New English Translation
Ezekiel 9:7
7He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courtyards with corpses. Go!” So they went out and struck people down throughout the city.
Ezekiel 9:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then he said to them, "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out." So they went out and struck in the city.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.
Context of Ezekiel 9:7
5While I listened, he said to the others, “Go through the city after him and strike people down; do no let your eye pity nor spare anyone! 6Old men, young men, young women, little children, and women – wipe them out! But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary!” So they began with the elders who were at the front of the temple. He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courtyards with corpses. Go!” So they went out and struck people down throughout the city. 8While they were striking them down, I was left alone, and I threw myself face down and cried out, “Ah, sovereign Lord! Will you destroy the entire remnant of Israel when you pour out your fury on Jerusalem?” 9He said to me, “The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of murder, and the city is full of corruption, for they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land, and the Lord does not see!’
Read all of Ezekiel 9Ezekiel 9:7 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם טַמְּא֣וּ אֶת־הַבַּ֗יִת וּמַלְא֧וּ אֶת־הַחֲצֵר֛וֹת חֲלָלִ֖ים צֵ֑אוּ וְיָצְא֖וּ וְהִכּ֥וּ בָעִֽיר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, Defileטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
- the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- and fillמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- the courtsחָצֵרchâtsêr · courtH2691
- with the slainחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
- go ye forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- and slewנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- in the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
Cross-references for Ezekiel 9:7
- Ezekiel 7:20They rendered the beauty of his ornaments into pride, and with it they made their abominable images – their detestable idols. Therefore I will render it filthy to them.
- 2 Chronicles 36:17He brought against them the king of the Babylonians, who slaughtered their young men in their temple. He did not spare young men or women, or even the old and aging. God handed everyone over to him.
- Psalms 79:1O God, foreigners have invaded your chosen land; they have polluted your holy temple and turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
- Lamentations 2:4He prepared his bow like an enemy; his right hand was ready to shoot. Like a foe he killed everyone, even our strong young men; he has poured out his anger like fire on the tent of Daughter Zion. ה (He)
- Luke 13:1Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 9:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Defile the house - A dreadful sentence, Let it be polluted, I will no more dwell in it; I now utterly forsake it.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Defile the house - By filling the temple and its courts with the bodies of the slain. See Numbers 19:11.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 The slaughter must begin at the sanctuary, that all may see and know that the Lord hates sin most in those nearest to him. He who was appointed to protect, reported the matter. Christ is faithful to the trust reposed in him. Is he commanded by his Father to secure eternal life to the chosen remnant? He says, Of all that thou hast given me, I have lost none. If others perish, and we are saved, we must ascribe the difference wholly to the mercy…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Defile the temple: In the past, Queen Athaliah was dragged out of the temple before she was executed. This was done so that her blood would not defile (make unclean) the holy place (2 Kings 11:15–16). Now the situation was different. These idolaters were to be killed inside the temple. Their idolatry had already defiled it so deeply that nothing sacred remained there. Without God’s holy presence, the building was no longer truly holy. Protecting its outer…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-111. cried--contrasted with their "cry" for mercy (Eze 8:18) is the "cry" here for vengeance, showing how vain was the former. them that have charge--literally, officers; so "officers" (Is 60:17), having the city in charge, not to guard, but to punish it. The angels who as "watchers" fulfil God's judgments (Da 4:13, 17, 23; 10:20, 21); the "princes" (Jr 39:3) of Nebuchadnezzar's army were under their guidance. draw near--in the Hebrew intensive, "to draw…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 9:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 9
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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