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Commentary on Ezekiel 9 verses 5–11
In these verses we have,
I. A command given to the destroyers to do execution according to their commission. They stood by the brazen altar, waiting for orders; and orders are here given them to cut off and destroy all that were either guilty of, or accessory to, the abominations of Jerusalem, and that did not sigh and cry for them. Note, When God has gathered his wheat into his garner nothing remains but to burn up the chaff, Mat 3:12.
1.They are ordered to destroy all, (1.) Without exception. They must go through the city, and smite; they must slay utterly, slay to destruction, give them their death's wound. They must make no distinction of age or sex, but cut off old and young; neither the beauty of the virgins, nor the innocency of the babes, shall secure them. This was fulfilled in the death of multitudes by famine and pestilence, especially by the sword of the Chaldeans, as far as the military execution went. Sometimes even such bloody work as this has been God's work. But what an evil thing is sin, then, which provokes the God of infinite mercy to such severity! (2.) Without compassion: "Let not your eye spare, neither have you pity (Eze 9:5); you must not save any whom God has doomed to destruction, as Saul did Agag and the Amalekites, for that is doing the work of God deceitfully, Jer 48:10. None need to be more merciful than God is; and he had said (Eze 8:18), My eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity." Note, Those that live in sin, and hate to be reformed, will perish in sin, and deserve not to be pitied; for they might easily have prevented the ruin, and would not.
2.They are warned not to do the least hurt to those that were marked for salvation: "Come not near any man upon whom is the mark; do not so much as threaten or frighten any of them; it is promised them that there shall no evil come nigh them, and therefore you must keep at a distance from them." The king of Babylon gave particular orders that Jeremiah should be protected. Baruch and Ebed-melech were secured, and, it is likely, others of Jeremiah's friends, for his sake. God had promised that it should go well with his remnant and they should be well treated (Jer 15:11); and we have reason to think that none of the mourning praying remnant fell by the sword of the Chaldeans, but that God found out some way or other to secure them all, as, in the last destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the Christians were all secured in a city called Pella, and none of them perished with the unbelieving Jews. Note, None of those shall be lost whom God has marked for life and salvation; for the foundation of God stands sure.
3.They are directed to begin at the sanctuary (Eze 9:6), that sanctuary which, in the chapter before, he had seen the horrid profanation of; they must begin there because there the wickedness began which provoked God to send these judgments. The debaucheries of the priests were the poisoning of the springs, to which all the corruption of the streams was owing. The wickedness of the sanctuary was of all wickedness the most offensive to God, and therefore there the slaughter must begin: "Begin there, to try if the people will take warning by the judgments of God upon their priests, and will repent and reform; begin there, that all the world may see and know that the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God, and hates sin most in those that are nearest to him." Note, When judgements are abroad they commonly begin at the house of God, Pe1 4:17. You only have I known, and therefore I will punish you, Amo 3:2. God's temple is a sanctuary, a refuge and protection for penitent sinners, but not for any that go on still in their trespasses; neither the sacredness of the place nor the eminency of their place in it will be their security. It should seem the destroyers made some difficulty of putting men to death in the temple, but God bids them not to hesitate at that, but (Eze 9:7), Defile the house, and fill the courts with slain. They will not be taken from the altar (as was appointed by the law, Exo 21:14), but think to secure themselves by keeping hold of the horns of it, like Joab, and therefore, like him, let them die there, Kg1 2:30, Kg1 2:31. There the blood of one of God's prophets had been shed (Mat 23:35) and therefore let their blood be shed. Note, If the servants of God's house defile it with their idolatries, God will justly suffer the enemies of it to defile it with their violences, Psa 79:1. But these acts of necessary justice were really, whatever they were ceremonially, rather a purification than a pollution of the sanctuary; it was putting away evil from among them. 4. They are appointed to go forth into the city, Eze 9:6, Eze 9:7. Note, Wherever sin has gone before judgement will follow after; and, though judgement begins at the house of God, yet it shall not end there. The holy city shall be no more a protection to the wicked people then the holy house was to the wicked priests.
II. Here is execution done accordingly. They observed their orders, and, 1. They began at the elders, the ancient men that were before the house, and slew them first, either those seventy ancients who worshipped idols in their chambers (Eze 8:12) or those twenty-five who worshipped the sun between the porch and the altar, who might more properly be said to be before the house. Note, Ringleaders in sin may expect to be first met with by the judgements of God; and the sins of those who are in the most eminent and public stations call for the most exemplary punishments. 2. They proceeded to the common people: They went forth and slew in the city; for, when the decree has gone forth, there shall be no delay; if God begin, he will make an end.
III. Here is the prophet's intercession for a mitigation of the judgement, and a reprieve for some (Eze 9:8): While they were slaying them, and I was left, I fell upon my face. Observe here, 1. How sensible the prophet was of God's mercy to him, in that he was spared when so many round about him were cut off. Thousands fell on his right hand, and on his left, and yet the destruction did not come nigh him; only with his eyes did he behold the just reward of the wicked, Psa 91:7, Psa 91:8. He speaks as one that narrowly escaped the destruction, attributing it to God's goodness, not his own deserts. Note, The best saints must acknowledge themselves indebted to sparing mercy that they are not consumed. And when desolating judgements are abroad, and multitudes fall by them, it ought to be accounted a great favor if we have our lives given us for a prey; for we might justly have perished with those that perished. 2. Observe how he improved this mercy; he looked upon it that therefore he was left that he might stand in the gap to turn away the wrath of God. Note, We must look upon it that for this reason we are spared, that we may do good in our places, may do good by our prayers. Ezekiel did not triumph in the slaughter he made, but his flesh trembled for the fear of God, (as David's, Psa 119:120); he fell on his face, and cried, not in fear for himself (he was one of those that were marked), but in compassion to his fellow-creatures. Those that sigh and cry for the sins of sinners cannot but sigh and cry for their miseries too; yet the day is coming when all this concern will be entirely swallowed up in a full satisfaction in this, that God is glorified; and those that now fall on their faces, and cry, Ah! Lord God, will lift up their heads, and sing, Hallelujah, Rev 19:1, Rev 19:3. The prophet humbly expostulates with God: "Wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel, and shall there be none left but the few that are marked? Shall the Israel of God be destroyed, utterly destroyed? When there are but a few left shall those be cut off, who might have been the seed of another generation? And will the God of Israel be himself their destroyer? Wilt thou now destroy Israel, who wast wont to protect and deliver Israel? Wilt thou so pour out thy fury upon Jerusalem as by the total destruction of the city to ruin the whole country too? Surely thou wilt not!" Note, Though we acknowledge that God is righteous, yet we have leave to plead with him concerning his judgements, Jer 12:1.
IV. Here is God's denial of the prophet's request for a mitigation of the judgement and his justification of himself in that denial, Eze 9:9, Eze 9:10. 1. Nothing could be said in extenuation of this sin. God was willing to show mercy as the prophet could desire; he always is so. But here the case will not admit of it; it is such that mercy cannot be granted without wrong to justice; and it is not fit that one attribute of God should be glorified at the expense of another. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that he should destroy, especially that he should destroy Israel? By no means. But the truth is their crimes are so flagrant that the reprieve of the sinners would be a connivance at the sin: "The iniquity of the house of Judah and Israel is exceedingly great; there is no suffering them to go on at this rate. The land is filled with the innocent blood, and, when the city courts are appealed to for the defence of injured innocency, the remedy is as bad as the disease, for the city is full of perverseness, or wrestling of judgement; and that which they support themselves with in this iniquity is the same atheistical profane principle with which they flattered themselves in their idolatry, Eze 8:12. The Lord has forsaken the earth, and left it to us to do what we will in it; he will not intermeddle in the affairs of it; and, whatever wrong we do, he sees not; he either knows it not, or will not take cognizance of it." Now how can those expect benefit by the mercy of God who thus bid defiance to his justice? No; nothing can be offered by an advocate in excuse of the crimes while the criminal puts in such a plea as this in his own vindication; and therefore. 2. Nothing can be done to mitigate the sentence (Eze 9:10): "Whatever thou thinkest of it, as for me, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; I have borne with them as long as it was fit that such impudent sinners should be borne with; and therefore now I will recompense their way on their head." Note, Sinners sink and perish under the weight of their own sins; it is their own way, which they deliberately chose rather than the way of God, and which they obstinately persisted in, in contempt of the word of God, that is recompensed on them. Great iniquities justify God in great severities; nay, he is ready to justify himself, as he does here to the prophet, for he will be clear when he judges.
V. Here is a return made of the writ of protection which was issued out for the securing of those that mourned in Zion (Eze 9:11): The man clothed with linen reported the matter, gave an account of what he had done in pursuance of his commission; he had found out all that mourned in secret for the sins of the land, and cried out against them by a public testimony, and had marked them all in the forehead. Lord, I have done as thou hast commanded me. We do not find that those who were commissioned to destroy reported what destruction they had made, but he who was appointed to protect reported his matter; for it would be more pleasing both to God and to the prophet to hear of those that were saved than of those that perished. Or this report was made now because the thing was finished, whereas the destroying work would be a work of time, and when it was brought to an end then the report should be made. See how faithful Christ is to the trust reposed in him. Is he commanded to secure eternal life to the chosen remnant? He has done as was commanded him. Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none.
The cause of so many crimes is this: The people thought that there was no such thing as providence on earth and that God did not look after mortal things at all.… They either thought that there was no providence, or if there had once been any, it had forsaken its own people. Therefore, not even the eye of the Lord will spare them, nor will he have mercy.
(Verse 9, 10.) And he said to me: The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. And the land is filled with blood, and the city is filled with perversity. For they said: The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see. Therefore, I will not show pity nor have mercy: I will repay their ways upon their heads. Seeing his prophet weep for the people, the Lord, in his great anger, explains the reasons: not as he thought, unjust or excessive punishment, but a deserved and just sentence. Iniquity, he says, is great among the ten tribes of Israel and the two tribes of Judah, and not only great, but exceedingly great. And he not only said this once, but repeated it forcefully, so that the punishment is as great as the magnitude of the iniquity. From this we learn, contrary to what most people think, especially the Stoics, that sins are not equal; but rather, they are either great or small, and the judgement of the punisher varies according to the quality and quantity of the sinners. 'The land is filled,' he says, 'with blood,' or as the Septuagint translates, with peoples; and the city is filled with aversion, or as the Vulgate edition has it, with iniquity and uncleanness. Not a small amount of blood has been shed, but from one end of the city to the other; and the whole city has turned away from the worship of God, and as a result it is filled with uncleanness, clearly of idolatrous filth. But the cause of such great crimes is that they believed there is no providence over the earth, nor does God care about mortal things, according to what we read elsewhere (Virgil, Book IV, Aeneid).
Undoubtedly it is a task for the gods, this concern disturbs their tranquility. Because therefore they either thought that there is no providence, or that which was in other nations has now abandoned its own people: on account of this, the eye of God will not spare, nor will it have mercy: so that raging against vices, it may be appeased by virtues, and may repay their ways and sins upon their heads, either upon the principal (ἡγεμονικὸν) of the heart, or upon the leaders of the people, according to the book of Numbers, in which the leaders of the people are said to be the heads of the people.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 9:9 delivers a profound divine indictment against the collective sin of Israel and Judah, revealing the overwhelming magnitude and pervasive nature of their moral corruption. The verse highlights that their iniquity, characterized by widespread violence and systemic perverseness, had reached an "exceeding great" level. Crucially, it exposes the spiritual root of their rebellion: a defiant theological error rooted in the belief that God had abandoned the earth and was oblivious to their actions, thereby justifying the severe and imminent divine judgment that was about to unfold upon Jerusalem.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 9:9 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of divine judgment and the depth of Israel's sin. Hyperbole is powerfully evident in phrases like "exceeding great" and "full of blood," which are not literal measurements but intense exaggerations designed to emphasize the overwhelming and pervasive nature of Israel's moral decay. This overstatement underscores the absolute gravity of their wickedness. Anthropomorphism is present in the people's assertion that "The LORD seeth not," attributing a human limitation (inability to perceive or be aware) to God. This highlights their profound misunderstanding or deliberate denial of God's omnipresence and omniscience. Furthermore, there is a striking element of Irony in their declaration: they claim God does not see, yet the very fact that God is revealing their iniquity to Ezekiel and is about to execute judgment proves that He sees everything, and their denial is precisely the catalyst for the judgment He is about to unleash. The verse also functions as a Divine Indictment, serving as a formal, legal-like charge from God Himself against His covenant people, meticulously laying out the specific and overwhelming reasons for their condemnation.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 9:9 profoundly illustrates the biblical truth that God is not a distant or indifferent deity, but one who actively observes, knows, and holds humanity accountable for its actions. The "exceeding great" iniquity and the land "full of blood" highlight the destructive and defiling power of sin, not just on individuals but on entire societies, leading to a state of moral corruption that necessitates divine intervention. The people's assertion that "The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and The LORD seeth not" is a dangerous theological error, a form of practical atheism that denies God's omnipresence and omniscience, thereby emboldening sin and removing any perceived restraint. This verse serves as a stark reminder that God's justice is an inherent and active aspect of His character, and His judgment is a righteous response to unrepentant rebellion and the pervasive defilement of His creation and covenant.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 9:9 serves as a sobering mirror, reflecting the enduring human tendency to rationalize sin and deny God's active presence and ultimate justice in the world. For us today, it issues a powerful and urgent call to spiritual honesty and self-examination. We must vigilantly resist the temptation to believe that our actions, whether private or public, go unnoticed by God, or that He is indifferent to the moral state of our communities and nations. The "blood" and "perverseness" described in this ancient text resonate chillingly with the injustices, systemic violence, and moral decay we witness in our contemporary societies. This verse compels us to deeply examine our own hearts and the collective conscience of our communities: do we truly live as if God sees all, or do we, like ancient Israel, subtly operate under the dangerous assumption that God is distant, unconcerned, or simply not paying attention? Living in the profound awareness of God's omnipresence and omniscience should cultivate within us a deep sense of reverence, encouraging us to pursue righteousness, advocate passionately for justice, and repent swiftly and sincerely when we fall short. It reminds us that true freedom and peace are found not in denying God's sight, but in living openly, humbly, and obediently before Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "the land is full of blood" specifically refer to?
Answer: "The land is full of blood" (Hebrew: dâm) refers primarily to widespread violence, murder, and the shedding of innocent blood. This could encompass various forms of injustice, such as judicial corruption leading to wrongful executions, assassinations, or even the horrific practice of child sacrifice, which was associated with the idolatrous worship of gods like Molech (Jeremiah 19:4). It signifies a society utterly devoid of respect for human life and God's covenant laws, leading to the profound defilement and pollution of the land itself, crying out for divine retribution.
Why is it significant that the people say, "The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and The LORD seeth not"?
Answer: This statement is profoundly significant because it reveals the spiritual blindness, defiant rebellion, and practical atheism at the heart of Israel and Judah's sin. By claiming "The LORD hath forsaken the earth," they were asserting that God was no longer present or actively involved in human affairs, perhaps having abandoned His people or His creation. The accompanying phrase, "and The LORD seeth not," implies that God was either unaware of their actions or indifferent to them. This theological error served as a self-justification for their continued wickedness, as they believed they could sin with impunity, free from divine observation or consequence. It's a dangerous denial of God's omnipresence and omniscience, which are fundamental attributes of His character (Psalm 139:7-12). This denial was not merely ignorance, but a deliberate choice to live as if God were irrelevant, thereby fueling their moral decay.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 9:9, with its stark portrayal of Israel's "exceeding great" iniquity and the people's defiant denial of God's sight, finds its ultimate answer and profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The "blood" that filled the land of Israel, a testament to their pervasive violence and injustice, foreshadows the innocent blood of the Lamb of God that would be shed, not to condemn, but to atone for the very sins described here. While Israel's perverseness led to an inescapable judgment, Christ became the perfect, substitutionary sacrifice, bearing the full weight of humanity's "iniquity" and "perverseness" on the cross, so that all who believe might be forgiven and reconciled to a holy God (2 Corinthians 5:21). The people's assertion that "The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and The LORD seeth not" is tragically ironic in light of Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, fully revealing God's active presence, perfect knowledge, and intimate involvement in His creation (Colossians 1:15). Jesus's life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection demonstrate unequivocally that God has neither forsaken the earth nor does He fail to see; rather, He has acted decisively in Christ to redeem a fallen world, offering a new covenant where hearts of stone are replaced with hearts of flesh, enabling true righteousness and a genuine, Spirit-empowered awareness of His omnipresent and sovereign reality (Ezekiel 36:26-27).