What's easy to miss here is that the "comfort" the exiles receive isn't from the survivors offering pleasant words. Instead, it comes from seeing the survivors' continued wicked ways, which confirms that Jerusalem's destruction was entirely deserved and just. This sight solidifies the exiles' understanding of God's righteous judgment.
But behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just declared that even the most righteous individuals couldn't save the wicked inhabitants of Jerusalem from destruction by His "four sore judgments" – sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague. This verse then reveals that despite the coming devastation, some survivors, sons and daughters, will escape the catastrophe. When these survivors arrive among the exiles already in Babylon, their continued wicked ways and deeds will actually serve as a confirmation of Jerusalem's deserved punishment, bringing a somber sort of comfort to those who had questioned God's justice.
When disaster strikes, we often look for reasons to hope in survivors. But what if those survivors actually confirm the severity of the judgment, rather than offer a reprieve?
This verse, following God's pronouncements of severe judgment on Jerusalem, introduces a twist. Instead of bringing forth righteous survivors who exemplify a renewed spirit, God says a remnant will be left who are brought out to the exiles in Babylon.
The Survivors' Role
The key here isn't that these survivors are good; it's that their 'ways and their deeds' will be so evident. They are brought out not as trophies of God's mercy on them, but as living proof of Jerusalem's deep corruption.
When the exiles in Babylon see these new arrivals, they won't be comforted by the hope these survivors represent, but by the vindication of God's judgment. The wickedness of the remnant will make the destruction of Jerusalem seem not only deserved but inevitable.
It's easy to question God's actions when disaster strikes. This passage offers a profound perspective on why God's judgments, even severe ones, are always rooted in justice.
The core message here is that God's actions are always justified. When disaster falls upon Jerusalem, it's not arbitrary or excessive. The arrival of the remnant serves as undeniable evidence.
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The Evidence of Wickedness
The exiles in Babylon might have felt God was being too harsh. They might have murmured against His justice. But seeing the survivors—their continued 'ways and their deeds'—would silence such doubts. It would become clear that Jerusalem’s destruction was a necessary consequence of its deep-seated sin and idolatry.
This doesn't mean God enjoys inflicting pain. It means His justice is absolute. The suffering of the wicked, and the eventual vindication of His character through their revealed sin, brings a solemn kind of 'consolation' to those who trust Him. It confirms that the Judge of all the earth does right.
Understand the original words
pleitah · Hebrew Noun
Those who remain alive after a catastrophic event or divine judgment. Theologically, the remnant represents the continuation of God’s covenantal purpose despite widespread judgment.
derek · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the behavior, habits, and moral patterns of an individual or community. In the Old Testament, the "ways" of the people are frequently scrutinized by God as evidence of their heart-condition and loyalty to the covenant.
alilah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to specific actions, works, or practices performed by individuals. These are the objective manifestations of a person's inner character and moral or spiritual commitment.
nacham · Hebrew Verb
To be comforted or relieved of grief. In this context, it refers to the vindication of God’s character; seeing the wicked deeds of those judged brings the realization that the divine action was righteous and necessary.
This prophecy comes to Ezekiel while he and many others are already in exile in Babylon, having witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The 'survivors' are those left behind in Jerusalem who will later be deported, and their evident wickedness will serve as a grim confirmation to the earlier exiles that God's judgment was just.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a first group of Judean exiles, including members of the royal family and nobility, to Babylon. The prophet Daniel is among this group.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports another large group of Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and many of the elite, to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel is among this group.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, deporting the remaining population to Babylon. This marks the end of the Judean kingdom.
During Babylonian Exile
Life in Exile
The Judean exiles live in communities within Babylonia, maintaining their identity while facing hardships and false hopes of a quick return, which prophets like Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jeremiah address.
This passage immediately precedes Ezekiel 14:22 and sets up the principle that even righteous individuals like Noah, Daniel, and Job could not save their own families from God's judgment, underscoring why the wicked city of Jerusalem deserved its fate.
Jeremiah 24:1-10This chapter parallels Ezekiel's message by using the metaphor of good and bad figs to distinguish between the exiles taken to Babylon and those left behind, showing a similar theme of God's judgment and the differing outcomes for the people.
Isaiah 10:20-22This passage speaks of a 'remnant' that would return to Jacob, offering a glimmer of hope amidst judgment, similar to how the remnant in Ezekiel 14:22 serves a purpose in revealing God's justice.
Luke 13:1-5Jesus directly addresses the question of why certain people suffered disaster, linking suffering to sin and urging repentance, which resonates with Ezekiel's explanation that the fate of Jerusalem was a just consequence of its people's actions.
calvinEzekiel 14:21-22: "For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?"
For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
Quoniam sic dicit Dominator Iehovah, Quanto magis cum quatuor judicia mea…
barnesEzekiel 14:22: "Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it."
Ye shall be comforted ... - By a truer estimate of the dispensations of the Almighty. This visitation will be recognized as inevitable and just.
What's easy to miss here is that the "comfort" the exiles receive isn't from the survivors offering pleasant words. Instead, it comes from seeing the survivors' continued wicked ways, which confirms that Jerusalem's destruction was entirely deserved and just. This sight solidifies the exiles' understanding of God's righteous judgment.
God has just declared that even the most righteous individuals couldn't save the wicked inhabitants of Jerusalem from destruction by His "four sore judgments" – sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague. This verse then reveals that despite the coming devastation, some survivors, sons and daughters, will escape the catastrophe. When these survivors arrive among the exiles already in Babylon, their continued wicked ways and deeds will actually serve as a confirmation of Jerusalem's deserved punishment, bringing a somber sort of comfort to those who had questioned God's justice.
God has just declared that even the most righteous individuals couldn't save the wicked inhabitants of Jerusalem from destruction by His "four sore judgments" – sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague. This verse then reveals that despite the coming devastation, some survivors, sons and daughters, will escape the catastrophe. When these survivors arrive among the exiles already in Babylon, their continued wicked ways and deeds will actually serve as a confirmation of Jerusalem's deserved punishment, bringing a somber sort of comfort to those who had questioned God's justice.
"But behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem,…" — What's easy to miss here is that the "comfort" the exiles receive isn't from the survivors offering pleasant words. Instead, it comes from seeing the survivors' continued wicked ways, which confirms…
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Last reviewed October 2026
