Ezekiel 9

The comprehensive but equitable nature of Yahweh’s judgement on

Jerusalem/the Judean community.

Context
Chapter 9 describes the first stage of the judgement foreshadowed in 8:18 (‘Therefore I
will deal with them in anger ...’). This first stage consists of the slaughter of most of
Jerusalem’s inhabitants. The second and final stage of the punishment, the burning of the
city, is described in ch. 10. So ch. 9 is linked to what precedes (8:18) and what follows
(ch.10).

Furthermore, ch. 9 describes the first stage in the departure of the divine glory from the
temple and city (see 9:3). The further stages in the departure are described in chs 10 and
11 (see 10:18; 11:23). The step-by-step nature of the removal of the glory suggests that it
is a very reluctant departure on Yahweh’s part. It is reversed by the return of the divine
glory at the end of the book. Departure (and therefore judgement) is not Yahweh’s
ultimate intention.

Structure

Material about the ‘guards’ frames a dialogue between Ezekiel and Yahweh. This dialogue
takes place while the guards are doing their work.

1-2 The summoning of the guards

3-7 The despatch of the guards
____________________
8 Ezekiel’s protest
9-10 Yahweh’s response
_________________________
11 The report of the guard

Ezek. 9:1 Then he cried in my ears with a loud

voice, saying, “Bring near the executioners of
the city, each with his destroying weapon in his
hand.” 2 And behold, six men came from the
direction of the upper gate, which faces north,
each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand,
and with them was a man clothed in linen, with
a writing case at his waist. And they went in and
stood beside the bronze altar.

Ezek. 9:3 Now the glory of the God of Israel

had gone up from the cherub on which it rested
to the threshold of the house. And he called to
the man clothed in linen, who had the writing
case at his waist. 4 And the LORD said to him,
“Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and
put a mark on the foreheads of the men who
sigh and groan over all the abominations that
are committed in it.” 5 And to the others he
said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after
him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and
you shall show no pity. 6 Kill old men outright,
young men and maidens, little children and
women, but touch no one on whom is the mark.
And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with
the elders who were before the house. 7 Then
he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the
courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out
and struck in the city.

8 And while they were striking, and I was left

alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord
GOD! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel
in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

Ezek. 9:9 Then he said to me, “The guilt of the

house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great.
The land is full of blood, and the city full of
injustice. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken
the land, and the LORD does not see.’ 10 As for
me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I
will bring their deeds upon their heads.”

Ezek. 9:11 And behold, the man clothed in

linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought
back word, saying, “I have done as you
commanded me.”
Priestly Language and Ideas
• The linen robe of the chief(?) guard has priestly overtones as we have noted—especially
since the context is the temple. A similar blending of priestly and judicial functions occurs
in John’s vision of the risen Christ in Revelation 1.
• Judgement is again described in terms of defilement (9:7). The people have already
defiled the temple with their detestable deeds (5:11); now the temple is defiled with their
blood. The punishment fits the crime. Both the language and the categories of thought
are priestly.

Ezekiel 9 and individual responsibility

We met the idea of individual responsibility in connection with Ezekiel’s commissioning as
a watchman (3:16-21). Here we meet it in connection with God’s judgement on Jerusalem.
This is of course first and foremost a national judgement, and yet individuals receive
special treatment. Each individual is held accountable for his personal attitude to the
detestable acts that have been committed (9:4). Ezekiel’s protest in v.8 sets this in the
broader context of the older idea of a remnant (Isaiah/Amos, etc.). So the individualism of
Ezekiel 9 is just a further refinement of the remnant theology of the 8 th century
prophets. But it is moving in the direction of apocalyptic (Allen).