We continue considering one of many talking point scare quotes that are oft employed against Bible believers. Ezekiel 9:6 states, “Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children.” For pseudo-skeptical-atheists a fragment of a verse is always enough information upon which to rain down condemnation. Let not take a text out of context to make a pretext for a prooftext but let us delve into the immediate and greater statements. Find the whole series at this link.
From Ezekiel ch. 8:
3…The Spirit…took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood…5…in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy…6…the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable”…7 Then he brought me to the entrance to the court…9 And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” 10 So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel. 11 In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. 12 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The LORD does not see us…13…Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.” 14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz. 15…You will see things that are even more detestable than this.” 16 He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east…Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose!
Again, very clear, no matter where Ezekiel is taken he sees the most abominable idolatry occurring.
From Ezekiel ch. 9:
1 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand” …3…Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it…5…Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark…9…The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see’…10…I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.
So, we are now at the talking point scare quote. Note who is and who is not to be killed—and remember that this is after Ezekiel speaking and performing symbolic acts all over Israel, as a warning. It is not those who repent or were always loyal, “those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done.” It is those who refuse to repent and continue to rebel, worship false gods and claim that, “The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.”
Now, from reading the articles liked above, you know that statements such as “Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children” are hyperbolic and mean, “Anyone and everyone who meet certain criteria.”
How do we know? In general, from the historical and cultural context of the times and in particular from the immediate context. All those to be killed had to meet at least two criteria:
1) They had to be of the age of accountability, yes even the “children,” and we know this because of 2).
2) They had to have made a conscious decision to keep right on sinning.
How do we know? Again, context: those to be killed were those who did not “grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done” and thus, they chose to be content in their idolatry. And so we see that, “Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children” means anyone and everyone who is aware of the situation and refuses to repent.
Ezekiel ch. 10 goes back to a description of God’s throne, the angels, etc.
Here are books on the topic:
Eric A. Seibert, Disturbing Divine Behavior: Troubling Old Testament Images of God
Paul Copan, Is Yahweh a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God
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