Ezekiel9

God commands six executioners to approach Jerusalem, one of whom is to mark the foreheads of the righteous who lament the city's abominations. The other five are then ordered to utterly slay all inhabitants without the mark, beginning at the sanctuary. Ezekiel intercedes, but God justifies the judgment due to Israel's great iniquity and their belief that God has forsaken them.
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The Executioners Are Summoned

1
He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. ​
2
And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. ​

The Mark of Preservation

3
And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; ​
4
And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. ​

The Judgment Commences

5
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: ​
6
Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. ​
7
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 Intercedes for Israel

8
And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? ​
9
Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not. ​
10
And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. ​
11
And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. ​

Study Notes for Ezekiel 9

Verse 1

The 'charge over the city' refers to the six divine agents of destruction, highlighting that the coming judgment upon Jerusalem is divinely mandated, not merely a political or military accident.

Verse 2

The six men represent the instruments of God's wrath. The seventh man, clothed in linen, is distinct; he holds the writer’s inkhorn, symbolizing his role in preservation and record-keeping, separating the righteous from the wicked.

Verse 3

The movement of the Glory of God (the *kavod*) from the inner sanctuary to the Temple threshold foreshadows its complete departure (Ch. 10), leaving the structure undefended and vulnerable to destruction.

Verse 4

The mark (*tav* in Hebrew, originally shaped like a cross or 'X') identifies the faithful remnant—those who mourn the rampant idolatry and injustice in Jerusalem—thereby separating them from those appointed for judgment.

Verse 5

The command is absolute and severe, emphasizing that God’s patience has ended. This non-discriminating judgment reflects the total corruption of the city, where judgment is required for the entire populace.

Verse 6

Judgment beginning 'at my sanctuary' (compare 1 Pet. 4:17) signifies that those closest to God, who should have maintained holiness (the elders and priests), were the most responsible for the nation’s spiritual failure.

Verse 7

The command to defile the Temple with corpses is the ultimate sign of God’s rejection. Since the Lord’s presence has departed (v. 3), the building is stripped of its holiness and treated as common ground.

Verse 8

Ezekiel’s intercession echoes the pleas of Moses (Ex. 32:11). Despite witnessing the terrible sins, he remains deeply concerned for the covenant people, pleading that God not utterly destroy the 'residue' or small remnant.

Verse 9

God justifies the severity of the judgment by citing two primary sins: widespread bloodshed (violence and murder) and the cynical rejection of divine authority, captured in the belief that 'The LORD seeth not.'

Verse 10

This verse reiterates the divine commitment to justice, confirming that God will not compromise his holiness by overlooking the extreme wickedness and idolatry committed by his people.

Verse 11

The final report confirms the successful execution of the divine decree, concluding the vision of immediate judgment and signaling the irreversible nature of Jerusalem's fate.

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