The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse paints a grim picture of inescapable destruction, highlighting that fleeing from the enemy's sword outside the city leads straight into the clutches of famine and disease within. It underscores that there's no safe space when God's judgment falls; every escape route becomes a trap.
The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is delivering a stark prophecy of God's judgment against Judah, announcing that their complete destruction is imminent and unavoidable. The prophet details how there will be no escape, whether attempting to flee outside the besieged city into the hands of enemy soldiers, or remaining inside to be consumed by disease and starvation. This declaration underscores the inescapable consequences of their sin, leaving them with nowhere to turn for safety.
Ezekiel paints a grim picture where every escape route leads to destruction. Where can you turn when there's nowhere left to hide?
This verse vividly illustrates the utter hopelessness of the situation for those facing God's judgment. The invaders' army, the 'sword,' surrounds the city, cutting off any hope of escape into the surrounding lands. Yet, even if one could somehow evade the enemy, the devastation within the city itself—famine and pestilence—is inescapable.
The Two-Edged Sword of Judgment
This combination leaves no one safe. Whether you are caught trying to flee or trapped within the walls, destruction is certain. It underscores that when God judges, the totality of His power is unleashed.
Why would God unleash such horrific judgment? This verse isn't just about destruction; it's about divine justice responding to deep-seated rebellion.
Ezekiel's message here is stark: this devastation is not random. It is the direct result of Israel's sin and rebellion against God.
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The Root of Destruction
The repeated descriptions of destruction serve as a powerful warning against complacency. When God's people persistently sin, they invite judgment that will ultimately leave them with nothing. The outcome isn't arbitrary; it's a righteous response to unfaithfulness.
Understand the original words
chereb · Hebrew Noun
A weapon of war; symbolically, it often represents the instrument of divine judgment, destruction, or the intervention of God in historical crises.
deber · Hebrew Noun
A destructive disease or plague that is often viewed in Scripture as a manifestation of divine judgment on a nation or people.
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
A severe, widespread shortage of food; frequently interpreted in the prophetic tradition as a consequence of national sin and a tool of divine discipline.
Ezekiel's prophecy in 597 BC, while Judah still stood, vividly portrays the impending doom that would fully engulf Jerusalem just a few years later in 586 BC during the final siege and destruction.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports key members of the Judean elite, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation by Babylon.
597 BC— this verse
Second Babylonian Deportation
After a short-lived rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This significantly weakens the kingdom of Judah.
588 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, initiating a prolonged and brutal period of starvation and warfare within and around the city.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
Babylonian forces breach Jerusalem's walls, leading to the city's destruction, the burning of Solomon's Temple, and a final, massive deportation of the remaining population.
This passage echoes Ezekiel's lament, describing Jerusalem's suffering with similar imagery of distress and the consumption of its people by enemies and disease.
Deuteronomy 32:25This verse speaks of a coming judgment where the sword would be outside and terror within, mirroring the inescapable doom described in Ezekiel 7:15.
Jeremiah 14:18Jeremiah describes a similar dire situation where both the prophet and priest go into the land to find famine and pestilence, highlighting the pervasive nature of God's judgment.
Matthew 24:7Jesus uses similar language of 'famines and pestilences' in the context of end-times tribulations, showing how these devastating forces have consistently been instruments of divine judgment throughout history.
pooleEzekiel 7:15: "The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him."
Without; in the countries. Within; in the besieged city. With the sword of the Chaldean soldier. Shall devour him; shall eat him up; you, O Jews! shall be food for unsatiable pestilence and famine. Heavy tidings to sinful Jerusalem!
clarkeEzekiel 7:15: "The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him."
The sword is without - War through all the country, and pestilence and famine within the city, shall destroy the whole, except a small remnant. He who endeavors to flee from the one shall fall by the other.
This verse paints a grim picture of inescapable destruction, highlighting that fleeing from the enemy's sword outside the city leads straight into the clutches of famine and disease within. It underscores that there's no safe space when God's judgment falls; every escape route becomes a trap.
Ezekiel is delivering a stark prophecy of God's judgment against Judah, announcing that their complete destruction is imminent and unavoidable. The prophet details how there will be no escape, whether attempting to flee outside the besieged city into the hands of enemy soldiers, or remaining inside to be consumed by disease and starvation. This declaration underscores the inescapable consequences of their sin, leaving them with nowhere to turn for safety.
Ezekiel is delivering a stark prophecy of God's judgment against Judah, announcing that their complete destruction is imminent and unavoidable. The prophet details how there will be no escape, whether attempting to flee outside the besieged city into the hands of enemy soldiers, or remaining inside to be consumed by disease and starvation. This declaration underscores the inescapable consequences of their sin, leaving them with nowhere to turn for safety.
"The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour." — This verse paints a grim picture of inescapable destruction, highlighting that fleeing from the enemy's sword outside the city leads straight into the clutches of famine and disease within. It un…
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Last reviewed October 2026