But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

EZEKIEL 12:16KJV
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Ezekiel 12:16 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 12:16 mean?

Ezekiel 12:16 means that God will spare a small number of people from destruction by sword, famine, and disease, so that these survivors can tell other nations about the wrongdoings of their people and make it clear that the LORD is truly God. The verse shows that even in judgment, God has a purpose for those who remain.

In this verse, the prophet Ezekiel is relaying God’s message to the people of Israel during a time when Jerusalem was facing disaster because of their actions. God says He will not wipe everyone out; instead, He will leave a few survivors. These survivors will be scattered among other nations, where they will openly admit the sins ("abominations") of their people, and through this, both they and the nations around them will recognize the LORD’s authority and reality.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 12:16

  • "leave" (וְהוֹתַרְתִּי, v’hotarti): This word means to spare or leave behind, emphasizing that the survival of a few is a deliberate act by God, not an accident.
  • "few" (מִסְפָּר, mispar): This word means "number," often used to stress that the group left is small, highlighting the scale of the judgment.
  • "declare" (יְסַפְּרוּ, yesapru): This word means to recount or tell, showing that the survivors have an active role in explaining and confessing the nation’s wrongs.
  • "abominations" (תּוֹעֲבוֹתֵיהֶם, toavoteihem): This word refers to detestable acts, usually idol worship or serious moral failings, making clear what the survivors are admitting to the nations.

Why Ezekiel 12:16 matters

  • Ezekiel 12:16 shows that God’s judgment is not just about punishment; it also has a purpose for those who survive, turning their experience into a warning and a lesson for others.
  • The verse highlights that God’s reputation and identity as the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH) are made known not only to Israel but also to other nations through the testimony of the survivors.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by explaining why God allows a remnant to survive exile: not simply for their sake, but so that the truth about Israel’s actions and God’s justice becomes clear to the world.

Where else these words appear

“pestilence” Hebrew H1698 · used in 48 verses

  • Exodus 5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
  • Psalms 91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
  • Jeremiah 42:17 So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

“famine” Hebrew H7458 · used in 88 verses

  • Genesis 12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
  • 2 Kings 25:3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
  • Jeremiah 29:18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:

“leave” Hebrew H3498 · used in 101 verses

  • Genesis 30:36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
  • Joshua 18:2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
  • 1 Chronicles 6:70 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath.

“abominations” Hebrew H8441 · used in 112 verses

  • Genesis 43:32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
  • Ezra 9:14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?
  • Ezekiel 7:3 Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.