A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

EZEKIEL 5:12KJV
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Ezekiel 5:12 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 5:12 mean?

Ezekiel 5:12 describes how Jerusalem will be punished in three devastating ways: one third of the people will die from disease and hunger, another third will be killed by violence, and the last third will be scattered among the nations, still pursued by danger. This verse lays out the severe consequences for the city's disobedience, as spoken by God through the prophet Ezekiel.

In this passage, God is speaking to Ezekiel, who is relaying a message of judgment to the people of Jerusalem during a time of siege and crisis. The verse uses vivid language to show that the coming destruction will be total and unavoidable, affecting every part of the population in different but equally harsh ways. Ezekiel’s message is meant to explain the seriousness of the situation and the reasons behind such a harsh judgment.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 5:12

  • "Pestilence" (דֶּבֶר, dever, H1698) refers to deadly disease or plague, highlighting that some of the suffering will come through uncontrollable illness.
  • "Consumed" (כָּלָה, kalah, H3615) means to be spent or used up, stressing that famine will completely exhaust those affected.
  • "Scatter" (זָרָה, zarah, H2219) literally means to toss or disperse, showing that the people will not just leave but be forcefully spread out in all directions, emphasizing loss of home and community.
  • "Winds" (רוּחַ, ruach, H7307) is often used for spirit or wind, but here it means the four winds, a way of saying "to every corner of the earth," underlining the total dispersion.

Why Ezekiel 5:12 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the judgment on Jerusalem is not random but measured and complete, affecting every group within the city in a specific way.
  • The division into thirds shows the thoroughness of the coming disaster and helps explain the symbolic actions Ezekiel performed earlier in the chapter.
  • Understanding these details helps readers see the seriousness of the warnings given to Jerusalem and connects Ezekiel’s message to the larger story of Israel’s exile and suffering.

Where else these words appear

“out” Hebrew H7324 · used in 19 verses

  • Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
  • Ecclesiastes 11:3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.
  • Ezekiel 12:14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

“scatter” Hebrew H2219 · used in 38 verses

  • Exodus 32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
  • Proverbs 20:26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
  • Ezekiel 6:5 And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.

“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: