Ezekiel 7:18

They will put on sackcloth, and terror will overwhelm them. Shame will cover all their faces, and all their heads will be shaved.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ezekiel delivers God's judgment to Israel at the moment of impending national collapse and the day of the LORD's wrath.

The words — פַּלָּצ֑וּת (pa.la.Tzut) denotes a paralyzing shuddering, and שַׂקִּ֔ים (sa.Kim) literally means sackcloth, the coarse mourning garment.

The thread — The imagery of shaved heads and sackcloth appears in Isaiah 15:2 and Amos 8:10, while the accompanying terror is noted in Job 21:6.

Why it lands — The text states that physical signs of mourning and paralyzing fear will accompany the day of wrath, demanding recognition that material wealth cannot avert divine judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְחָגְר֣וּve./cha.ge.Ruand/ they will gird themselves שַׂקִּ֔יםsa.Kimsackcloth<s>וְכִסְּתָ֥הve./khi.se.Tahand/ it will cover אוֹתָ֖ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them פַּלָּצ֑וּתpa.la.Tzutshuddering וְאֶ֤לve./'Eland/ [will be] to כָּל־kol-every פָּנִים֙pa.Nimface בּוּשָׁ֔הbu.Shahshame וּבְכָל־u./ve./Khol-and/ [will be] on/ all רָאשֵׁיהֶ֖םra.shei./Hemheads/ their קָרְחָֽה׃ka.re.Chahbaldness

King James Version

They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.

Cross-references

Isaiah 15:2 Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.
Amos 8:10 I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day.
Job 21:6 When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.
Isaiah 3:24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame.
Ezekiel 27:31 They will shave their heads for you and wrap themselves in sackcloth. They will weep over you with anguish of soul and bitter mourning.
Genesis 15:12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.
Psalms 35:26 May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.
Psalms 55:4 My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me.
Jeremiah 3:25 Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”
Jeremiah 48:37 For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth.