Ezekiel-Chapter-5
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Chapter 5
serves as the verbal and symbolic climax to the series of “sign-acts” begun in the
previous chapter. Having acted out the siege and the famine, Ezekiel is now
commanded to perform a “prophetic haircut”, using a sharp sword as a razor.
This physical transformation represents the total stripping of
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Below are the verses of Ezekiel Chapter 5:1-17: and below the verses are
the Explanation’s. (Chapter is the JPS-1917 version of the
Tanakh).
1. “‘And thou, son of man, take
thee a sharp sword, as a barber’s razor shalt thou take it unto thee, and cause
it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard; then take thee balances to weigh,
and divide the hair.
Explanation: Ezekiel is commanded to take a “sharp sword” and use it as a barber’s
razor to shave his head and beard. In the priestly tradition, shaving was a
sign of mourning or humiliation; here, the sword emphasizes that the “haircut”
of the nation will be performed by the weapon of an enemy. The use of “balances
to weigh” indicates that the coming judgment is precisely measured, not a
random act of violence.
2. A third part shalt thou burn in
the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled;
and thou shalt take a third part, and smite it with the sword round about her;
and a third part thou shalt scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword
after them.
Explanation: The hair is divided into three equal parts, each representing a
specific fate. One-third is burned in the “city” (the brick from Chapter 4) to
signify death by pestilence and famine during the siege. The second third is
struck with the sword to signify those killed in battle. The final third is
scattered to the wind, signifying the exile and the continued pursuit of the
survivors.
3. Thou shalt also take thereof a
few by number, and bind them in thy skirts.
Explanation: A “few in number” are to be taken from the final third and bound in the
skirts of Ezekiel’s robe. This represents a small remnant that is preserved
from the initial destruction, though their safety is not yet guaranteed.
4. And of them again shalt thou
take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire;
there from shall a fire come forth into all the house of
Explanation: Even from that small preserved group, some must be taken and cast into
the fire. This indicates that the refining process of the judgment continues
even for the survivors; the “fire” of calamity will spread from this small
group to the entire House of Israel.
5. Thus saith אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim: This is
Explanation: The sign is explicitly identified: “This is
6. And she hath rebelled against
Mine ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My
statutes more than the countries that are round about her; for they have
rejected Mine ordinances, and as for My statutes, they have not walked in them.
Explanation: The legal charge is stated.
7. Therefore thus saith אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim: Because ye have outdone the
nations that are round about you, in that ye have not walked in My statutes,
neither have kept Mine ordinances, neither have done after the ordinances of
the nations that are round about you;
Explanation: Because the people did not even live up to the standard of the
“ordinances of the nations” (common moral laws), they have become more
turbulent and lawless than those who never received a Divine mandate.
8. therefore
thus saith אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim: Behold, I, even I, am against
thee, and I will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the
nations.
Explanation: The Divine Voice declares, “Behold, I, even I, am against thee”. The
judgment will be executed “in the sight of the nations”, making
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.
Explanation: The uniqueness of the punishment is emphasized. Because of the “abominations”
committed within the city, a judgment will be executed the likes of which has
never been seen before and will never be repeated.
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 unto
all the winds.
Explanation: The horror of the siege is described in stark terms: fathers will eat
their sons and sons will eat their fathers. This total collapse of the most basic
human bonds is the ultimate consequence of the famine and the “breaking of the
staff of bread”.
11. Wherefore, as I live, saith אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, 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, and I also will have no pity.
Explanation: The “abominations” and “detestable things” brought into the Sanctuary are
the primary cause for the Divine withdrawal. Just as the people defiled the
holy space, the Divine will “diminish” them without pity or sparing.
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 a third
part I will scatter unto all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.
Explanation: The three-fold fate from the hair-sign is reiterated: one-third die by
pestilence and famine, one-third by the sword, and one-third are scattered,
pursued by a “drawn sword” even in exile.
13. Thus shall Mine anger spend
itself, and I will satisfy My fury upon them, and I will be eased; and they
shall know that I יְהוָה - the LORD have
spoken in My zeal, when I have spent My fury upon them.
Explanation: The purpose of the judgment is the “satisfaction” of Divine anger. Only
when the judgment is complete will the people realize that the warnings were
not empty threats, but were spoken in “zeal”.
14. Moreover I will make thee an amazement and a reproach, among the nations that are
round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by.
Explanation:
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 יְהוָה - the LORD have
spoken it;
Explanation: The city becomes an “instruction” (musar) and an “astonishment”. Other nations will look at the ruins
of
16. when I shall send upon them
the evil arrows of famine, that are for destruction, which I will send to
destroy you; and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff
of bread;
Explanation: The “evil arrows of famine” are unleashed. These are not merely a lack
of food, but a deliberate “destruction” designed to break the very foundation
of the city's survival.
17. and I
will 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 יְהוָה - the LORD have
spoken it’”.
Explanation: The chapter concludes with a four-fold plague: famine, evil beasts (to
bereave them of children), pestilence/blood, and the sword. The finality of the
decree is sealed with the phrase: “I the LORD have
spoken it”.
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My Concluding
Message:
Ezekiel
Chapter 5 teaches that proximity to the Divine carries a proportional
responsibility.
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