Eze 6:13 | KingComments | STEP | Ezekiel is commanded to clap his hand, stamp his foot, and say “alas”, as an expression of disgust “because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel” ( ). He is thus again personally involved in the judgment God is bringing on His people. The announcement of judgment is not an emotionless affair. It works an emotional response in each person who must do so. Judgment will come on Jerusalem by the sword of the enemy, by famine because of the siege, and by the plague (pestilence) that will come as a result of starvation. The people here do not have the choice to choose one of these plagues, as once David had ( ), but will be affected by every plague. The pestilence that is going through the land will affect all those who live further away in the land ( ). The sword will strike those who are in and around the city, surrounded by the enemies. Those who have been able to hide and have been spared from the sword will die the slow death of starvation. This is how God will execute His wrath. He announces clearly what He will do. When the slain lie in all those places where they paid homage to their stink gods, they will know that He is the LORD ( ). Here again we have this knowledge of the LORD through and after judgment. It is terrible to come to know God in judgment ( ). They will also gain that knowledge through God’s judgment of their land which He will make more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah ( ). The wilderness toward Diblah is presumably east of Moab (see Almon-Diblathaïm and Beth-Diblathaïm).

‏ Ezekiel 6:13

Judgment by Sword, Famine and Plague

Ezekiel is commanded to clap his hand, stamp his foot, and say “alas”, as an expression of disgust “because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel” (Eze 6:11). He is thus again personally involved in the judgment God is bringing on His people. The announcement of judgment is not an emotionless affair. It works an emotional response in each person who must do so.

Judgment will come on Jerusalem by the sword of the enemy, by famine because of the siege, and by the plague (pestilence) that will come as a result of starvation. The people here do not have the choice to choose one of these plagues, as once David had (2Sam 24:13-14), but will be affected by every plague.

The pestilence that is going through the land will affect all those who live further away in the land (Eze 6:12). The sword will strike those who are in and around the city, surrounded by the enemies. Those who have been able to hide and have been spared from the sword will die the slow death of starvation. This is how God will execute His wrath. He announces clearly what He will do.

When the slain lie in all those places where they paid homage to their stink gods, they will know that He is the LORD (Eze 6:13). Here again we have this knowledge of the LORD through and after judgment. It is terrible to come to know God in judgment (Heb 10:31). They will also gain that knowledge through God’s judgment of their land which He will make more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah (Eze 6:14). The wilderness toward Diblah is presumably east of Moab (see Num 33:46 Almon-Diblathaïm and Jer 48:22 Beth-Diblathaïm).