1 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.
2 Thou shalt burne with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the dayes of the siege are fulfilled, and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife, and a third part thou shalt scatter in the winde, and I will draw out a sword after them.
3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.
4 Then take of them againe, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burne them in the fire: for thereof shall a fire come foorth into all the house of Israel.
5 ¶ Thus saith the Lord God; This is Ierusalem: I haue set it in the midst of the nations and countreys that are round about her.
6 And she hath changed my iudgements into wickednesse more then the nations, and my statutes more then the countreyes that are round about her: for they haue refused my iudgements and my statutes, they haue not walked in them.
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because yee multiplied more then the nations that are round about you, and haue not walked in my Statutes, neither haue kept my iudgments, neither haue done according to the iudgements of the nations that are round about you:
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, euen I am against thee, and will execute iudgements in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.
9 And I will doe in thee that which I haue not done, and whereunto I will not doe any more the like, because of all thine abominations.
10 Therefore the fathers shall eate the sonnes in the midst of thee, and the sonnes shall eate their fathers, and I will execute iudgements in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the windes.
11 Wherefore, as I liue, saith the Lord God, Surely because thou hast defiled my Sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee, neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I haue any pitie.
12 ¶ A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the middest of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee: and I will scatter a third part into all the windes, and I wil draw out a sword after them.
13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest vpon them, and I will be comforted: and they shal know that I the Lord haue spoken it in my zeale, when I haue accomplished my fury in them.
14 Moreouer I will make thee waste, and a reproch among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that passe by.
15 So it shall bee a reproch and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment vnto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute iudgments in thee in anger and in furie, and in furious rebukes: I the Lord haue spoken it.
16 When I shall send vpon them the euill arrowes of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I wil increase the famine vpon you, and will breake your staffe of bread.
17 So will I send vpon you famine, and euill beasts, and they shall bereaue thee, and pestilence and blood shal passe through thee, and I will bring the sword vpon thee: I the Lord haue spoken it.
A type of hair, showing the judgments about to come upon the Jews. (1-4) These awful judgments are declared. (5-17)1-4 The prophet must shave off the hair of his head and beard, which signifies God's utter rejecting and abandoning that people. One part must be burned in the midst of the city, denoting the multitudes that should perish by famine and pestilence. Another part was to be cut in pieces, representing the many who were slain by the sword. Another part was to be scattered in the wind, denoting the carrying away of some into the land of the conqueror, and the flight of others into the neighbouring countries for shelter. A small quantity of the third portion was to be bound in his shirts, as that of which he is very careful. But few were reserved. To whatever refuge sinners flee, the fire and sword of God's wrath will consume them.
5-17 The sentence passed upon Jerusalem is very dreadful, the manner of expression makes it still more so. Who is able to stand in God's sight when he is angry? Those who live and die impenitent, will perish for ever unpitied; there is a day coming when the Lord will not spare. Let not persons or churches, who change the Lord's statutes, expect to escape the doom of Jerusalem. Let us endeavour to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Sooner or later God's word will prove itself true.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.