God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 5:1
1⌞The Lord said,⌟ “Son of man, take a sharp blade, and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and beard. Take scales to weigh your hair and divide it ⌞into three even parts⌟.
Ezekiel 5:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber’s razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
- New International Version (NIV)“Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair.
Context of Ezekiel 5:1
⌞The Lord said,⌟ “Son of man, take a sharp blade, and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and beard. Take scales to weigh your hair and divide it ⌞into three even parts⌟. 2When the blockade is over, burn one-third of your hair in a fire in the middle of the city. Take another third, and cut it up with a blade around the city. Then scatter the remaining third to the wind, and I will draw a sword and go after it. 3Take a few strands of hair, and wrap them in the hem of your clothes.
Read all of Ezekiel 5Ezekiel 5:1 word by word
וְאַתָּ֨ה בֶן־אָדָ֜ם קַח־לְךָ֣׀ חֶ֣רֶב חַדָּ֗ה תַּ֤עַר הַגַּלָּבִים֙ תִּקָּחֶ֣נָּה לָּ֔ךְ וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ֥ עַל־רֹאשְׁךָ֖ וְעַל־זְקָנֶ֑ךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ לְךָ֛ מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִשְׁקָ֖ל וְחִלַּקְתָּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And thou, sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- thee a sharpחַדchad · sharpH2299
- knifeחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- thee a barber’sגַּלָּבgallâb · barberH1532
- razorתַּ֫עַרta‛ar · razorH8593
- to passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- upon thine headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- and upon thy beardזָקָןzâqân · beardH2206
- thee balancesמֹאזֵןmô'zên · balanceH3976
- to weighמִשְׁקָלmishqâl · weightH4948
- and divideחָלַקchâlaq · to divideH2505
Cross-references for Ezekiel 5:1
- Ezekiel 44:20“ ‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long. They must keep the hair on their heads trimmed.
- Leviticus 21:5“You should never mourn by shaving bald spots on your heads, shaving the edges of your beards, or slashing your bodies.
- Isaiah 7:20“On that day the Lord will hire the king of Assyria from beyond the Euphrates River to be a razor to shave the hair on your head, the hair on your legs, and even your beard.
- Daniel 5:27Weighed—you have been weighed on a scale and found to be too light.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 5:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Take thee a sharp knife - Among the Israelites, and indeed among most ancient nations, there were very few edge-tools. The sword was the chief; and this was used as a knife, a razor, etc., according to its different length and sharpness. It is likely that only one kind of instrument is here intended; a knife or short sword, to be employed as a razor. Here is a new emblem produced, in order to mark out the coming evils. The prophet represents the Jewish…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Translate it: take thee a sharp sword, for a barber‘s razor thou shalt take it thee. Even if the action were literal, the use of an actual sword would best enforce the symbolic meaning. The “head” represents the chief city, the “hair” the inhabitants - its ornament and glory - the “hair cut from the head” the exiles cast forth from their homes. It adds to the force of the representation that “to shave the head” was a token of mourning Job 1:20, and was…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1A type of hair, showing the judgments about to come upon the Jews. (Ezek 5:1-4) These awful judgments are declared. (Ezek 5:5-17) Verses 1-4 The prophet must shave off the hair of his head and beard, which signifies God's utter rejecting and abandoning that people. One part must be burned in the midst of the city, denoting the multitudes that should perish by famine and pestilence. Another part was to be cut in pieces, representing the many who were slain…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4The prophet had to perform two more sign acts (symbolic actions that showed God’s message). First, he took a sharp sword and used it like a razor. He shaved his head and his beard. This action showed the coming destruction described in Ezekiel 4 (compare Isaiah 7:20). In that culture, shaving off a man’s hair showed the loss of honor and strength. It was a public sign of shame (see 2 Samuel 10:4–5). Second, Ezekiel weighed the hair he had shaved. He…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-171. knife ... razor--the sword of the foe (compare Is 7:20). This vision implies even severer judgments than the Egyptian afflictions foreshadowed in the former, for their guilt was greater than that of their forefathers. thine head--as representative of the Jews. The whole hair being shaven off was significant of severe and humiliating (2Sa 10:4, 5) treatment. Especially in the case of a priest; for priests (Le 21:5) were forbidden "to make baldness on…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 5:1
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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