Ezekiel 7:5
New International Version
“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “’Disaster! Unheard-of disaster! See, it comes!

New Living Translation
“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Disaster after disaster is coming your way!

English Standard Version
“Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes.

Berean Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Disaster! An unprecedented disaster—behold, it is coming!

King James Bible
Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.

New King James Version
“Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘A disaster, a singular disaster; Behold, it has come!

New American Standard Bible
“This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A disaster, a unique disaster, behold, it is coming!

NASB 1995
“Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘A disaster, unique disaster, behold it is coming!

NASB 1977
“Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘A disaster, unique disaster, behold it is coming!

Legacy Standard Bible
“Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘A calamitous evil, a unique calamitous evil, behold, it is coming!

Amplified Bible
“Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘A disaster is coming, [one so destructive and injurious, so sudden and violent, that it stands alone,] a unique disaster, look it is coming!

Christian Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: Look, one disaster after another is coming!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: Look, one disaster after another is coming!

American Standard Version
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: An evil, an only evil; behold, it cometh.

Contemporary English Version
There's never been anything like the coming disaster.

English Revised Version
Thus saith the Lord GOD: An evil, an only evil; behold, it cometh.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"This is what the Almighty LORD says: One disaster after another is coming.

Good News Translation
This is what the Sovereign LORD is saying: "One disaster after another is coming on you.

International Standard Version
"This is what the Lord GOD says: 'It's one evil event after another! "'Look out! It's coming!

Majority Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: ?Disaster! An unprecedented disaster?behold, it is coming!

NET Bible
"This is what the sovereign LORD says: A disaster--a one-of-a-kind disaster--is coming!

New Heart English Bible
"Thus says the Lord GOD: 'A disaster, a unique disaster; look, it comes.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.

World English Bible
“The Lord Yahweh says: ‘A disaster! A unique disaster! Behold, it comes.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Thus said Lord YHWH: Calamity, a single calamity, behold, it has come.

Young's Literal Translation
Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Evil, a single evil, lo, it hath come.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thus said the Lord Jehovah: An evil, one evil, behold, coming.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thus saith the Lord God: One affliction, behold an affliction is come.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Thus says the Lord God: “One affliction, behold, one affliction is approaching.

New American Bible
Thus says the Lord GOD: Evil upon evil! See it coming!

New Revised Standard Version
Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! See, it comes.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Thus says the LORD God: Behold, an evil is coming for every evil which you have committed.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Thus says THE LORD OF LORDS: “Behold, evil is coming in place of evil
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thus saith the Lord GOD: An evil, a singular evil, behold, it cometh.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For thus saith the Lord; Behold, the end is come.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Hour of Doom
4I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ 5This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Disaster! An unprecedented disaster— behold, it is coming! 6The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. Behold, it has come!…

Cross References
Isaiah 13:6-9
Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty. / Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt. / Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear. ...

Jeremiah 4:5-8
Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’ / Raise a signal flag toward Zion. Seek refuge! Do not delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, and terrible destruction. / A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited. ...

Zephaniah 1:14-18
The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. / That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, / a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. ...

Joel 2:1-2
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near— / a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.

Amos 5:18-20
Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light. / It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake. / Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?

Isaiah 2:12-21
For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled— / against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan, / against all the tall mountains, against all the high hills, ...

Jeremiah 30:7
How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.

Lamentations 1:12
Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?

Zechariah 14:1-2
Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. / For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.

Matthew 24:21-22
For at that time there will be great tribulation, unseen from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. / If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

Luke 21:25-26
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. / Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Revelation 6:15-17
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. / And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. / For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3
For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. / While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

2 Peter 3:10
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

Revelation 16:18
And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake.


Treasury of Scripture

Thus said the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.

Ezekiel 5:9
And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.

2 Kings 21:12,13
Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle…

Daniel 9:12
And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

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Ezekiel 7
1. The final desolation of Israel
16. The mournful repentance from that escape
20. The enemies defile the sanctuary because of the Israelites' abominations
23. Under the type of a chain is shown the miserable captivity of all orders of men














This is what the Lord GOD says:
This phrase emphasizes the authority and divine origin of the message. The title "Lord GOD" (YHWH Elohim) underscores God's sovereignty and covenant relationship with Israel. This introduction is typical of prophetic literature, where the prophet serves as a mouthpiece for God, delivering His message to the people. It is a reminder of the seriousness and authenticity of the prophecy, as seen in other prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Disaster!
The term "disaster" indicates a severe judgment or calamity. In the context of Ezekiel, this refers to the impending judgment on Jerusalem and Judah due to their persistent idolatry and rebellion against God. The use of the word is meant to evoke a sense of urgency and impending doom, similar to the warnings given by other prophets such as Amos and Joel. It reflects the consequences of breaking the covenant with God.

An unprecedented disaster—
The phrase "unprecedented disaster" suggests a calamity unlike any before. Historically, this points to the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, a pivotal event in Jewish history. This disaster was not only physical but also spiritual, as it represented the withdrawal of God's protection due to the people's unfaithfulness. The unprecedented nature of the disaster highlights the severity of God's judgment, as also seen in the prophecies of Daniel regarding future tribulations.

behold, it is coming!
"Behold" serves as a call to attention, urging the audience to recognize the certainty and imminence of the prophesied event. The phrase "it is coming" underscores the inevitability of God's judgment. This reflects the prophetic theme of the "Day of the Lord," a time of divine intervention and judgment, as seen in Zephaniah and Malachi. The certainty of the coming disaster serves as a warning and a call to repentance, echoing the messages of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ regarding the Kingdom of God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel was called by God to deliver messages of judgment and hope to the Israelites.

2. The Lord GOD
The sovereign and holy God of Israel, who communicates His will and judgments through His prophets.

3. Israel
The nation chosen by God, which is facing impending judgment due to its persistent disobedience and idolatry.

4. Babylonian Exile
The period during which the Israelites were taken captive by Babylon, serving as a backdrop for Ezekiel's prophecies.

5. Judgment
The central theme of this passage, highlighting God's impending punishment for Israel's sins.
Teaching Points
The Certainty of God's Judgment
God's pronouncement of disaster is not a mere possibility but a certainty. His words through Ezekiel remind us that divine judgment is inevitable for unrepentant sin.

The Unprecedented Nature of God's Judgment
The phrase "an unprecedented disaster" underscores the severity and uniqueness of the coming judgment. It serves as a warning to take God's words seriously and to live in obedience.

The Call to Repentance
While the message is one of impending disaster, it implicitly calls for repentance. Understanding the gravity of God's judgment should lead us to examine our lives and turn back to Him.

God's Sovereignty and Justice
This passage highlights God's sovereignty and justice. He is in control and will execute justice according to His perfect will. Believers are called to trust in His righteous judgment.

Hope Beyond Judgment
Although the immediate message is one of disaster, the broader context of Ezekiel includes promises of restoration and hope. God's ultimate plan is to bring His people back to Himself.(5) An only evil.--That is, an evil so all-embracing as to be complete in itself, and need no repetition. Compare the same thought in Nahum 1:9, "affliction shall not rise up the second time." Some MSS., and the Chaldee, by the alteration of one letter, read "evil after evil," as in Ezekiel 7:26.

Verse 5. - An evil, an only evil, etc. The words imply that the evil would be unique in character, attracting men's notice, not needing repetition. Cornill, however, following Luther, gives "evil after evil," changing one letter m the Hebrew for "one," so as to get the word "after." For is come read, with the Revised Version, it cometh. It is the nearness, not the actual arrival, of the end, that is in the prophet's thoughts. He writes in B.C. 595-4. Jerusalem was not taken till s.c.588

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
This is what
כֹּ֥ה (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD
יְהוִ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

says:
אָמַ֖ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Disaster!
רָעָ֛ה (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

An unprecedented
אַחַ֥ת (’a·ḥaṯ)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

disaster—
רָעָ֖ה (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

behold,
הִנֵּ֥ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

it is coming!
בָאָֽה׃ (ḇā·’āh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 7:5 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: An evil (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 7:4
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