Ezekiel 9:7
New International Version
Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

New Living Translation
“Defile the Temple!” the LORD commanded. “Fill its courtyards with corpses. Go!” So they went and began killing throughout the city.

English Standard Version
Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city.

Berean Standard Bible
Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

King James Bible
And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

New King James Version
Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

New American Standard Bible
He also said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city.

NASB 1995
And He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” Thus they went out and struck down the people in the city.

NASB 1977
And He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” Thus they went out and struck down the people in the city.

Legacy Standard Bible
And He said to them, “Defile the house and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” Thus they went out and struck down the people in the city.

Amplified Bible
And He said to the executioners, “Defile the temple and fill its courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck down the people in the city.

Christian Standard Bible
Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go! ” So they went out killing people in the city.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out killing people in the city.

American Standard Version
And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and smote in the city.

Contemporary English Version
Then the LORD said, "Pollute the temple by piling the dead bodies in the courtyards. Now get busy!" They left and started killing the people of Jerusalem.

English Revised Version
And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and smote in the city.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He said to them, "Dishonor the temple! Fill its courtyards with dead people, and then leave." So they went out and killed the people in the city.

Good News Translation
God said to them, "Defile the Temple. Fill its courtyards with corpses. Get to work!" So they began to kill the people in the city.

International Standard Version
"Desecrate my Temple," he told them, "and fill its courtyard with the dead!" So they went out and began striking down people throughout the city.

Majority Standard Bible
Then He told them, ?Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!? So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

NET Bible
He said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courtyards with corpses. Go!" So they went out and struck people down throughout the city.

New Heart English Bible
He said to them, "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth." They went forth, and struck in the city.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

World English Bible
He said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” They went out, and struck in the city.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they begin among the aged men who [are] before the house, and He says to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the wounded, go forth.” And they have gone forth and have struck in the city.

Young's Literal Translation
And they begin among the aged men who are before the house, and He saith unto them, 'Defile the house, and fill the courts with the wounded, go forth.' And they have gone forth and have smitten in the city.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say to them, Defile the house, and fill the enclosures with the wounded: go ye forth. And they went forth and struck in the city.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to them: Defile the house, and ill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew them that were in the city.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said to them: “Defile the house, and fill its courts with the slain! Go forth!” And they went forth and struck down those who were in the city.

New American Bible
Defile the temple, he said to them, fill its courts with the slain. Then go out and strike in the city.

New Revised Standard Version
Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out and killed in the city.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain; then go forth and slay in the city.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said to them: “Defile the house and fill the courts with the slain. Go out. Kill in the city!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And He said unto them: 'Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain; go ye forth.' And they went forth, and smote in the city.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said to them, Defile the house, and go out and fill the ways with dead bodies, and smite.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Slaughter of the Idolaters
6Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 8While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord GOD, when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem, will You destroy the entire remnant of Israel?”…

Cross References
Revelation 16:6
For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”

Revelation 18:6
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.

Jeremiah 7:30
For the people of Judah have done evil in My sight, declares the LORD. They have set up their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.

Jeremiah 19:4-5
because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. / They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.

2 Kings 21:4-5
Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name.” / In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.

2 Kings 23:12
He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars that Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD. The king pulverized them there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 33:4-5
Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” / In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.

Lamentations 2:7
The Lord has rejected His altar; He has abandoned His sanctuary; He has delivered the walls of her palaces into the hand of the enemy. They have raised a shout in the house of the LORD as on the day of an appointed feast.

Matthew 23:35
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Luke 11:51
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.

Isaiah 66:6
Hear the uproar from the city; listen to the voice from the temple! It is the voice of the LORD, repaying His enemies what they deserve!

1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?

Jeremiah 32:34
They have placed their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.

2 Kings 24:3-4
Surely this happened to Judah at the LORD’s command, to remove them from His presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all that he had done, / and also for the innocent blood he had shed. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was unwilling to forgive.

Revelation 11:2
But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.


Treasury of Scripture

And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go you forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

Ezekiel 7:20-22
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them…

2 Chronicles 36:17
Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.

Psalm 79:1-3
A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps…

Jump to Previous
Aged Begin City Courts Dead Defile Fill Forth Forward Full House Killing Open Places Slain Slew Smitten Smote Struck Temple Throughout Unclean Wounded
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Aged Begin City Courts Dead Defile Fill Forth Forward Full House Killing Open Places Slain Slew Smitten Smote Struck Temple Throughout Unclean Wounded
Ezekiel 9
1. A vision, whereby is shown the preservation of some
5. and the destruction of the rest
8. God cannot be entreated for them














Then He said to them
This phrase indicates a direct command from God, emphasizing His sovereign authority. In the Hebrew text, the word for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which is often used to convey divine communication. This highlights the seriousness and divine origin of the instructions given to the executioners, underscoring that this is not a human decision but a divine mandate.

Defile the temple
The Hebrew word for "defile" is "טָמֵא" (tame), which means to make unclean or impure. In the context of the temple, which was considered the holiest place for the Israelites, this command is shocking and signifies the extent of Israel's sin. The temple, once a place of worship and God's presence, is now to be desecrated as a symbol of judgment against the people's idolatry and rebellion.

and fill the courts with the slain
The "courts" refer to the outer areas of the temple complex, which were accessible to the people. The imagery of filling these courts with the "slain" is a vivid depiction of the impending judgment. Historically, this reflects the severity of God's wrath against persistent sin and the consequences of turning away from His commandments. It serves as a stark reminder of the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin.

Go forth!
This command is an imperative, urging immediate action. The Hebrew root "יָצָא" (yatsa) means to go out or proceed. It conveys urgency and the inevitability of God's judgment. The executioners are to carry out their task without delay, symbolizing the swift and certain nature of divine justice.

So they went out and began killing throughout the city
This phrase describes the execution of God's judgment. The act of "killing" is a direct consequence of the people's unrepentant sin. The historical context here is crucial, as it reflects the Babylonian invasion and the destruction that followed due to Israel's disobedience. Theologically, it serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of repentance and obedience to God.

(7) Defile the house.--The utmost possible pollution under the Mosaic economy was the touch of a dead body. (See Numbers 19:11; 1Kings 13:2; 2Kings 23:16.) It might be thought that the Temple would be spared this defilement; but not only must the execution of justice override all technicalities, as at the execution of Joab (1Kings 2:28-31), but in this case the very defilement itself was a part of the judgment, since God was about to forsake His sanctuary, and give over even this to the desolations of the heathen. From the Temple the destroying angels passed out into the city.

Verse 7. - Defile the house, etc. What Ezekiel saw in vision was, we may well believe, fulfilled literally when the city was taken by the Chaldeans. The pollution of the temple by the bleeding corpses of the idolatrous worshippers was a fitting retribution for the worship with which they had polluted it (comp. Ezekiel 6:13).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then He told
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

them,
אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם (’ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Defile
טַמְּא֣וּ (ṭam·mə·’ū)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 2930: To be or become unclean

the temple
הַבַּ֗יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

and fill
וּמַלְא֧וּ (ū·mal·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

the courts
הַחֲצֵר֛וֹת (ha·ḥă·ṣê·rō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - common plural
Strong's 2691: A yard, a hamlet

with the slain.
חֲלָלִ֖ים (ḥă·lā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2491: Pierced, polluted

Go forth!”
צֵ֑אוּ (ṣê·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

So they went out
וְיָצְא֖וּ (wə·yā·ṣə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

and began killing
וְהִכּ֥וּ (wə·hik·kū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

throughout the city.
בָעִֽיר׃ (ḇā·‘îr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 9:7 He said to them Defile the house (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 9:6
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