Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.

EZEKIEL 5:2KJV
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Ezekiel 5:2 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 5:2 mean?

Ezekiel 5:2 describes a symbolic act where Ezekiel is told to divide hair into three parts, burning one third in the city, striking one third with a sword, and scattering one third to the wind, with a sword to chase after them. This action represents the different fates awaiting the people of Jerusalem after the siege: destruction by fire, death by violence, and exile.

God is speaking to Ezekiel, instructing him to act out this message as a sign to the people of Jerusalem during a time when the city is under threat from Babylon. The verse uses vivid imagery to show that the coming judgment will affect everyone in the city, but in different ways—some will die in the city, some will be killed outside it, and some will be scattered among the nations.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 5:2

  • "burn" (בָּעַר, ba‘ar): This word means to consume with fire, emphasizing the total destruction that will happen to a portion of the people.
  • "scatter" (זָרָה, zārah): This word means to disperse or spread abroad, showing that some people will be forced far from their homeland.
  • "wind" (רוּחַ, ruach): While often meaning "spirit" or "breath," here it refers to the wind, highlighting how those scattered will be spread unpredictably and widely.
  • "sword" (חֶרֶב, cherev): This word for a knife or sword is used twice, underlining the violence and threat that will pursue even those who escape.

Why Ezekiel 5:2 matters

  • Ezekiel 5:2 makes clear that the judgment on Jerusalem is not random but divided into specific, symbolic portions, each with its own fate.
  • The verse connects Ezekiel’s actions to the real suffering that will come upon the people, making the prophecy concrete and hard to ignore.
  • Understanding the symbolism helps clarify that God’s warning is thorough—no group among the people is left untouched by the consequences of their actions.

Where else these words appear

“fire” Hebrew H217 · used in 6 verses

  • Isaiah 24:15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
  • Isaiah 31:9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
  • Isaiah 47:14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

“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.

“siege” Hebrew H4692 · used in 25 verses

  • Deuteronomy 20:19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down(for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege:
  • 2 Chronicles 11:5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.
  • Ezekiel 4:3 Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.

“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.