Ezekiel 9:6
Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children,
and women,.... All, of them objects of compassion, because of their age and sex; and yet none to be spared; and which orders were exactly obeyed; see 2 Chronicles 36:17;
but come not near any man on whom is the mark; these were not to be slain; and though some were carried captive, as Daniel, and others; yet it was for their good and God's glory; see Revelation 7:3;
and begin at my sanctuary; the temple, the house of God, and the priests and Levites that dwelt there. The Septuagint version is, "begin at my saints"; those who professed themselves to be the saints of the Lord, and were separated and devoted to his service; and so the Rabbins say {y}, do not read yvdqmm, "at my sanctuary"; but yvdwqmm, "at those that sanctify me", or "my sanctified ones"; which they interpret of those that keep the whole law, from "aleph" to "tau"; see 1 Peter 4:17;
Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house; the seventy elders of Israel, who offered incense to the idols portrayed upon the walls of the chambers of the temple, Ezekiel 8:10; these they slew first.
{y} T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 4. 1.