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Bishop's Bible
Ezekiel 5:1
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“Now you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as you would a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.
You, son of man, take a sharp sword; [as] a barber's razor shall you take it to you, and shall cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
"And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair.
"As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barber's razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair.
"Now, human, take a sharp sword, and use it like a barber's razor to shave your head and beard. Then take scales and weigh and divide the hair.
"And you [Ezekiel], son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor and shave your head and your beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair [into three parts].
You, son of man, take a sharp sword; [as] a barber's razor shall you take it to you, and shall cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
And thou sonne of man, take thee a sharpe knife, or take thee a barbours rasor & cause it to passe vpon thine head, and vpon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and deuide the heare.
"As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barber's razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair.
"Now as for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barber's razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair.
Now you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber's razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.
The Lord said: Ezekiel, son of man, get a sharp sword and use it to cut off your hair and beard. Weigh the hair and divide it into three equal piles.
"Now you, human being, take a sharp sword; and use it like a barber's razor to shave your head and beard. Then weigh the hair on a balance-scale, and divide it up.
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife; a barber's razor shalt thou take; and cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard: and thou shalt take balances to weigh, and divide the [hair].
"Son of man, after your famine you must do this: Take a sharp sword and use it like a barber's razor. Shave off your hair and beard. Put the hair on a scale and weigh it. Separate it into three equal parts. Put a third of your hair on the brick that has the picture of the city on it. Burn that hair in that ‘city.' Then use the sword and cut a third of your hair into small pieces all around the outside of the ‘city.' Next, throw a third of your hair into the air and let the wind blow it away. This will show that I will pull out my sword and chase some of the people into faraway countries.
AND you, Son of man, take a sharp sword, like a barbers razor, and cause it to pass upon your head and upon your beard; then take scales to weigh it, and divide the hair into three parts.
The Lord said, "Mortal man, take a sharp sword and use it to shave off your beard and all your hair. Then weigh the hair on scales and divide it into three parts.
"And you, son of man, take for yourself a sword, sharp as a barber's razor. Take it for yourself, and you must cause it to pass over your head and over your beard, and you must take for yourself a set of scales for weighing, and you must divide them.
And you, son of man, take to yourself a sharp sword, the razor of a barber. Take it to yourself and make it pass over your head and over your beard. And take to yourself scales to weigh, and to divide them out.
Take the then a sharpe knyfe (O thou sonne of man) namely, a rasoure. Take that, and shaue the hayre off thy heade and beerd: Then take the scoales and the waight, and deuyde the hayre a sunder.
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp sword; as a barber's razor shalt thou take it unto thee, and shalt cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, using it like a haircutter's blade, and making it go over your head and the hair of your chin: and take scales for separating the hair by weight.
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp sword, as a barber's razor shalt thou take it unto thee, and cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard; then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
And thou sonne of man, take thee a sharpe knife, take thee a barbours rasor, and cause it to passe vpon thine head and vpon thy beard: then take the ballances to weigh, and diuide the haire.
And thou, son of man, take thee a sword sharper than a barber’s razor; thou shalt procure it for thyself, and shalt bring it upon thine head, and upon thy beard: and thou shalt take a pair of scales, and shalt separate the hair.
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp sword, as a barber's razor shalt thou take it unto thee, and shalt cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
And thou, sone of man, take to thee a scharp swerd, schauynge heeris; and thou schalt take it, and schalt leede it bi thin heed, and bi thi berd. And thou schalt take to thee a balaunce of weiyte, and thou schalt departe tho.
And you, son of man, take yourself a sharp sword; [as] a barber's razor you shall take it to yourself, and shall cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take yourself balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause [it] to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard: then take to thee balances to weigh, and divide the [hair].
"As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor. Shave off some of the hair from your head and your beard. Then take scales and divide up the hair you cut off.
"And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber's razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair.
"Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a razor to shave your head and beard. Use a scale to weigh the hair into three equal parts.
"As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it to cut the hair from your head and face. Then weigh and divide the hair.
And you, O mortal, take a sharp sword; use it as a barber's razor and run it over your head and your beard; then take balances for weighing, and divide the hair.
Thou therefore son of man Take thee a sharp cuting instrument, a barbers razor, shalt thou take thee, and shalt cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy chin, - and shalt take the balances for weighing, and shalt divide the hair.
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife that shaveth the hair: and cause it to pass over thy head, and over thy beard: and take thee a balance to weigh in, and divide the hair.
"And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword; use it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and your beard; then take balances for weighing, and divide the hair.
`And thou, son of man, take to thee a sharp weapon, the barber's razor thou dost take to thee, and thou hast caused [it] to pass over thy head, and over thy beard, and thou hast taken to thee weighing scales, and apportioned them.
"Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a straight razor, shaving your head and your beard. Then, using a set of balancing scales, divide the hair into thirds. When the days of the siege are over, take one-third of the hair and burn it inside the city. Take another third, chop it into bits with the sword and sprinkle it around the city. The final third you'll throw to the wind. Then I'll go after them with a sword.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
son: In this expressive emblem, the prophet represents the Jewish nation; his hair, the people; the razor, the Chaldeans; the cutting of the hair, the calamities and disgrace coming upon them; the balances, the exact distribution of the Divine judgments; the third part of the hair burnt, those destroyed in the city; the third part smitten with a knife, those slain in attempting to escape; the third part scattered to the winds, those who escaped to other countries; the few hairs in his skirt, those left with Gedaliah; and the burning of these, their destruction in Egypt.
take: Ezekiel 44:20, Leviticus 21:5, Isaiah 7:20
then: Daniel 5:27
Reciprocal: 2 Kings 13:18 - Smite Jeremiah 18:2 - and go Jeremiah 24:9 - to be removed Jeremiah 43:9 - great Ezekiel 2:1 - Son Ezekiel 4:1 - take Ezekiel 21:19 - General
Cross-References
These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created, in the day when the Lord God made the earth and the heauens.
And agayne Methusalah lyued after he begat Lamech seue hundreth eightie and two yeres, and begate sonnes and daughters.
And all the dayes of Methuselah were nine hundreth sixtie & nine yeres, and he dyed.
These are the generations of Noah: Noah [was] a iust man, and perfect in his generations: And Noah walked with God.
These are the generations of the sonnes of Noah, Sem, Ham, and Iapheth: and vnto them were chyldren borne after the fludde.
Adam, Seth, Enos.
Lo this onlye haue I founde, that God made man iust and right: but they sought many inuentions.
Remember thy maker the sooner in thy youth, or euer the dayes of aduersitie come, and or the yeres drawe nye when thou shalt say, I haue not pleasure in them:
This is the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ, the sonne of Dauid, the sonne of Abraham.
A man ought not to couer his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glorie of God: But the woman is the glorie of the man:
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife,.... Or, "sword" m. The word signifies any sharp instrument, by which anything is cut off, or cut asunder; what is here meant is explained by the following:
take thee a barber's razor. The Septuagint and Arabic versions read this in conjunction with the former, thus, "take thee a knife", or "sword, sharper than a barber's razor"; and so the Syriac version, "take thee a sword sharp as a barber's razor"; this sharp knife, sword, or razor, signifies, as Jarchi interprets it, Nebuchadnezzar; and very rightly; so the king of Assyria is called in Isaiah 7:20:
and cause [it] to pass upon thine head, and upon thy beard; the "head" was a symbol of the city of Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judea; the "beard", of the cities, towns, and villages about it; and the "hair" of both, of the common people; compared to hair for their numbers, for their levity and unsteadiness, and for their being the beauty and ornament of the places where they lived; and the shaving of them denotes their disgrace and destruction, and mourning on account thereof:
then take thee balances to weigh and divide the [hair]. The Syriac version adds, "into three parts"; signifying, that several distinct punishments would be inflicted on them, and these according to the righteous judgment of God; balances being a symbol of justice.
m ××¨× "gladium", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Polanus, Starckius.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Translate it: take thee a sharp sword, for a barberâs razor thou shalt take it thee. Even if the action were literal, the use of an actual sword would best enforce the symbolic meaning. The âheadâ represents the chief city, the âhairâ the inhabitants - its ornament and glory - the âhair cut from the headâ the exiles cast forth from their homes. It adds to the force of the representation that âto shave the headâ was a token of mourning Job 1:20, and was forbidden to the priests Leviticus 21:5. Thus, in many ways, this action of Ezekiel âthe priestâ is significant of calamity and ruin. The sword indicates the avenging power; the shaving of the head the removal of grace and glory; the scales and weights the determination of divine justice. Compare Zechariah 13:8-9.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER V
In this chapter the prophet shows, under the type of hair, the
judgments which God was about to execute on the inhabitants of
Jerusalem by famine, sword, and dispersion, 14.
The type or allegory is then dropped, and God is introduced
declaring in plain terms the vengeance that was coming on the
whole nation which had proved so unworthy of those mercies with
which they had hitherto been distinguished, 5-17.
NOTES ON CHAP. V
Verse Ezekiel 5:1-4. Take thee a sharp knife — Among the Israelites, and indeed among most ancient nations, there were very few edge-tools. The sword was the chief; and this was used as a knife, a razor, c., according to its different length and sharpness. It is likely that only one kind of instrument is here intended a knife or short sword, to be employed as a razor.
Here is a new emblem produced, in order to mark out the coming evils.
1. The prophet represents the Jewish nation.
2. His hair, the people.
3. The razor, the Chaldeans.
4. The cutting the beard and hair, the calamities, sorrows, and disgrace coming upon the people. Cutting off the hair was a sign of mourning; see on Jeremiah 45:5; Jeremiah 48:37; and also a sign of great disgrace; see 2 Samuel 10:4.
5. He is ordered to divide the hair, Ezekiel 5:2, into three equal parts, to intimate the different degrees and kinds of punishment which should fall upon the people.
6. The balances, Ezekiel 5:1, were to represent the Divine justice, and the exactness with which God's judgments should be distributed among the offenders.
7. This hair, divided into three parts, is to be disposed of thus:
1. A third part is to be burnt in the midst of the city, to show that so many should perish by famine and pestilence during the siege.
2. Another third part he was to cut in small portions about the city, (that figure which he had pourtrayed upon the brick,) to signify those who should perish in different sorties, and in defending the walls.
3. And the remaining third part he was to scatter in the wind, to point out those who should be driven into captivity. And,
4. The sword following them was intended to show that their lives should be at the will of their captors, and that many of them should perish by the sword in their dispersions.
5. The few hairs which he was to take in his skirts, Ezekiel 5:3, was intended to represent those few Jews that should be left in the land under Gedaliah, after the taking of the city.
6. The throwing a part of these last into the fire, Ezekiel 5:4, was intended to show the miseries that these suffered in Judea, in Egypt, and finally in their being also carried away into Babylon on the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar. See these transactions particularly pointed out in the notes on Jeremiah, Jeremiah 40:0, Jeremiah 41:0, Jeremiah 42:0. Some think that this prophecy may refer to the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes.
