Ezekiel 9

Chapters 8 through 11 of Ezekiel form a single extended vision. Ezekiel, a captive in Babylon, is carried in the vision to Jerusalem, where he sees abominable idolatry within the temple (Ezekiel 8). Chapter 9 depicts the judgment on that sin.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 Six men who have charge over the city come in by the higher gate, which lies toward the north, and stand beside the brazen altar. Each holds a slaughter weapon in his hand, and one among them is clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn at his side.
• Verses 3–4 The glory of God moves from the cherub to the threshold of the temple. The LORD commands the man clothed in linen to set a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and cry over the abominations done in the city.
• Verses 5–7 The others are commanded to strike without pity but not to come near anyone who bears the mark. The judgment begins at the sanctuary, starting with the elders who stand before the temple.
• Verses 8–10 Ezekiel falls on his face and cries out, asking whether God will destroy all the remnant. The LORD answers that the land is full of blood and perverseness, and that the people say, "The LORD hath forsaken the earth."
• Verse 11 The man clothed in linen reports that he has done as he was commanded.

Key Verses

• Ezekiel 9:4 "Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry": This verse shows that even in the midst of judgment some are set apart and protected. It connects with the theme of the remnant that runs throughout Scripture.
• Ezekiel 9:6 "Begin at my sanctuary": A declaration that judgment begins at the house of God.
• Ezekiel 9:8 "Wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel?": This verse portrays the prophet interceding on behalf of the people.

Figures and Places

• Ezekiel: The prophet who sees the vision and cries out in the face of the judgment.
• The six men: The executors who strike the city. Many commentators understand them as angelic beings.
• The man clothed in linen: The one who carries the inkhorn and marks the foreheads. His linen garment recalls priestly attire.
• Jerusalem and the Temple in Jerusalem: The setting of the judgment. The brazen altar refers to the altar of burnt offering in the temple court.
• The cherub: The heavenly being upon which the glory of God had rested.

Points for Reflection

• Chapter 9 is a vision, not a record of an actual massacre. It is generally understood as a foreshadowing of the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 BC. Because the scene includes the command to strike even the old and the young, interpreters have long wrestled with how to understand God's justice and judgment.
• The movement of God's glory to the threshold leads into the scene in Ezekiel 10 in which the glory departs from the temple.
• The Hebrew word translated "mark" is related to taw, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which in the ancient script was shaped like an X or a +. For this reason, some Church Fathers reportedly connected it with the cross. This, however, is a later interpretation and not something the text itself states.
• In the New Testament, the passage is often read alongside the scene in Revelation 7:3, where the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads. It also connects with 1 Peter 4:17: "The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God."

In the Korean Church

The phrase "those who sigh and cry" in Ezekiel 9:4 is frequently cited in sermons calling believers to grieve over the sins of the church and society, to repent, and to intercede.