Ezekiel 5:17and I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they shall bereave you; and pestilence and blood shall pass through you; and I will bring the sword on you: I, Yahweh, have spoken it.
The setting
Tel Aviv, Iraq, ~593 BC. Ezekiel lists the four classical covenant curses in order, ending with his prophetic signature 'I, Yahweh, have spoken it'...
The emotion here: devastated but compelled to deliver God's uncompromising word
The original word
deber (דֶּבֶר) — plague or pestilence, often bubonic plague in ancient times
Why it matters
This exact sequence of judgments was fulfilled during the 18-month siege of Jerusalem in 588-586 BC
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ezekiel 5:17
The phrase 'I, Yahweh, have spoken it' is Ezekiel's unique prophetic seal — guaranteeing fulfillment
Common misconceptionPeople see this as proof God is cruel, but it's actually proof He keeps His word — even the hard promises about consequences.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ezekiel 5:17
Bible Genome reading
Ezekiel 5:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ezekiel 5:17 comes from the book of Ezekiel, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include total destruction, covenant curses. Notable phrases: famine; evil animals; pestilence; blood; sword. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Ezekiel 5:17 mean to you, today?
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