Ezekiel 5

The prophet's hair to be weighed and divided to represent punishment for all Israel
Text Comments
Instructions continue from 4:1
1 ¶ 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.
 2 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.
 3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts. 
 4 Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.
  1 Knife Literally "sword" which is significant. Perhaps the prophet was to use a sword as a razor. On "razor" see is0720.
  1 - Head ... beard Cutting this hair was certainly humiliating to a Jewish man. David's servants got into trouble by causing humiliation 2sa1004.
  1 - Balances Precision in judgment.
  4 - Fire je40 & je41.
 5 ¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.
 6 And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.
  5 - Jerusalem ... midst An important place for witnessing to the nations.
  6 - Changed "rather, 'hath resisted My judgments wickedly;' 'hath rebelled against My ordinances for wickedness.'" (JFB) Also v7.
 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you;
 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.
 9 And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.
.10 Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.
  7 - Neither have done The heathen were true to their gods but the Jews adopted idols. See je0211.
  10 - Eat thy sons Moses had also predicted this le2629, de2853, je1909. Fulfilled 2ki0628f
 11 Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.   11 - Defiled my sanctuary Explained in chapter 8. A glance at the topics covered provides a quick idea.
.12 A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
 13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.
 14 Moreover I will make thee waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by.
  12 - A third part - The Lord is speaking v11. This is the explanation of the thirds of v2. The "third part" is seen in the first four trumpet calls of Revelation re0807.
  12 - Sword after them "(Le 26:33). Skeptics object; no such thing happened under Zedekiah, as is here foretold; namely, that a third part of the nation should die by pestilence, a third part by the sword, and a third be scattered unto all winds, and a sword sent after them. But the prophecy is not restricted to Zedekiah's time. It includes all that Israel suffered, or was still to suffer, for their sins, especially those committed at that period (Eze 17:21). It only received its primary fulfillment under Zedekiah: numbers then died by the pestilence and by the sword; and numbers were scattered in all quarters and not carried to Babylonia alone, as the objectors assert (compare Ezr 1:4; Es 3:8; Ob 1:21)." (JFB Commentary)
 15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
.16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
  15 - Instruction Or "warning." See le2631. What happened to Jerusalem is "instruction" to us even today.
  16 - Evil arrows "hail, rain, mice, locusts, mildew (see De 32:23,24)." (JFB).
  16 - Increase the famine "literally, 'congregate' or 'collect.' When ye think your harvest safe because ye have escaped drought, mildew, &c., I will find other means."
 17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.   Evil beasts This may be taken literally. Wild animals were probably more common then.
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Study questions - Chapter 5
Sorry we don't have them for the whole commentary.

  1. What concept do you see in the use of a razor in verse 1? Follow the link to the verses in Isaiah. Might this lesson apply to our day, too?
  2. Do you think that burning the of the beard might relate to pride? How?
  3. Verse 10 shows a terrible situation. Could you be true to the principles of heaven? Now is the time to pray for good character. God will give us the greater strength to remain true when we need it.
  4. How do trumpets help us understand the third parts? Verse 12.