Ezekiel 7:5
“Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Ezekiel 7:5
“Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's easy to miss is the emphasis on "an only evil." This phrase isn't just saying a bad thing is coming, but the defining, final catastrophe. It's an evil so complete and unique that it needs no further additions or repetitions to be understood as the absolute end.
The prophet Ezekiel is in the midst of delivering a powerful lamentation over Jerusalem, vividly describing the impending doom that will befall the city and its people. This verse intensifies the message from the previous section, declaring that a singular, all-encompassing disaster is not just coming, but is already here, signaling the absolute and final end of their current way of life. This sets the stage for the detailed pronouncements of judgment that follow, emphasizing the comprehensive and unprecedented nature of God's wrath.
When God declares 'disaster,' it's not just bad news; it's a judgment that leaves no room for appeal.
The phrase 'an only evil' doesn't necessarily mean there won't be other bad things. Instead, it points to an evil that is singular in its severity and finality. Think of it as the ultimate, definitive judgment that overshadows all previous troubles. It's an evil that stands alone, all-encompassing and complete. This isn't a temporary setback; it's the end of an era, the decisive blow from which there is no recovery.
The prophet doesn't just describe an evil; he announces its unstoppable arrival. What does this say about God's sovereignty?
The declaration 'behold, it comes' is not a mere observation but a divine decree. It signifies the absolute certainty and immediacy of the impending disaster. This isn't a possibility or a potential threat; it is a future reality that God has ordained and is actively bringing to pass. The 'behold' draws our attention, urging us to recognize that this is no ordinary event but a supernatural unfolding of God's plan.
Understand the original words
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
The state of profound calamity, ruin, or adversity that comes as a consequence of divine judgment; often used in prophecy to signal the breaking of established order.
Ezekiel is prophesying from exile *before* the final destruction of Jerusalem. The 'disaster after disaster' he announces points to the escalating judgments leading to the city's ultimate downfall, emphasizing the finality and uniqueness of God's judgment upon unrepentant sin.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah, taking nobles and skilled workers, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Babylonian dominance and foreshadows further judgment.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Jerusalem is besieged and more citizens, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon. Tensions rise as a remnant remains in Jerusalem.
c. 595-593 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Ministry Begins
Ezekiel, living among the exiles in Babylon, receives his prophetic call and begins to deliver messages of judgment and hope to the people in both Babylon and Jerusalem.
588 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar's army breaches Jerusalem's walls, destroying the city and the Temple. This catastrophic event fulfills Ezekiel's dire prophecies.
This passage echoes the relentless nature of God's judgment, describing how disaster follows disaster upon the land, much like Ezekiel's pronouncement.
Nahum 1:9Similar to Ezekiel's 'only evil,' Nahum declares that 'affliction shall not rise up the second time,' emphasizing the finality and completeness of God's judgment against Nineveh.
Matthew 24:6-7Jesus speaks of 'wars and rumors of wars' and 'nation against nation,' portraying escalating calamities that parallel the 'disaster after disaster' announced by Ezekiel.
Hebrews 12:26This New Testament passage reflects on God's shaking of the earth, calling it a 'once for all' event, which resonates with the unique and final nature of the 'only evil' judgment described in Ezekiel.
clarkeEzekiel 7:5: "Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come."
An evil, an only evil - The great, the sovereign, the last exterminating evil, is come: the sword, the pestilence, the famine, and the captivity. Many MSS. read אחר achar, after. So evil cometh after evil; one instantly succeeds another.
barnesEzekiel 7:5: "Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come."
An only evil - An evil singular and remarkable above all others.
What's easy to miss is the emphasis on "an only evil." This phrase isn't just saying a bad thing is coming, but the defining, final catastrophe. It's an evil so complete and unique that it needs no further additions or repetitions to be understood as the absolute end.
The prophet Ezekiel is in the midst of delivering a powerful lamentation over Jerusalem, vividly describing the impending doom that will befall the city and its people. This verse intensifies the message from the previous section, declaring that a singular, all-encompassing disaster is not just coming, but is already here, signaling the absolute and final end of their current way of life. This sets the stage for the detailed pronouncements of judgment that follow, emphasizing the comprehensive and unprecedented nature of God's wrath.
The prophet Ezekiel is in the midst of delivering a powerful lamentation over Jerusalem, vividly describing the impending doom that will befall the city and its people. This verse intensifies the message from the previous section, declaring that a singular, all-encompassing disaster is not just coming, but is already here, signaling the absolute and final end of their current way of life. This sets the stage for the detailed pronouncements of judgment that follow, emphasizing the comprehensive and unprecedented nature of God's wrath.
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586 BC
Third Deportation to Babylon
The remaining population of Jerusalem is forcibly exiled to Babylon after the city's destruction, leaving the land largely desolate.
"“Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes." — What's easy to miss is the emphasis on "an only evil." This phrase isn't just saying a bad thing is coming, but the defining, final catastrophe. It's an evil so complete and unique that it needs…