Ezekiel 5:16 Meaning and Explanation
“When I shall send upon them the evil 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:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God will send the calamity of famine—'evil arrows'—to destroy Jerusalem and break their source of food.
The Context of Ezekiel 5:16
The judgment now focuses on famine as the primary mechanism of Jerusalem's destruction during the siege.
What Does Ezekiel 5:16 Mean?
Famine is personified as 'evil arrows' shot by God's own hand, making clear that the coming starvation is not accidental or random, but a tool of divine judgment. The repeated emphasis—'for their destruction,' 'send to destroy you,' 'break your staff of bread'—leaves no doubt about famine's purpose and severity. The 'staff of bread' is a metaphor for the supply that sustains life; breaking it means complete deprivation.
The intensification ('I will increase the famine') suggests that as the siege progresses, conditions worsen. What begins as shortage becomes absolute scarcity, then cannibalism as described in verse 10. The progression moves from divine judgment (famine sent by God) to human desperation (fathers eating sons). Famine thus becomes the mechanism through which several other judgments are accomplished.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ezekiel 5:16
What does Ezekiel 5:16 mean?
God will send the calamity of famine—'evil arrows'—to destroy Jerusalem and break their source of food.
What is the context of Ezekiel 5:16?
The judgment now focuses on famine as the primary mechanism of Jerusalem's destruction during the siege.