Ezekiel 7:14-18

2. The military dismay (7:14-18)

TRANSLATION

(14) They have blown the trumpet and all is made ready, but none is going to the battle; for My wrath is against all its multitude. (15) The sword is without and the pestilence and the famine within; the one who is in the field shall die by the sword, and the one who is in the city, famine and pestilence shall consume him. (16) And should fugitives escape, they shall be upon the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each in his iniquity. (17) All hands shall droop, and all knees shall run with water. (18) And they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, and terror shall cover them; shame shall be upon every face, and baldness upon all their heads.

COMMENTS

Organized resistance to the coming invasion would fail. Sin had destroyed the moral courage of the nation, the will to resist. Preparation for war had been made, but the troops had not the strength nor courage to withstand the enemy. The alarm trumpet sounded, but the terrified troops refused to enter into battle (Ezekiel 7:14 a). God's wrath saps their powers of resistance. Courage flees before the forces of God. Their fear is justified, however, because the wrath of God had gone forth against all its multitude, i.e., army. Death would stalk the whole land. The sword of the Chaldean army would cut off all escape beyond the walls of Jerusalem. Within the city itself famine and pestilence (disease) would take their toll (Ezekiel 7:15).

The no escape of Ezekiel 7:15 is immediately qualified in the following verse. The few refugees who would escape the city would take to the mountains to escape death. Like doves of the valley, they would occupy the lofty heights and deep ravines. There they would bemoan their fate as they realized that the disaster was the result of their iniquity (Ezekiel 7:16). Despair would render the fugitives helpless. All hands shall droop in dismay and helpless exasperation. The knees would run with water, i.e., because of their fear those refugees would not be able to control their kidney functions.[191] (Ezekiel 7:17).

[191] Others interpret the phrase metaphorically as expressive of complete paralysis of strength. Still others think the reference is to sweat caused by fear.

The refugees would openly manifest their dismay. Sackcloth would be worn upon the body, but they would act as though they were covered with terror (pallatsut). Heads would be shaved. Shame (busha) would be etched on every face shame because of what had happened; greater shame because of why it had happened (Ezekiel 7:18).