Ezekiel 33:27

Eze 33:27 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely they that [are] in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that [is] in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that [be] in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

Ver. 27. They that are in the wastes.] Eze 33:4.

Shall die of the pestilence.] Or else of the famine, which is worse. When, where, and how this was fulfilled upon them, we read not; in Egypt likely, whither they went after Gedaliah’s death; if not sooner at home, as Jeremiah also had before prophesied. {Jer 42:13-14}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze 33:27. Surely they that are in the wastes — They who continue to dwell among the desolations of Jerusalem and Judea; shall fall by the sword — This they accordingly did, both through the civil dissensions among them, in the conspiracy formed against Gedaliah, and likewise by the Chaldeans revenging his death. And him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts — He shall be a prey to lions and other ravenous beasts, that will multiply in the ruined country. And they that be in the forts and caves — Out of the reach of men and beasts; shall die of the pestilence — My hand shall reach them, and send among them those destructive disorders which shall sweep them away. These three judgments here mentioned, the sword, destructive beasts, and the pestilence, together with famine, are often threatened as the last and finishing strokes of divine vengeance upon the Jewish nation: see Eze 5:12; Eze 5:17; Eze 6:12; Eze 14:21; Jer 15:3. By the forts and caves here spoken of, are meant the strong holds formed by nature in the rocks, or cut out in the sides of the mountains. Many of them were so large that men might secure themselves, their families, and their goods in them. So David is said, 1Sa 23:14, to abide in strong holds, and remain in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. Such was the cave of Adullam, where David had his residence for some time, and was there resorted to by his relations, (1Sa 22:1,) and at another time by his principal officers, 2Sa 23:15.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33:27-29 The rebels in Jerusalem would continue to inherit the curses of the Mosaic covenant—the sword, wild animals, and disease (see Lev 26:22-25)—until the mountains of Israel were desolate and these sinners were utterly destroyed.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

shall fall by the sword--The very object of their confidence would be the instrument of their destruction. Thinking to "stand" by it, by it they shall "fall." Just retribution! Some fell by the sword of Ishmael; others by the Chaldeans in revenge for the murder of Gedaliah (Jer. 40:1-44:30).

caves-- (Jdg 6:2; Sa1 13:6). In the hilly parts of Judea there were caves almost inaccessible, as having only crooked and extremely narrow paths of ascent, with rock in front stretching down into the valleys beneath perpendicularly [JOSEPHUS, Wars of the Jews, 1.16.4].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 27. They that are in the wastes] He seems to speak of those Jews who had fled to rocks, caves, and fortresses, in the mountains; whose death he predicts, partly by the sword, partly by wild beasts, and partly by famine.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(27) In the forts—is rather, in the natural fastnesses in which the land abounded.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

27. The “wastes” are the desolate cities; those that still hover about these ruins shall be slain by the enemy. The “open field” is the country, now depopulated and “the possession of wild beasts;” and the “forts,” coupled with caves, are the natural fastnesses of the land. Those taking refuge there shall die of the pestilence, due to crowding and famine. The remnant shall be exterminated from the land.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then shall they know that I am the Lord,.... An omniscient Being, that could foresee and foretell what would come to pass; and omnipotent, able to do whatever he pleased, and true and faithful to his word; and a sovereign Lord, whose will cannot be resisted; this they should see, own, and acknowledge:

when I have laid the land most desolate, because of all their abominations which they have committed: for though he is a sovereign Lord, yet he does not execute his judgments in an arbitrary way, merely cause it is his will, but because of the abominable sins committed by men, which provoke the eyes of his glory.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The wastes; the ruinous heaps of cities or towns, in which some sorry habitations might possibly be found by them.

Shall fall; the Chaldean soldier ransacking all places, and either expecting or by chance finding them there, shall kill in revenge of Gedaliah’s death and Ishmael with others shall destroy some of them.

That is in the open field; that wanders in the fields, shall be a prey to lions, or other ravenous beasts, that will multiply in that ruined country.

In the forts; out of the reach of men and beasts my hand shall reach, I will send the pestilence, that shall sweep them away.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They that are in the wastes. The words paint, with a terrible vividness, what was passing in Ezekiel"s fatherland. Did the fugitives of Judah seek the open country? they were exposed to the sword of the Chaldeans or of marauding outlaws. Did they seek safety in fortresses or caves? they were exposed, crowded together as they were under the worst possible conditions, to the ravages of pestilence.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh continues speaking to Ezekiel about the people who were living in the ruins of Israel.

As I live

"As surely as I am alive." Yahweh uses this expression to show that what he says next is certainly true. This is a way of making a solemn promise. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 5:11. AT: "I solemnly swear" (See: Idiom)

the ones in the ruins will fall by the sword

The phrase "fall by the sword" is an idiom. AT: "enemies will kill the ones living in the ruins" (See: Idiom)

those in fortresses and in caves will die of plagues

"plagues will kill the people who live in fortresses and caves"

fortresses

A fortress is a building that people build to protect themselves from enemies who attack them.

caves

Caves are natural holes in the side of a mountain or down in the ground. They are usually made of rock.

the pride of its might will end

The word "it" refers to the land, which refers to the people of the land. AT: "the people of the land will not be proud anymore that they are strong" (See: Metonymy)

the mountains of Israel will be deserted

This can be stated in active form. AT: "no one will live in the mountains of Israel" (See: Active or Passive)

there will be no one to pass through them

"there will be no one left to travel through the land or over the mountains"

know that I am Yahweh

When Yahweh says that people will know that he is Yahweh, he is implying that they will know that he is the one true God who has supreme authority and power. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 6:7. AT: "understand that I am Yahweh, the one true God" or "realize that I, Yahweh, have supreme power and authority" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

all the abominations that they have done

The abstract noun "abominations" can be stated as "things I hate." AT: "all the things they have done that I hate" (See: Abstract Nouns)

they have done

"the people have done"

translationWords

ruin

life

creature

plague

desolate

waste

proud

might

Israel

abomination

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

those who are in the ruins in the fortified cities that will ultimately become ruins.

and those who are in the strongholds in a hideout, to hide from the sword - I shall send the pestilence upon them.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.