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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Place a third of it at the center of your map of Jerusalem. After acting out the siege, burn it there. Scatter another third across your map and chop it with a sword. Scatter the last third to the wind, for I will scatter my people with the sword.

Context of Ezekiel 5:2

1“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. 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. 3But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment. 4Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thou shalt burnבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
• with fireאוּר'ûr · flameH217
• a third partשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
• in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• when the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of the siegeמָצוֹרmâtsôr mâtsûr · siegeH4692
• are fulfilledמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
• and thou shalt takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
• it with a knifeחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• thou shalt scatterזָרָהzârâh · to scatterH2219
• in the windרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
• and I will draw outרִיקrûq · to emptyH7324
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310

Cross-references for Ezekiel 5:2

• Ezekiel 5:12A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword.
• Jeremiah 9:21Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has removed the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares.
• Jeremiah 15:2And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “ ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’
• Jeremiah 24:10I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.’ ”
• Jeremiah 38:2“This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’
• Ezekiel 4:1“Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it.
• Ezekiel 12:14I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.
• Leviticus 26:33I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.
• Jeremiah 9:16I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.”
• Amos 9:2Though they dig down to the depths below, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, 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