Ezekiel 5:2

Ezekiel 5:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.
• New International Version (NIV)When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword.
• English Standard Version (ESV)A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. And a third part you shall take and strike with the sword all around the city. And a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after them.

Context of Ezekiel 5:2

1“As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair. When the days of the siege have ended, you are to burn up a third of the hair inside the city; you are also to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind. For I will unleash a sword behind them. 3But you are to take a few strands of hair and secure them in the folds of your garment. 4Again, take a few of these, throw them into the fire, and burn them. From there a fire will spread to the whole house of Israel.

Ezekiel 5:2 word by word

שְׁלִשִׁ֗ית בָּא֤וּר תַּבְעִיר֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר כִּמְלֹ֖את יְמֵ֣י הַמָּצ֑וֹר וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֣ אֶת־הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֗ית תַּכֶּ֤ה בַחֶ֙רֶב֙ סְבִ֣יבוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית֙ תִּזְרֶ֣ה לָר֔וּחַ וְחֶ֖רֶב אָרִ֥יק אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

• When the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of the siegeמָצוֹרmâtsôr mâtsûr · siegeH4692
• have endedמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• you are to burn upבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
• a thirdשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
• a thirdאוּר'ûr · flameH217
• insideתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• you are also to takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• and slashנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• it with the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• all around the cityסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
• and you are to scatterזָרָהzârâh · to scatterH2219
• to the windרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
• For I will unleashרִיקrûq · to emptyH7324
• behind themאַחַר'achar · afterH310

Cross-references for Ezekiel 5:2

• Ezekiel 5:12A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them.
• Jeremiah 9:21For death has climbed in through our windows; it has entered our fortresses to cut off the children from the streets, the young men from the town squares.
• Jeremiah 15:2If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’
• Jeremiah 24:10And I will send against them sword and famine and plague, until they have perished from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.’”
• Jeremiah 38:2“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
• Ezekiel 4:1“Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem.
• Ezekiel 12:14And I will scatter to every wind all the attendants around him and all his troops, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.
• Leviticus 26:33But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.
• Jeremiah 9:16I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”
• Amos 9:2Though they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will pull them down.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 5:2

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2“The third part burnt in the midst of the city” represents those who perished within the city during the siege; “the third part smitten about it” (the city) “with” the sword, those who were killed about the city during the same period: “the third part scattered to the wind” those who after the siege were dispersed in foreign lands. In the midst of the city - The prophet is in exile, and is to do this in the midst of Jerusalem. His action being ideal is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Ezekiel was to burn one-third of the hair to show those who would die from hunger during the siege. He was to cut another third with a sword to show those who would die violently. He was to scatter the last third to the wind to show those who would go into exile.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Three classes are described. The sword was to destroy one third of the people; famine and plague another third ("fire" in Eze 5:2 being explained in Eze 5:12 to mean pestilence and famine); that which remained was to be scattered among the nations. A few only of the last portion were to escape, symbolized by the hairs bound in Ezekiel's skirts (Eze 5:3; Jr 40:6; 52:16). Even of these some were to be thrown into the fiery ordeal again (Eze 5:4; Jr 41:1…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 5:2

• Backsliders
• Ezekiel
• Prophecy
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Arrow
• Detestable
• Living creatures
• Rebuke
• Zedekiah (2)

Commentaries on Ezekiel 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings