Ezekiel 14:17

THE MESSAGE

"Or, if I bring war on that country and give the order, ‘Let the killing begin!' leaving both people and animals dead, even if those three men were alive at the time, as sure as I am the living God, neither sons nor daughters would be rescued, but only these three.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Or suppose I bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I wipe out both man and animal from it.

Hebrew Names Version
Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and animal;

King James Version
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

English Standard Version
"Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast,

New American Standard Bible
"Or if I were to bring a sword on that country and say, 'A sword is to pass through the country,' and I eliminated human and animal life from it,

New Century Version
"Or I might bring a war against that country. I might say, ‘Let a war be fought in that land,' in this way destroying its people and its animals.

Amplified Bible
"Or if I were to bring a sword on that land and say, 'Let a sword go through the land and cut off man and animal from it,'

World English Bible
Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and animal;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Or if I bring a sworde vpon this land, and say, Sword, go through the land, so that I destroy man and beast out of it,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,'

Legacy Standard Bible
Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,'

Berean Standard Bible
Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, 'Let a sword pass through it,' so that I cut off from it both man and beast,

Contemporary English Version
Or suppose I send an enemy to attack a sinful nation and kill its people and livestock.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Or if I bring the sword down on that land, saying, ‘Let the sword pass through the land,' so that I eliminate both its humans and its animals;

Darby Translation
Or [if] I bring the sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off man and beast from it,

Easy-to-Read Version
"Or I might send an enemy army to fight against that country. The soldiers would destroy that country—I would remove all the people and animals from that country.

George Lamsa Translation
Or if I should bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through that land, and I destroy man and beast from it;

Good News Translation
"Or I might bring war on that country and send destructive weapons to wipe out people and animals alike,

Lexham English Bible
Or, if I bring a sword over that land, and I say, ‘Sword, let it cross over into the land!' And I will cut off from it both human and animal.

Literal Translation
Or if I bring a sword on that land and say, Let a sword go through the land, and I will cut off man and beast from it;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Or, yf I bringe a swearde in to the londe, and charge it to go thorow the londe: so that I slaye downe man and beest in it,

American Standard Version
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast;

Bible in Basic English
Or if I send a sword against that land, and say, Sword, go through the land, cutting off from it man and beast:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say: Let the sword go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and beast;

King James Version (1611)
Or if I bring a sword vpon that land, and say, Sword, goe through the lande, so that I cut off man and beast from it:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Or if I bryng a sworde vpon this lande, and say, sworde go through the lande, so that I slay downe man and beast in it,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Or again if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Let the sword go through the land; and I cut off from them man and beast:

English Revised Version
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ethir if Y brynge in swerd on that lond, and Y seie to the swerd, Passe thou thorouy the lond, and Y sle of it man and beeste,

Update Bible Version
Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and beast;

Webster's Bible Translation
Or [if] I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

New English Translation
"Or suppose I were to bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through the land,' and I were to kill both people and animals.

New King James Version
"Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, "Sword, go through the land,' and I cut off man and beast from it,

New Living Translation
"Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals.

New Life Bible
If I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and animal from it,'

New Revised Standard
Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, "Let a sword pass through the land," and I cut off human beings and animals from it;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Or, a sword, I should bring upon that land, and should say. O sword! thou shalt go through the land, and so I should cut off therefrom, man and beast,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Or if I bring the sword upon that land, and say to the sword: Pass through the land: and I destroy man and beast out of it:

Revised Standard Version
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Let a sword go through the land; and I cut off from it man and beast;

Young's Literal Translation
`Or -- a sword I bring in against that land, and I have said: Sword, thou dost pass over through the land, and I have cut off from it man and beast --

Contextual Overview

¹² God 's Message came to me: "Son of man, when a country sins against me by living faithlessly and I reach out and destroy its food supply by bringing on a famine, wiping out humans and animals alike, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job—the Big Three—were alive at the time, it wouldn't do the population any good. Their righteousness would only save their own lives." Decree of God , the Master. ¹⁵"Or, if I make wild animals go through the country so that everyone has to leave and the country becomes wilderness and no one dares enter it anymore because of the wild animals, even if these three men were living there, as sure as I am the living God, neither their sons nor daughters would be rescued, but only those three, and the country would revert to wilderness. ¹⁷"Or, if I bring war on that country and give the order, ‘Let the killing begin!' leaving both people and animals dead, even if those three men were alive at the time, as sure as I am the living God, neither sons nor daughters would be rescued, but only these three. ¹⁹"Or, if I visit a deadly disease on that country, pouring out my lethal anger, killing both people and animals, and Noah, Daniel, and Job happened to be alive at the time, as sure as I am the living God, not a son, not a daughter, would be rescued. Only these three would be delivered because of their righteousness. ²¹"Now then, that's the picture," says God , the Master, "once I've sent my four catastrophic judgments on Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, disease—to kill off people and animals alike. But look! Believe it or not, there'll be survivors. Some of their sons and daughters will be brought out. When they come out to you and their salvation is right in your face, you'll see for yourself the life they've been saved from. You'll know that this severe judgment I brought on Jerusalem was worth it, that it had to be. Yes, when you see in detail the kind of lives they've been living, you'll feel much better. You'll see the reason behind all that I've done in Jerusalem." Decree of God , the Master.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I bring: Ezekiel 5:12, Ezekiel 5:17, Ezekiel 21:3, Ezekiel 21:4, Ezekiel 21:9-15, Ezekiel 29:8, Ezekiel 38:21, Ezekiel 38:22, Leviticus 26:25, Jeremiah 25:9, Jeremiah 47:6

so that: Ezekiel 14:13, Ezekiel 25:13, Jeremiah 33:12, Hosea 4:3, Zephaniah 1:3

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:6 - shall the sword Isaiah 65:12 - will I Jeremiah 5:10 - ye up Jeremiah 9:16 - and I Jeremiah 12:12 - the sword Jeremiah 21:6 - I will Jeremiah 25:29 - I will Jeremiah 34:17 - to the sword Jeremiah 47:7 - the Lord Ezekiel 12:14 - I will draw Ezekiel 14:21 - my four Ezekiel 21:16 - Go Ezekiel 33:2 - When I bring the sword upon a land Matthew 8:9 - Go Matthew 24:6 - ye shall hear

Cross-References

Judges 11:34
Jephthah came home to Mizpah. His daughter ran from the house to welcome him home—dancing to tambourines! She was his only child. He had no son or daughter except her. When he realized who it was, he ripped his clothes, saying, "Ah, dearest daughter—I'm dirt. I'm despicable. My heart is torn to shreds. I made a vow to God and I can't take it back!"

1 Samuel 18:6
As they returned home, after David had killed the Philistine, the women poured out of all the villages of Israel singing and dancing, welcoming King Saul with tambourines, festive songs, and lutes. In playful frolic the women sang, Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand! This made Saul angry—very angry. He took it as a personal insult. He said, "They credit David with ‘ten thousands' and me with only ‘thousands.' Before you know it they'll be giving him the kingdom!" From that moment on, Saul kept his eye on David.

2 Samuel 18:18
While alive, Absalom had erected for himself a pillar in the Valley of the King, "because," he said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He inscribed the pillar with his own name. To this day it is called "The Absalom Memorial."

Proverbs 14:20
An unlucky loser is shunned by all, but everyone loves a winner.

Proverbs 19:4
Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies, but poor people are avoided like a plague.

Hebrews 7:1
Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of the Highest God. He met Abraham, who was returning from "the royal massacre," and gave him his blessing. Abraham in turn gave him a tenth of the spoils. "Melchizedek" means "King of Righteousness." "Salem" means "Peace." So, he is also "King of Peace." Melchizedek towers out of the past—without record of family ties, no account of beginning or end. In this way he is like the Son of God, one huge priestly presence dominating the landscape always.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Or [if] I bring a sword upon that land,.... The land which had grievously sinned; the same land into which a famine should come, and through which evil beasts should pass; to which, if the Lord should add, as he would, a third judgment, the sword; suffer a foreign enemy to come in among them, and destroy them. So the Targum,

"or if those that slay with the sword I should bring upon that land;''

the Chaldean army, as he did; the sword has its commission from God; war is not by chance; the invasion of a foreign enemy is from the Lord; and all the mischiefs and ravages of a tumultuous army are all by divine order:

and say, sword, go through the land; not only enter the borders of it, or proceed far in it, but even go through it; which is terrible indeed! but if the Lord bids it go, it must go, and does; it is a servant of his, and punctually obeys his commands; that is, such are those that use it, however profane and wicked they may be in themselves, as generally armies consist of dissolute persons; yet these are under a divine direction, and are obedient to the will of God, though they may know it not. So the Targum,

"and I say that they that kill with the sword pass through the land:''

so that I cut off man and beast from it; by the sword; the one being destroyed as an enemy, the other for food.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jeremiah 14:0; Jeremiah 15:0 is a remarkable parallel to this prophecy. Here, as elsewhere, Ezekiel is commissioned to deliver to the exiles the same message which Jeremiah conveys to the inhabitants of Judaea. The answer discovers the nature of the questions which had been expressed or implied.

(1) Can God cast out a people who are holy unto Himself?

(2) Is it just to punish them with utter desolation?

The prophet answers:

(1) That when a people is so corrupt as to call down national judgment, individual piety shall save none but the individuals themselves.

(2) The corrupt condition of the people shall be made so manifest, that none will question the justice of God in dealing thus severely with them.

Ezekiel 14:12

Or, “When a land” - the case is first put in a general form, and then ism brought with increased force home to Jerusalem - “sinneth against me by trespassing grievously,” and I stretch out “mine hand upon it,” and break the staff of bread “thereof,” and send famine “upon it and” cut off “man and beast: though these three men” etc.

Ezekiel 14:14

Noah, Daniel, and Job - Three striking instances of men who, for their integrity, were delivered from the ruin which fell upon others. Some have thought it strange that Daniel, a contemporary, and still young, should have been classed with the two ancient worthies. But the account of him Daniel 2:0 shows, that by this time Daniel was a very remarkable man (compare Ezekiel 28:3), and the introduction of the name of a contemporary gives force and life to the illustration. There is in the order in which the names occur a kind of climax. Noah did not rescue the guilty world, but did carry forth with him his wife, sons, and sons’ wives. Daniel raised only a few, but he did raise three of his countrymen with him to honor. To Job was spared neither son nor daughter.

Ezekiel 14:22, Ezekiel 14:23

Ye shall be comforted ... - By a truer estimate of the dispensations of the Almighty. This visitation will be recognized as inevitable and just.