Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.

EZEKIEL 6:8KJV
Know the Bible

Ezekiel 6:8 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 6:8 mean?

Ezekiel 6:8 says that even though many people will face judgment, God will allow a small group—a remnant—to survive and escape death when the people are scattered among other nations. This verse promises that not everyone will be destroyed; some will be spared even in the midst of disaster.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel, warning them about coming judgment because of their unfaithfulness. The situation is one of exile and scattering due to their actions, but Ezekiel 6:8 introduces a note of hope: a portion of the people will survive, even as they are sent away to foreign lands.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 6:8

  • The word "remnant" (יָתַר, yātar) means those who are left over or spared. This emphasizes that survival is not by accident, but by God's decision to preserve some people.
  • "Escape" (פָּלִיט, pālîṭ) refers to those who slip away or are delivered from danger. It highlights that survival is not just about being left behind, but about being rescued from a threat.
  • "Scattered" (זָרָה, zārah) means to be dispersed or spread out, often forcefully. This word shows that the people will not just move, but will be driven out to many places, underlining the seriousness of the exile.

Why Ezekiel 6:8 matters

  • Ezekiel 6:8 clarifies that judgment is not the end of the story; even in punishment, God chooses to preserve a group for the future.
  • The verse shows that exile and hardship do not erase God's ongoing relationship with His people, since a remnant will continue.
  • This promise of a remnant connects to a larger theme throughout the Bible, where God often preserves a faithful group even in times of widespread trouble.

Where else these words appear

“escape” Hebrew H6412 · used in 21 verses

  • Genesis 14:13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
  • Isaiah 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
  • Ezekiel 7:16 But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.

“scattered” 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 5:12 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.

“remnant” 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.