King James Version

What Does Ezekiel 5:17 Mean?

Ezekiel 5:17 in the King James Version says “So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through...” — study this verse from Ezekiel chapter 5 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“So will I 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 the LORD have spoken it.”

Ezekiel 5:17 · KJV

Context

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 the LORD have spoken it.

16

When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

17

So will I 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 the LORD have spoken it.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
So will I 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 the LORD have spoken it. The chapter concludes by summarizing all judgment forms: famine (economic collapse), evil beasts (wild animals invading depopulated areas, Leviticus 26:22), bereavement (loss of children), pestilence (disease), blood (violence/war), and sword (military conquest). This comprehensive catalog exhausts punishment categories—nothing is left out. The accumulation emphasizes total devastation from every possible source.

"Evil beasts" (chayyah raah, חַיָּה רָעָה) represents creation's curse reversal. God originally commissioned humans to subdue creation (Genesis 1:28); covenant violation reverses this, making wild animals dominant and humans prey. "They shall bereave thee" (veshikkelukh, וְשִׁכְּלֻךְ) specifically means making childless—the ultimate generational tragedy, cutting off future hope. Combined with pestilence and bloodshed, these judgments assault human life from all angles.

The closing formula "I the LORD have spoken it" appears for the third time in this chapter (verses 13, 15, 17), emphasizing absolute certainty. God's word guarantees fulfillment; what He decrees must occur. For judgment, this is terrifying; for promises, it's comforting. The same God who faithfully executed judgment threats will faithfully fulfill restoration promises (Ezekiel 36-37). This drives us to Christ, who bore every curse (Galatians 3:13) so believers inherit every blessing (Ephesians 1:3).

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Historical & Cultural Context

Each judgment element found historical fulfillment. Famine during the siege killed thousands. When the city fell and population scattered, wild animals indeed reclaimed previously inhabited areas (Isaiah 13:21-22 describes this pattern). Disease spread through weakened, starving populations. Blood and sword characterized Babylon's conquest—mass executions and violent slaughter (2 Kings 25:7, 18-21).

The bereavement was particularly tragic. Many children starved during siege; others were killed when the city fell; surviving children were often separated from parents during deportation. The trauma of losing children—whether to death, slavery, or exile—devastated the generation that experienced Jerusalem's fall. Lamentations repeatedly laments dead children and broken families (1:5, 16; 2:11-12, 19-20; 4:4, 10; 5:11-14).

The comprehensive nature of these judgments fulfilled covenant curses warned centuries earlier (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). God's faithfulness to His word—both blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion—was vindicated. The severity taught that God's threats aren't empty rhetoric but certain realities requiring serious response. This historical lesson remains relevant: God's character guarantees He will do what He promises, whether judgment or salvation.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does the comprehensive catalog of judgments (six different forms) reveal sin's pervasive destructive effects?
  2. What does the inclusion of 'evil beasts' teach about creation's relationship to human covenant faithfulness?
  3. In what ways does Christ bearing all these curses (Galatians 3:13) provide assurance of believers' safety from judgment?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 16 words
וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֣י1 of 16

“So will I send”

H7971

to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)

עֲ֠לֵיכֶם2 of 16
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

רָעָ֞ב3 of 16

“upon you famine”

H7458

hunger (more or less extensive)

וְחַיָּ֤ה4 of 16

“beasts”

H2416

alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin

רָעָה֙5 of 16

“and evil”

H7451

bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)

וְשִׁכְּלֻ֔ךְ6 of 16

“and they shall bereave”

H7921

properly, to miscarry, i.e., suffer abortion; by analogy, to bereave (literally or figuratively)

וְדֶ֥בֶר7 of 16

“thee and pestilence”

H1698

a pestilence

וָדָ֖ם8 of 16

“and blood”

H1818

blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshe

יַעֲבָר9 of 16

“shall pass through”

H5674

to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in

בָּ֑ךְ10 of 16
H0
וְחֶ֙רֶב֙11 of 16

“the sword”

H2719

drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement

אָבִ֣יא12 of 16

“thee and I will bring”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

עָלַ֔יִךְ13 of 16
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

אֲנִ֥י14 of 16
H589

i

יְהוָ֖ה15 of 16

“upon thee I the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

דִּבַּֽרְתִּי׃16 of 16

“have spoken”

H1696

perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Ezekiel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Ezekiel 5:17 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Ezekiel 5:17 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ezekiel 38:22Ezekiel 14:15Leviticus 26:22Ezekiel 33:272 Kings 17:25Ezekiel 14:21

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