Ezekiel 9 7

Ezekiel 9:7 kjv

And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

Ezekiel 9:7 nkjv

Then He said to them, "Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!" And they went out and killed in the city.

Ezekiel 9:7 niv

Then he said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!" So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

Ezekiel 9:7 esv

Then he said to them, "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out." So they went out and struck in the city.

Ezekiel 9:7 nlt

"Defile the Temple!" the LORD commanded. "Fill its courtyards with corpses. Go!" So they went and began killing throughout the city.

Ezekiel 9 verses

Ezekiel 9 7 Meaning

Ezekiel 9:7 declares that the divine judgment would begin with God's house, but then the men would be slaughtered outside the sanctuary. This signifies a turning point in the judgment of Jerusalem, moving from a spiritual cleansing within God's dwelling place to a physical purging of the unfaithful throughout the city. The judgment starts at the center of worship, highlighting the pervasiveness of corruption and the necessity of God's justice extending to all.

Ezekiel 9 7 Context

This verse is found within Ezekiel chapter 9, a vision of divine judgment upon Jerusalem. The prophet Ezekiel is shown a scene where men are sent with a marking instrument to identify those who grieve over the city's abominations. After this marking, others are commanded to go through the city and strike down everyone not marked. Ezekiel 9:7 marks a critical shift in the vision. Up until this point, the focus was on the internal corruption and the spiritual defilement within "the house" (referring to the Temple). Now, the judgment is to extend outwards, impacting the entire city and its inhabitants. The historical context is the impending destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, a consequence of the Israelites' persistent idolatry and disobedience, despite numerous warnings. This judgment was to be a demonstration of God's righteousness and faithfulness, even in His discipline.

Ezekiel 9 7 Word Analysis

• He said (וַיֹּאמֶר, wayyōmer): This is the standard Hebrew conjunction "waw" (וַ) meaning "and" or "then" combined with the Hiphil (causative) imperfect third-person masculine singular of the verb אמר (ʼāmar), meaning "to say." It signifies the continuation of the action, denoting that the commanding angel speaks as part of the ongoing divine decree.

• to them (לָהֶם, lāhēm): A prepositional phrase (ל, la - to/for) with a third-person masculine plural pronoun suffix. This refers to the men sent out to execute judgment.

• Defile (חַלְּל֣וּ, chal·le·lu): This is the Qal imperative third-person masculine plural of the verb חָלַל (chālal), meaning "to profane," "to defile," "to pollute." It carries a strong sense of desecration, especially of something holy. The command is directed at the executioners, instructing them to carry out their destructive work, thus rendering the sacred space impure through bloodshed and destruction. This verb often appears in contexts of breaking covenants or desecrating holy things.

• the house (הַבַּיִת, hab·bā·yit): The definite article "ha-" (הַ) attached to the noun בַּיִת (bā·yit), meaning "house" or "temple." In this context, it specifically refers to the Temple in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God. The command to "defile the house" underscores the extreme nature of the judgment—even the sanctuary itself, the epitome of holiness, will not be spared the ravages of war and destruction due to the inhabitants' sin.

• and fill (וּמַלְּא֣וּ, u·mal·le·'u): The conjunction "waw" (וּ) attached to the Piel (intensive) imperative third-person masculine plural of the verb מָלַא (mā·la'), meaning "to fill." The Piel stem emphasizes a thorough and complete filling. It intensifies the destruction within the courts.

• the courts (אֶת־הֶחָצְרוֹת, 'et·he·ḥa·tso·rōt): The definite article "he-" (הֶ) combined with the noun חָצֵר (chā·tser), meaning "court," "enclosure," or "yard." The plural form here indicates the various courtyards within the Temple complex. The command to fill these sacred spaces with slain further illustrates the overwhelming devastation to come, even intruding upon areas closest to God's presence.

• with slain (בַּחֲלָלִ֗ים, bə·ḥa·la·lim): The preposition "be-" (בְּ) meaning "in," "with," or "by," combined with the noun חָלָל (chā·lāl), meaning "slain," "wounded," or "a dead body." The plural form indicates multiple bodies of the dead. This word is closely related to the verb "to defile" used earlier, reinforcing the consequence of violating the holy. The courts are to be filled with the bodies of those killed in judgment.

• The transition from divine judgment starting within God's "house" to its expansion into the "courts" signifies that the defilement originates from within the spiritual leadership and the very core of worship, spreading outwards to the public areas. The repeated use of words related to defilement (חַלְּל֣וּ and the implications of the bodies filling the courts) highlights that the sin has infiltrated the sacred space itself, necessitating this extreme purging. The imperative commands show the direct and forceful nature of God's wrath against the unfaithfulness.

Ezekiel 9 7 Bonus Section

The act of defiling the house and filling its courts with slain echoes Old Testament instances of God's judgment upon Israel, such as the fall of Shiloh (1 Samuel 4). The judgment beginning "at my sanctuary" (a concept found in Jeremiah 25:29) is a consistent theme emphasizing that those closest to God, or the institutions representing His presence, bear the heaviest responsibility and face the most severe consequences for unfaithfulness. This concept is echoed in the New Testament when Jesus cleanses the Temple (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19), highlighting a future spiritual purging of God’s house. Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 3:17 warns that if anyone defiles God's temple, God will destroy him, linking this physical judgment to a spiritual principle of accountability for desecrating God’s dwelling place.

Ezekiel 9 7 Commentary

This verse marks a stark turning point in Ezekiel's vision. God's judgment, previously directed inwards to cleanse "the house" of its iniquity, now explicitly moves outwards to the "courts." The destruction is not confined to mere ritualistic defilement; it becomes a brutal physical cleansing. The sanctuary, meant to be a place of purity and God's presence, becomes a scene of carnage. This illustrates that no part of the religious or civic life of Israel is untouched by God's judgment when pervasive sin is present. It’s a devastating consequence of their infidelity.