Ezekiel 5:16
when I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse vividly portrays famine not just as a lack of food, but as "evil arrows" hurled by God, implying a targeted, piercing, and deadly assault. This imagery emphasizes that famine, when sent by God, is an active weapon designed for complete destruction, not merely a passive scarcity.
Ezekiel has just been given a graphic, symbolic haircut representing the destruction of Jerusalem and its people. Now, God details the specific judgments coming upon them, picturing famine as deadly arrows shot by God himself to completely annihilate them. This intensified famine will strike them repeatedly, even breaking the essential support that bread provides for life.
When we think of God's judgment, we might picture dramatic events. But sometimes, God's discipline comes in ways that feel more insidious, like a creeping sickness. Ezekiel 5:16 paints a vivid picture of this.
Famine as Divine Weaponry
Ezekiel uses powerful imagery here, comparing the effects of famine to 'deadly arrows.' This isn't just poetic language; it emphasizes:
This imagery highlights that God's judgments are targeted, purposeful, and can strike at the most fundamental aspects of our existence.
God's judgment is often not a single event, but a process. In Ezekiel 5:16, the intensity of famine is described as growing, suggesting a relentless, compounding effect.
The Compounding Nature of Judgment
The phrase 'increase the famine upon you' signifies more than just a worsening condition. It implies:
Understand the original words
ra‘aḇ · Hebrew Noun
A severe shortage of food causing widespread starvation; in biblical usage, it is frequently depicted as a tool of divine judgment used to humble a nation or bring it to repentance.
ḥēṣî · Hebrew Noun
A weapon consisting of a slender shaft with a pointed head, often used in scripture metaphorically to describe divine judgments, word of God, or sudden attacks of enemies.
mašḥît · Hebrew Noun
The act of ruining, devastating, or bringing to an end; in this context, it refers to the complete devastation brought by God's judgment against covenant unfaithfulness.
maṭṭeh leḥem · Hebrew Noun phrase
An essential staple for life; biblically, it symbolizes provision and God’s sustaining care, the breaking of which signifies the removal of divine favor and the onset of death.
Ezekiel's vivid imagery of famine as 'evil arrows' reflects the devastating and indiscriminate nature of God's judgment, which brought about the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of God's people.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and resettling the area with foreigners. This event serves as a stark warning for Judah about the consequences of unfaithfulness.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and carries away notable citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, following a rebellion. This event directly precedes Ezekiel's prophetic ministry in Babylon.
c. 587-586 BC— this verse
Fall and Destruction of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, bringing the Southern Kingdom of Judah to an end. This catastrophic event is the immediate context for many of Ezekiel's prophecies of judgment.
This passage speaks of God sending "destroying arrows" against rebellious people, a powerful image that is echoed in Ezekiel's prophecy about famine as God's 'evil arrows'.
Leviticus 26:26This verse describes a consequence of disobedience where ten women would bake their bread in one oven, highlighting the severe scarcity and breaking of the 'staff of bread' that Ezekiel also foretells.
Psalm 38:2The Psalmist cries out that God's arrows pierce him and have sunk deep into his soul, reflecting the intense personal suffering and divine judgment that Ezekiel's imagery of 'arrows of famine' conveys.
Jeremiah 14:13-15Jeremiah warns against false prophets who promise peace, while God declares He will indeed bring famine and sword upon them, showing a consistent theme of divine judgment through scarcity and warfare.
pooleEzekiel 5:16: "When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:"
I shall send; it is a messenger that goes not till God sends, and ever goes when he sendeth; he sends cleanness of teeth. The evil arrows; either because thunder, tempests, locusts, blastings, &c., which cause famine, are sent by him, and fly like arrows; or because, like ar…
pulpitEzekiel 5:16: "When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:"
Verse 16. - The evil arrows of famine, etc. The thought of the "arrows" of God's judgment may have been taken from Deuteronomy 32:23, 42, and occurs frequently also in the Psalms (Psalm 7:13; Psalm 38:2, et al.). Clothed in the language of poetry, the attributes of Jehovah i…
The verse vividly portrays famine not just as a lack of food, but as "evil arrows" hurled by God, implying a targeted, piercing, and deadly assault. This imagery emphasizes that famine, when sent by God, is an active weapon designed for complete destruction, not merely a passive scarcity.
Ezekiel has just been given a graphic, symbolic haircut representing the destruction of Jerusalem and its people. Now, God details the specific judgments coming upon them, picturing famine as deadly arrows shot by God himself to completely annihilate them. This intensified famine will strike them repeatedly, even breaking the essential support that bread provides for life.
Ezekiel has just been given a graphic, symbolic haircut representing the destruction of Jerusalem and its people. Now, God details the specific judgments coming upon them, picturing famine as deadly arrows shot by God himself to completely annihilate them. This intensified famine will strike them repeatedly, even breaking the essential support that bread provides for life.
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586 BC onwards
Continued Exile in Babylon
The remaining population of Judah is scattered or taken into exile in Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel continues to minister to the exiles, offering messages of both judgment and future hope.
"when I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread." — The verse vividly portrays famine not just as a lack of food, but as "evil arrows" hurled by God, implying a targeted, piercing, and deadly assault. This imagery emphasizes that famine, when sent by…
