Thus says the Lord GOD: “Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet's wild gestures – clapping his hands and stamping his feet – aren't just emotional outbursts; they're a divine signal. They dramatically convey God's profound indignation and sorrow over Israel's deep-seated corruption, emphasizing that these actions lead to a comprehensive and inescapable destruction.
Thus says the Lord GOD: “Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God commands Ezekiel to express intense emotion, clapping his hands and stamping his feet, as a dramatic prelude to declaring that Israel's deep-seated evil practices will inevitably lead to their destruction by war, famine, and plague. This follows earlier pronouncements of judgment and serves to underscore the severity and finality of the coming doom for their persistent idolatry, which had left them deaf to God's warnings.
Why would God command Ezekiel to clap his hands and stamp his feet? These aren't typical prophetic actions!
God calls Ezekiel to perform striking, physical actions: clapping his hands and stamping his feet. These weren't random movements, but a form of ancient, non-verbal communication.
Expressing Deep Emotion
These gestures conveyed a complex mix of emotions. They could signify:
When God told Ezekiel to do this, He was asking him to visually embody the gravity of Israel's 'evil abominations' and the certainty of their fall. It was a way to make the invisible judgment terrifyingly visible.
The prophet cries 'Alas!' – is it for Israel's sin or their punishment?
The exclamation 'Alas!' (or 'Ha!' in some translations) is a cry of intense distress. In this context, it's directed towards the 'evil abominations' of Israel.
Ask a follow-up
A Cry Against Sin
This isn't just a passive sigh of regret. It's an active denunciation of their wicked practices. The commentators highlight that these 'abominations' were sins 'ripe to the harvest,' meaning they had reached a point of no return.
God's Hatred for Sin
God's command for Ezekiel to cry 'Alas!' underscores His deep aversion to the evil and idolatry that had permeated Israel. It’s a divine expression of grief over the sin itself, recognizing that this sin inevitably leads to destruction.
Sword, famine, pestilence – these three words paint a grim picture. Why these specific judgments?
The verse concludes with a stark prediction: Israel 'shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.' This isn't arbitrary punishment; it's the logical, devastating consequence of their sustained rebellion.
The Triple Threat of Judgment
These three are often seen as the most comprehensive and common forms of divine judgment in the ancient world:
Together, they signify a total societal collapse and widespread death, leaving no aspect of life untouched. God uses these familiar scourges because they encompass 'innumerable hidden methods of punishing transgressors' and vividly illustrate the completeness of the destruction that awaits those who persistently disobey.
Understand the original words
Adonay YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The supreme ruler of all things, who is sovereign, holy, and faithful to His covenant promises. In the Hebrew Bible, this title often emphasizes God's authority and lordship over His people.
toebah · Hebrew Noun
Acts or practices that are morally detestable, repugnant, and offensive to God, particularly those associated with idolatry and pagan worship.
chereb · Hebrew Noun
A sharp, bladed weapon used in war; it is frequently used in the Bible as a symbol of divine judgment and the physical consequences of covenant disobedience.
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
Extreme scarcity of food leading to starvation; in a biblical context, it is often a sign of God's judgment upon a rebellious nation.
deber · Hebrew Noun
A deadly, contagious disease or epidemic; often cited in Scripture as a manifestation of God's judicial wrath against sin.
Ezekiel's words in this verse were spoken while he and his people were in Babylonian exile. The 'house of Israel' here refers primarily to the northern kingdom that had already fallen, but also encompasses the southern kingdom of Judah, which was facing imminent destruction and exile. The dramatic gestures and pronouncements of doom were meant to convey God's intense grief and righteous anger over their persistent, deep-seated sin, emphasizing that complete devastation through war, famine, and plague was the unavoidable consequence.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The northern Kingdom of Israel (also called the House of Israel) was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, leading to the deportation of a significant portion of its population. This event marked the end of Israel as a distinct political entity.
c. 597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquers Jerusalem and deports King Jehoiachin and many Judean elites, including Ezekiel himself, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile for Judah.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling more Judeans to Babylon. This event represents the final catastrophe for the Kingdom of Judah.
c. 593 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Call and Prophecy Begins
Ezekiel receives his prophetic call in Babylon and begins to deliver messages of judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, even as the final destruction is imminent or just occurring.
c. 586 BC - 571 BC
Ezekiel's Prophecies of Restoration
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel's prophecies shift to include messages of hope and future restoration for the exiled people of Israel.
This passage also depicts God commanding actions like clapping hands and stamping feet, but here it's in preparation for judgment against Jerusalem, showing these gestures as powerful expressions of divine decree.
Jeremiah 31:19Jeremiah expresses deep sorrow and shame for his people's sin, crying out 'Surely I heard of it after I was put to shame.' This echoes Ezekiel's 'Alas!' showing the prophetic grief accompanying judgment for iniquity.
Leviticus 26:16This chapter outlines the severe consequences of disobedience, including falling by pestilence, famine, and the sword, directly mirroring the punishments Ezekiel pronounces upon Israel for their abominations.
Ezekiel 25:6The Ammonites are condemned for clapping their hands and stamping their feet in scorn against Israel. This shows that these gestures, while used by Ezekiel here in sorrow and indignation, can also express malicious joy over others' downfall.
pooleEzekiel 6:11: "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence."
Here are two actions commanded, and both signify a mixture of affection in the person, as wonder and amazement, indignation and displeasure, grief and sorrow, pity and commiseration, all which are required in the prophet, to show both the evil of sin he did see, and the…
calvinEzekiel 6:11: "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence."
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.
Sic dicit Dominator Iehovah, Percute manu tua [1…
The prophet's wild gestures – clapping his hands and stamping his feet – aren't just emotional outbursts; they're a divine signal. They dramatically convey God's profound indignation and sorrow over Israel's deep-seated corruption, emphasizing that these actions lead to a comprehensive and inescapable destruction.
God commands Ezekiel to express intense emotion, clapping his hands and stamping his feet, as a dramatic prelude to declaring that Israel's deep-seated evil practices will inevitably lead to their destruction by war, famine, and plague. This follows earlier pronouncements of judgment and serves to underscore the severity and finality of the coming doom for their persistent idolatry, which had left them deaf to God's warnings.
God commands Ezekiel to express intense emotion, clapping his hands and stamping his feet, as a dramatic prelude to declaring that Israel's deep-seated evil practices will inevitably lead to their destruction by war, famine, and plague. This follows earlier pronouncements of judgment and serves to underscore the severity and finality of the coming doom for their persistent idolatry, which had left them deaf to God's warnings.
"Thus says the Lord GOD: “Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence." — The prophet's wild gestures – clapping his hands and stamping his feet – aren't just emotional outbursts; they're a divine signal. They dramatically convey God's profound indignation and sorrow over…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026