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“Now you, son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take balances to weigh and divide the hair. A third you will burn in fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are complete. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. Scatter a third to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them. 3Take a few from there and tie them up in your garment. 4Again take some of them, throw them into the midst of the fire and burn them in the fire. A fire will spread from it into 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

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 you will die with the plague and will be consumed with famine in your midst. A third will fall by the sword all around you. A third I will scatter to all the winds, and draw out a sword after them.
• Jeremiah 9:21“Say this,” declares Adonai. “The carcasses of men will lie like dung on the open field, like cut grain behind the reaper, with no one gathering them.”
• Jeremiah 15:2It will come to pass, when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ Then You will tell them, thus says Adonai: “Those for death—to death! Those for the sword—to the sword! Those for famine—to famine! Those for exile—to exile!
• Jeremiah 24:10I will also send the sword, famine and pestilence among them, until they be consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.”
• Jeremiah 38:2thus says Adonai: “He that remains in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by plague, but anyone who goes out to the Chaldeans will live—so he will keep his life like the spoils of war, and will live.”
• Ezekiel 4:1“Now you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you. Engrave on it a city, Jerusalem.
• Ezekiel 12:14I will disperse toward every wind all that surround him to help him and all his troops. I will draw out the sword after them.
• Leviticus 26:33I will scatter you among the nations and I will draw out the sword after you. So your land will become a desolation and your cities will become a waste.
• Jeremiah 9:16Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “Pay attention! Call the dirge-singers and let them come. Send for the most skillful wailers and let them come!”
• Amos 9:2If they should dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them. If they should go up to heaven, from there will I 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