Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse paints a picture of the absolute breakdown of familial love and the complete inversion of natural order, highlighting the unparalleled horror of God's judgment. The shocking detail of children eating parents, and parents eating children, underscores that this isn't just warfare, but a divine punishment so extreme it warps the deepest human bonds.
Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God's judgment on Jerusalem is described in horrifying detail, detailing the extreme famine that will lead to cannibalism, even within families. This devastating consequence is directly tied to the city's spiritual unfaithfulness, emphasizing that God's punishment will be unlike anything seen before and will result in the complete scattering of survivors.
Ezekiel's prophecy paints a picture so gruesome it's hard to fathom. Fathers eating their own children, and children their parents – this wasn't just hyperbole.
This verse describes the ultimate breakdown of society, driven by extreme famine. The commentaries highlight that while history might not record every specific instance, the prophetic warnings, echoing earlier prophecies from Moses, point to literal, horrific acts of cannibalism born out of desperation.
The Depth of Desperation
Beyond the immediate horror of famine and cannibalism, Ezekiel's prophecy includes a chilling outcome for any survivors: utter dispersal.
The phrase 'scatter you to all the winds' isn't just about being taken captive. It signifies a complete and total destruction of their national identity and homeland.
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The Meaning of 'Scattered'
Ezekiel's prophecy of fathers eating sons wasn't just a metaphor for extreme suffering; it echoed past horrors like the siege of Samaria and became a stark reality during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem, a fate later repeated during the Roman destruction of the city. The scattering of survivors further amplified this judgment.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
During the siege of Samaria by the Assyrians, the city faced extreme famine, leading to mothers reportedly consuming their own children, a horrifying foreshadowing of what was to come.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army besieged Jerusalem, leading to widespread famine and desperation. This event directly fulfills Ezekiel's prophecy, as historical accounts and other biblical texts like Lamentations describe horrific acts of cannibalism during this siege.
c. 586 BC
First Deportation after Jerusalem's Fall
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, a significant portion of the remaining population was exiled to Babylon, fulfilling the prophecy of scattering.
c. 582 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another group of Judeans was deported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, further scattering the remnants of the people.
c. 400 BC
Flight to Egypt
A remnant of Judeans, including a figure named Johanan, fled to Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem, against Jeremiah's counsel. This represents another instance of the scattering prophesied by Ezekiel.
AD 70
Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by Rome
Centuries after Ezekiel's prophecy, the Roman Empire besieged Jerusalem, leading to an even more devastating famine and the horrific cannibalism described by Josephus, fulfilling the prophecy again in a different historical context.
This passage in Leviticus directly foreshadows the horrors of famine-induced cannibalism during extreme siege conditions, echoing Ezekiel's severe judgment.
Deuteronomy 28:53Similar to Leviticus, Deuteronomy warns of the dire consequences of disobedience, including fathers eating their children, highlighting the extreme breakdown of societal and familial bonds as a divine punishment.
Jeremiah 19:9Jeremiah describes a similar scene of fathers eating their children during the siege of Jerusalem, reinforcing the theme of horrific judgment and the fulfillment of prophetic warnings across different prophetic books.
Lamentations 4:10This passage paints a vivid and heartbreaking picture of women eating their own children due to starvation during the siege, underscoring the literal fulfillment of the terrible predictions made in Ezekiel.
2 Kings 6:28-29This earlier account of the siege of Samaria demonstrates that the grim reality of mothers eating their children was not unprecedented in Israel's history, serving as a historical precedent for the judgment pronounced by Ezekiel.
pooleEzekiel 5:10: "Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds."
And this explains what is above threatened. No history I know of that does mention any thing like this; barbarous Indians sell one another, and some report (as I take it) that children among them unnaturally murder aged parents, but they eat them not. In the midst of thee; it ma…
clarkeEzekiel 5:10: "Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds."
The fathers shall eat the sons - Though we have not this fact so particularly stated in history, yet we cannot doubt of it, considering the extremities to which they were reduced during the siege. The same is referred to by Jeremiah, Lamentations 4:10 . Even the women, who were…
This verse paints a picture of the absolute breakdown of familial love and the complete inversion of natural order, highlighting the unparalleled horror of God's judgment. The shocking detail of children eating parents, and parents eating children, underscores that this isn't just warfare, but a divine punishment so extreme it warps the deepest human bonds.
God's judgment on Jerusalem is described in horrifying detail, detailing the extreme famine that will lead to cannibalism, even within families. This devastating consequence is directly tied to the city's spiritual unfaithfulness, emphasizing that God's punishment will be unlike anything seen before and will result in the complete scattering of survivors.
God's judgment on Jerusalem is described in horrifying detail, detailing the extreme famine that will lead to cannibalism, even within families. This devastating consequence is directly tied to the city's spiritual unfaithfulness, emphasizing that God's punishment will be unlike anything seen before and will result in the complete scattering of survivors.
"Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds." — This verse paints a picture of the absolute breakdown of familial love and the complete inversion of natural order, highlighting the unparalleled horror of God's judgment. The shocking detail of chil…
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Last reviewed October 2026