The direct, unpitying command to "strike" without "sparing" reveals that when sin reaches its full measure, divine judgment acts decisively and without reservation. This judgment is not capricious but is a measured response to decades of warnings ignored and covenants broken. The executioners are depicted as instruments of God's righteous anger, reflecting His intolerance for practices that defiled His sanctuary and dishonored His name. It powerfully illustrates that divine protection is conditional upon faithfulness and that ultimate accountability will be exercised with unwavering resolve upon those who reject Him. This moment of stern justice ensures the purification of His people, albeit through devastating means, and upholds His holy character.