Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Ezekiel 12:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic word through Ezekiel turns or qualifies the movement with “But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the…” at Ezekiel 12:16 inside “The Exile Sign Is Interpreted for the Prince and People.”
This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem
This verse is one part of that explanation in Ezekiel 12:8–16. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Ezekiel 12:8–16
Read Ezekiel 12:16 with 12:8–16. By itself, “But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, exilic horizon, visionary movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: The action concerns Jerusalem's prince and residents: they will be scattered, the prince caught, taken to Babylon yet not see it, while a few survivors recount the reasons for disaster.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “Packed Baggage and a Wall Opening Enact Exile” into “The Exile Sign Is Interpreted for the Prince and People.” Its non-interchangeable contribution is: The action concerns Jerusalem's prince and residents: they will be scattered, the prince caught, taken to Babylon yet not see it, while a few survivors recount the reasons for disaster. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic word through Ezekiel turns or qualifies the movement with “But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the…” at Ezekiel 12:16 inside “The Exile Sign Is Interpreted for the Prince and People.”
What Remains True
Worship, public violence, economic exploitation, leadership, and treatment of vulnerable people cannot be separated from moral accountability. In Ezekiel 12:16, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic word through Ezekiel turns or qualifies the movement with “But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the…” at Ezekiel 12:16 inside “The Exile Sign Is Interpreted for the Prince and People.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Ezekiel 12:8–16 — The Exile Sign Is Interpreted for the Prince and PeopleSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Ezekiel 12:8–16, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Ezekiel
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ezek.xml, OSIS 12:8–16
Open the fixed Hebrew Ezekiel file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Ezekiel
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2016; current official PDF
Supports: Verse-level controls for difficult Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, place names, textual issues, vision language, and material alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Ezekiel PDF, exact translator, study, and textual notes attached to Ezekiel 12:8–16
Open the official NET Ezekiel PDF ↗