Ezekiel 5:17

So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken [it].

So will I send {H7971} upon you famine {H7458} and evil {H7451} beasts {H2416}, and they shall bereave {H7921} thee; and pestilence {H1698} and blood {H1818} shall pass through {H5674} thee; and I will bring {H935} the sword {H2719} upon thee. I the LORD {H3068} have spoken {H1696} it.

Yes, I will send famine and savage beasts upon you to leave you without children; plague and bloodshed will sweep through you; and I will bring the sword upon you. I, ADONAI, have spoken it.'"

I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

and I will send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee: I, Jehovah, have spoken it.

Commentary

Ezekiel 5:17 concludes a powerful passage detailing God's severe judgment against Jerusalem for its persistent idolatry and rebellion. This verse specifically enumerates the comprehensive nature of the divine punishment, emphasizing that the Lord Himself is the orchestrator of these calamities.

Context

Ezekiel chapter 5 is a pivotal section within the prophet Ezekiel's ministry, where God reveals the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Earlier in the chapter, Ezekiel performs a dramatic symbolic act – shaving his hair and beard, then dividing it into three parts, each representing a different fate for the city's inhabitants. This particular verse, Ezekiel 5:17, summarizes the four primary instruments of God's wrath that will be unleashed upon the unfaithful city: famine, evil beasts, pestilence, and the sword. It serves as a stern declaration of the certain and inescapable consequences of Israel's covenant breaking, following a pattern of God's indignation against their defilement of His sanctuary and their greater wickedness than surrounding nations.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse unequivocally states, "So will I send upon you," highlighting that these calamities are not random misfortunes but direct, intentional acts of God's righteous judgment against sin.
  • Consequences of Disobedience: It powerfully illustrates the severe repercussions of persistent rebellion against God's commands and covenant. The listed scourges are direct fulfillments of curses warned in the Mosaic Law, such as in Deuteronomy 28:15.
  • Comprehensive Devastation: The combination of famine, wild animals, disease, and warfare signifies a complete breakdown of societal order and a thorough desolation of the land and its people. This four-fold judgment is also seen in other prophetic books, such as Jeremiah 14:12.
  • God's Unwavering Word: The concluding phrase, "I the LORD have spoken [it]," underscores the absolute certainty and authority of God's pronouncement. What He declares will come to pass, demonstrating His faithfulness to His warnings as well as His promises.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV translation of Ezekiel 5:17 uses strong, evocative language:

  • "Famine" (Hebrew: ra'ab) indicates a severe lack of food, leading to widespread starvation.
  • "Evil beasts" (Hebrew: chayyah ra'ah) refers to dangerous, wild animals, which would not only attack people but also destroy crops and livestock, exacerbating the famine. This is a specific divine punishment, not just natural occurrence.
  • "Bereave thee" (Hebrew: shakkol) means to cause the loss of children or to make childless, emphasizing the devastating demographic impact of the judgments.
  • "Pestilence and blood" (Hebrew: dever v'dam) signifies deadly disease and violent bloodshed. These two are often paired in biblical prophecy as intertwined scourges, where disease weakens a population and makes it vulnerable to further violence or death.
  • "I the LORD have spoken [it]" (Hebrew: ani Adonai dibbarti) is a powerful declaration of divine sovereignty and the unchangeable nature of God's decree. It authenticates the prophecy as directly from God Himself.

Practical Application

While this prophecy was specifically directed at ancient Jerusalem, Ezekiel 5:17 offers timeless truths for believers today:

  • God's Justice: It reminds us that God is just and holy, and He will ultimately hold all people accountable for their actions. Sin has real, often severe, consequences.
  • Seriousness of Sin: The comprehensive nature of the judgments highlights the gravity with which God views disobedience and idolatry. It encourages a deeper reverence for Him and His commands.
  • Call to Repentance: The severity of these warnings implicitly calls for repentance and a turning away from sin. God's desire is always for His people to turn from their wicked ways and live.
  • Trust in God's Word: The phrase "I the LORD have spoken [it]" reinforces the reliability and certainty of God's Word, whether it be warnings of judgment or promises of salvation. What God declares, He will perform.
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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 38:22

    And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

  • Ezekiel 33:27

    Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely they that [are] in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that [is] in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that [be] in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

  • Ezekiel 14:21

    For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

  • Leviticus 26:22

    I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your [high] ways shall be desolate.

  • 2 Kings 17:25

    And [so] it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, [that] they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew [some] of them.

  • Ezekiel 14:15

    If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

  • Deuteronomy 32:24

    [They shall be] burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
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