Ezekiel 7:5
Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Jerusalem's 586 BC destruction was indeed unprecedented for Judah. Though the northern kingdom fell to Assyria (722 BC), Jerusalem survived. Assyria's siege under Sennacherib (701 BC) miraculously ended with the angel destroying 185,000 soldiers (2 Kings 19:35). These deliverances bred false confidence that Jerusalem was inviolable. Ezekiel's prophecy shatters this illusion: an unprecedented, singular evil approaches that previous deliverances won't prevent. When it came, the combination of prolonged siege, mass starvation, violent conquest, temple burning, and total exile created catastrophe matching the prophetic warning.
Questions for Reflection
- How does 'an only evil' emphasize that this judgment surpasses all previous warnings and disasters?
- What false securities (past deliverances, religious heritage, sacred buildings) do we trust that judgment will expose?
- In what ways should the finality of 'behold, it is come' create urgency in responding to God's warnings?
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Analysis & Commentary
Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come. The emphatic "an evil, an only evil" (raah achat raah, רָעָה אַחַת רָעָה) stresses uniqueness—this judgment surpasses all previous disasters in severity and finality. Some translations render achat as "unprecedented" or "unparalleled." "Behold, is come" (hineh ba'ah, הִנֵּה בָאָה) emphasizes arrival—not distant threat but present reality. This verse functions like alarm bell, demanding attention to imminent danger. The singular "evil" may indicate the Babylonian conquest as comprehensive catastrophe encompassing multiple disasters (war, famine, exile, temple destruction) in one overwhelming calamity.