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; take and use it as a barber’s razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair. A third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and a third you shall scatter to the wind; for I will unsheathe a sword behind them. 3Take also a few hairs in number from them and bind them in the hems of your robes. 4Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the 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

• A thirdשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
• you shall burnבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
• in the fireאוּר'ûr · flameH217
• at the centerתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of the siegeמָצוֹרmâtsôr mâtsûr · siegeH4692
• are completedמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• Then you shall takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• and strikeנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• with the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• allסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
• you shall scatterזָרָהzârâh · to scatterH2219
• to the windרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
• behindאַחַר'achar · afterH310

Cross-references for Ezekiel 5:2

• Ezekiel 5:12A third of you will die by plague or perish by famine among you, a third will fall by the sword around you, and a third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.
• Jeremiah 9:21For death has come up through our windows; It has entered our palaces To eliminate the children from the streets, The young men from the public squares.
• Jeremiah 15:2And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’
• Jeremiah 24:10And I will send the sword, the famine, and the plague upon them until they are eliminated from the land which I gave to them and their forefathers.’”
• Jeremiah 38:2“This is what the Lord says: ‘Anyone who stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who surrenders to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as plunder, and stay alive.’
• Ezekiel 4:1“Now you, son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you, and inscribe a city on it--Jerusalem.
• Ezekiel 12:14And I will scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them.
• Leviticus 26:33You, however, I will scatter among the nations, and I will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become ruins.
• Jeremiah 9:16I will also scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them until I have put an end to them.”
• Amos 9:2Though they dig into Sheol, From there My hand will take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there I will bring 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