Ezekiel 9:7

Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks to the six executioners at the precise moment they begin judgment at the sanctuary. He issues the command to expand the slaughter from the temple precincts into the wider city.

The words — טַמּא֣וּ (ta.me.'U) commands to "make unclean," and הַ/בַּ֗יִת (ha./Ba.yit) identifies the physical sanctuary structure. The text records the literal order to defile the house and fill its courts with corpses before the agents depart.

The thread — The desecration of holy space recurs in 2 Chronicles 36:17 when Babylonian forces slaughter young men in the sanctuary, and in Psalms 79:1 when nations invade God's inheritance and defile His holy temple. Ezekiel 7:20 traces the origin of this defilement to Israel turning God's ornaments into pride and idols.

Why it lands — The passage demands recognition that divine judgment initiates at the place of worship and proceeds outward without exception. It requires the reader to confront the reality that covenant location does not shield a community from the consequences of its corruption.

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

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם'a.lei./Hemto/ them טַמְּא֣וּta.me.'Umake unclean אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַבַּ֗יִתha./Ba.yitthe/ house וּמַלְא֧וּu./mal.'Uand/ fill אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַחֲצֵר֛וֹתha./cha.tze.Rotthe/ courts חֲלָלִ֖יםcha.la.Lim[those] slain צֵ֑אוּTze.'ugo forth וְיָצְא֖וּve./ya.tze.'Uand/ they went forth וְהִכּ֥וּve./hi.Kuand/ they struck בָעִֽיר׃va./'Irin the/ city

King James Version

And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 36:17 So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar,
Ezekiel 7:20 His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.
Psalms 79:1 A Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
Lamentations 2:4 He has bent His bow like an enemy; His right hand is positioned. Like a foe He has killed all who were pleasing to the eye; He has poured out His wrath like fire on the tent of the Daughter of Zion.
Luke 13:1 At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.