Ezekiel — Chapter 7

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1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“O son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says to the land of Israel: ‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.

3The end is now upon you, and I will unleash My anger against you. I will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your abominations.

4I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’

5This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Disaster! An unprecedented disaster—behold, it is coming!

6The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. Behold, it has come!

7Doom has come to you, O inhabitants of the land. The time has come; the day is near; there is panic on the mountains instead of shouts of joy.

8Very soon I will pour out My wrath upon you and vent My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your abominations.

9I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that it is I, the LORD, who strikes the blow.

10Behold, the day is here! It has come! Doom has gone out, the rod has budded, arrogance has bloomed.

11Their violence has grown into a rod to punish their wickedness. None of them will remain: none of their multitude, none of their wealth, and nothing of value.

12The time has come; the day has arrived. Let the buyer not rejoice and the seller not mourn, for wrath is upon the whole multitude.

13The seller will surely not recover what he sold while both remain alive. For the vision concerning the whole multitude will not be revoked, and because of their iniquity, not one of them will preserve his life.

14They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one goes to war, for My wrath is upon the whole multitude.

15The sword is outside; plague and famine are within. Those in the country will die by the sword, and those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague.

16The survivors will escape and live in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valley, each for his own iniquity.

17Every hand will go limp, and every knee will turn to water.

18They will put on sackcloth, and terror will overwhelm them. Shame will cover all their faces, and all their heads will be shaved.

19They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.

20His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.

21And I will hand these things over as plunder to foreigners and loot to the wicked of the earth, who will defile them.

22I will turn My face away from them, and they will defile My treasured place. Violent men will enter it, and they will defile it.

23Forge the chain, for the land is full of crimes of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence.

24So I will bring the most wicked of nations to take possession of their houses. I will end the pride of the mighty, and their holy places will be profaned.

25Anguish is coming! They will seek peace, but find none.

26Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor after rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction from the priests will perish, as will counsel from the elders.

27The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and I will judge them by their own standards. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

1Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.

3Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.

4And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

5Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.

6An end is come, the end is come: it watcheth for thee; behold, it is come.

7The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains.

8Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations.

9And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the LORD that smiteth.

10Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.

11Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them.

12The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

13For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.

14They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

15The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.

16But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.

17All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.

18They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.

19They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

20As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them.

21And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it.

22My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it.

23Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

24Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled.

25Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.

26Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.

27The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

1Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2And thou, son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto the land of Israel, An end: the end is come upon the four corners of the land.

3Now is the end upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways; and I will bring upon thee all thine abominations.

4And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity; but I will bring thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.

5Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: An evil, an only evil; behold, it cometh.

6An end is come, the end is come; it awaketh against thee; behold, it cometh.

7Thy doom is come unto thee, O inhabitant of the land: the time is come, the day is near, [a day of] tumult, and not [of] joyful shouting, upon the mountains.

8Now will I shortly pour out my wrath upon thee, and accomplish mine anger against thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways; and I will bring upon thee all thine abominations.

9And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will bring upon thee according to thy ways; and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, do smite.

10Behold, the day, behold, it cometh: thy doom is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.

11Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; none of them [shall remain], nor of their multitude, nor of their wealth: neither shall there be eminency among them.

12The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

13For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they be yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, none shall return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.

14They have blown the trumpet, and have made all ready; but none goeth to the battle; for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

15The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword: and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.

16But those of them that escape shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, every one in his iniquity.

17All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.

18They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.

19They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels; because it hath been the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

20As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations [and] their detestable things therein: therefore have I made it unto them as an unclean thing.

21And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall profane it.

22My face will I turn also from them, and they shall profane my secret [place]; and robbers shall enter into it, and profane it.

23Make the chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

24Wherefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pride of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be profaned.

25Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.

26Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumor shall be upon rumor; and they shall seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.

27The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

1The Lord’s message came to me:

2“You, son of man—this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel: An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land!

3The end is now upon you, and I will release my anger against you. I will judge you according to your behavior; I will hold you accountable for all your abominable practices.

4My eye will not pity you; I will not spare you. For I will hold you responsible for your behavior, and you will suffer the consequences of your abominable practices. Then you will know that I am the Lord!

5“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A disaster—a one-of-a-kind disaster—is coming!

6An end comes—the end comes! It has awakened against you! Look, it is coming!

7Doom is coming upon you who live in the land! The time is coming, the day is near. There are sounds of tumult, not shouts of joy, on the mountains.

8Soon now I will pour out my rage on you; I will fully vent my anger against you. I will judge you according to your behavior. I will hold you accountable for all your abominable practices.

9My eye will not pity you; I will not spare you. For your behavior I will hold you accountable, and you will suffer the consequences of your abominable practices. Then you will know that it is I, the Lord, who is striking you.

10“Look, the day! Look, it is coming! Doom has gone out! The staff has budded, pride has blossomed!

11Violence has grown into a staff that supports wickedness. Not one of them will be left—not from their crowd, not from their wealth, not from their prominence.

12The time has come; the day has struck! The customer should not rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for divine wrath comes against their whole crowd.

13The customer will no longer pay the seller while both parties are alive, for the vision against their whole crowd will not be revoked. Each person, for his iniquity, will fail to preserve his life.

14“They have blown the trumpet and everyone is ready, but no one goes to battle, because my anger is against their whole crowd.

15The sword is outside; pestilence and famine are inside the house. Whoever is in the open field will die by the sword, and famine and pestilence will consume everyone in the city.

16Their survivors will escape to the mountains and become like doves of the valleys; all of them will moan—each one for his iniquity.

17All their hands will hang limp; their knees will be wet with urine.

18They will wear sackcloth, terror will cover them; shame will be on all their faces, and all their heads will be shaved bald.

19They will discard their silver in the streets, and their gold will be treated like filth. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them on the day of the Lord’s fury. They will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs because their wealth was the obstacle leading to their iniquity.

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.

21I will give it to foreigners as loot, to the world’s wicked ones as plunder, and they will desecrate it.

22I will turn my face away from them, and they will desecrate my treasured place. Vandals will enter it and desecrate it.

23(Make the chain, because the land is full of murder and the city is full of violence.)

24I will bring the most wicked of the nations, and they will take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the arrogance of the strong, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated.

25Terror is coming! They will seek peace, but find none.

26Disaster after disaster will come, and one rumor after another. They will seek a vision from a prophet; priestly instruction will disappear, along with counsel from the elders.

27The king will mourn and the prince will be clothed with shuddering; the hands of the people of the land will tremble. Based on their behavior I will deal with them, and by their standard of justice I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the Lord!”

1Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

2“You, son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh to the land of Israel, ‘An end! The end has come on the four corners of the land.

3Now is the end on you, and I will send my anger on you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations.

4My eye will not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations will be among you. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.’

5“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘An evil! A unique evil! Behold, it comes.

6An end has come. The end has come! It awakes against you. Behold, it comes.

7Your doom has come to you, inhabitant of the land! The time has come! The day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting, on the mountains.

8Now I will shortly pour out my wrath on you, and accomplish my anger against you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations.

9My eye won’t spare, neither will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways. Your abominations will be among you. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, strike.

10“‘Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has gone out. The rod has blossomed. Pride has budded.

11Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness. None of them will remain, nor of their multitude, nor of their wealth. There will be nothing of value among them.

12The time has come! The day draws near. Don’t let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is on all its multitude.

13For the seller won’t return to that which is sold, although they are still alive; for the vision concerns the whole multitude of it. None will return. None will strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.

14They have blown the trumpet, and have made all ready; but no one goes to the battle; for my wrath is on all its multitude.

15“‘The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the famine within. He who is in the field will die by the sword. He who is in the city will be devoured by famine and pestilence.

16But those of those who escape, they will escape and will be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, everyone in his iniquity.

17All hands will be feeble, and all knees will be weak as water.

18They will also clothe themselves with sackcloth, and horror will cover them. Shame will be on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.

19They will cast their silver in the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold won’t be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath. They won’t satisfy their souls or fill their bellies; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity.

20As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein. Therefore I have made it to them as an unclean thing.

21I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a plunder; and they will profane it.

22I will also turn my face from them, and they will profane my secret place. Robbers will enter into it, and profane it.

23“‘Make chains; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

24Therefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the pride of the strong to cease. Their holy places will be profaned.

25Destruction comes! They will seek peace, and there will be none.

26Mischief will come on mischief, and rumor will be on rumor. They will seek a vision of the prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.

27The king will mourn, and the prince will be clothed with desolation. The hands of the people of the land will be troubled. I will do to them after their way, and according to their own judgments I will judge them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Ezekiel proclaims that the end has come upon the land of Israel from every direction (vv. 1-4). He describes it with urgent, staccato language: the day is near, doom is dawning, and violence has grown into a rod of wickedness ready to strike (vv. 5-11). Ordinary economic life collapses, since buying and selling lose all meaning when no one will keep what they gain, and silver and gold are thrown into the streets as worthless (vv. 12-19). The chapter ends with the sanctuary itself defiled and the land handed over to foreign plunderers (vv. 20-27).

Authorship & Background

Author: Ezekiel son of Buzi (see Chapter 1 notes for full details).
Classification: Prophetic Oracle — The End Has Come
Key Themes: The finality of judgment ("the end"), economic collapse (silver useless), violence blossoming like a rod, all normal activity suspended, the Day of the LORD
Historical Context: This chapter has the rhythm of a funeral dirge — short, percussive phrases hammering home one message: The end. Not "an" end but "the" end — the definitive, final judgment on the land of Israel. Normal economic activity ceases (buying/selling meaningless, v.12-13). Military strength fails (trumpet blown but nobody goes to battle, v.14). Money becomes worthless (silver cast into streets, v.19). The chapter likely anticipates 586 BC — when everything they knew collapsed simultaneously.
An End Upon the Four Corners of the Land (vv.1-4): The word this chapter is built on is the end, and it is repeated until it stops being an announcement and becomes a sound. An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land. Now is the end come upon thee. What follows is judgment described as accounting, I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations, with the withdrawal stated twice, mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity.
An Evil, an Only Evil (vv.5-9): This block says the same thing as the last one with small variations, an evil, an only evil, behold, it is come. That is how the chapter works. It does not develop an argument, it repeats one with the intervals shortening, which is a formal imitation of what it describes. The day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains, that is, not the echo of a shout but the thing itself. And the refrain lands again, ye shall know that I am the LORD that smiteth.
The Rod Has Blossomed (vv.10-13): Behold the day, behold, it is come, the morning is gone forth, the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded. Growing imagery used of a punishment is characteristic of this book. Then the practical consequence, and it is economic: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, because the seller shall not return to that which is sold. Land in Israel was inalienable in principle and reverted at the jubilee; the announcement here is that the machinery of property has stopped meaning anything, because there will be nobody to inherit.
The Trumpet Blown, and Nobody Goes (vv.14-18): They have blown the trumpet, and made ready, but none goeth to the battle, which is the most economical picture of collapse in the chapter: the alarm still works and the response does not. The sword is without and pestilence and famine within, so both leaving and staying are fatal. Those who escape to the mountains are compared to doves of the valleys, all of them mourning. The physical description that follows became standard prophetic shorthand, all hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water, with sackcloth and baldness upon all heads.
Silver in the Streets (vv.19-22): They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed, and the reason is given in terms of what money can and cannot buy, their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD, they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels. Then the aggravation, that the same metal had been the material of the idols, it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity. The section ends with the temple itself handed over, I will give it into the hands of strangers for a prey, and they shall pollute it.
The Chain, and the Collapse of Every Office (vv.23-27): Make a chain, for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence. Peace is specifically ruled out, they shall seek peace, and there shall be none, and rumour follows rumour and mischief follows mischief. The last verses take the society apart by function, which is the most complete such list in the prophets: the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients, the king shall mourn, the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled. Every office named is one that was supposed to hold things together.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Ezekiel 7 - Bible Study, Explanation, and Application
2BeLikeChrist

Ezekiel 6-7 | A Broken Marriage | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Ezekiel 7 - Judgment is at the Door
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Ezekiel -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Everything Built on Sand Has an End (v.2) — Ezekiel announces that judgment is coming on every corner of the land, exposing how temporary their comforts and assumptions really were. Are you building your life on things that can end, or on the God who doesn't?
  • Sin That Blossoms Into Judgment (v.10) — The oracle pictures wickedness as a rod that has budded and is now flowering into full ripeness. What small compromise in your life is quietly budding toward consequences you haven't yet reckoned with?
  • Wealth That Can't Buy a Way Out (v.19) — When judgment arrives, silver and gold are thrown into the streets because money has no power to satisfy or rescue anyone that day. What are you investing your time and resources in that would prove worthless if it mattered most today?
  • When Every Source of Guidance Goes Dark (v.26) — Prophets lose their visions, priests lose the law, and elders lose their counsel all at once when God withdraws His presence. Are you treasuring the guidance available to you now, while it's still there to seek?