Slay old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women: Slay … outright renders a strong expression in Hebrew, which is literally “kill for destruction.” New Century Version and Revised English Bible say “Kill and destroy,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “kill and exterminate.” God commands the total and immediate destruction of all the wicked people in Jerusalem. The six men were to spare no one, not old men, young men in the prime of life, maidens, that is, “young women” (Good News Translation), little children, or women.

But touch no one upon whom is the mark: The executioners were to kill everyone who did not have the mark on their forehead. Only those who had the mark were safe. This clause may be rendered “Don’t harm anyone who has the mark [or, cross] on their forehead.”

And begin at my sanctuary means they were to start the slaughter at the Temple.

So they began with the elders who were before the house: The six men did what God commanded, beginning with the leaders of Judah who were in front of the Temple. The Hebrew text here reads literally “and they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the house.” Some manuscripts of the Septuagint lack the words “the elders.” Probably this verse originally referred to the twenty-five men worshiping the sun in 8.16, and later the elders of 8.11 were included. Translators may render this clause as “So they began with those men who were in front of the Temple, and with the elders.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .