5:1 And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause [it] {a} to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard: then take to thee balances to weigh, and divide the [hair].

(a) To shave your head and your beard.

5:2 Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the {b} city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, [and] smite about it with a sword: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.

(b) That is, of that city which he had portrayed on the brick, Eze 4:1. By the fire and pestilence he means the famine, with which one part perished during the siege of Nebuchadnezzar. By the sword, those that were slain when Zedekiah fled and those that were carried away captive and by the scattering into the wind, those that fled into Egypt, and into other parts after the city was taken.

5:3 Thou shalt also take of them a few in number, and bind them in thy {c} skirts.

(c) Meaning, that a very few would be left, which the Lord would preserve among all these storms, but not without troubles and trial.

5:4 Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; {d} from which a fire shall come forth into all the house of Israel.

(d) Out of the fire which you kindled will come a fire which will signify the destruction of Israel.

5:6 And she hath changed my {e} judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that [are] around her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.

(e) My word and law into idolatry and superstitions.

5:7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye {f} multiplied more than the nations that [are] around you, [and] have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that [are] around you;

(f) Because your idols are in greater number, and your superstitions more than among the professed idolaters, read Isa 65:11 or he condemns their ingratitude in respect to his benefits.

5:13 Thus shall my anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be {g} comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken [it] in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.

(g) That is, I will not be pacified till I am avenged, Isa 1:24.

5:16 When I shall send upon them the evil {h} arrows of famine, which shall be for [their] destruction, [and] which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

(h) Which were the grasshoppers, mildew and whatever were opportunities for famine.