John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 5:2
Thou, shall burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city ,.... Of Jerusalem, as portrayed upon the tile, Ezekiel 4:1 ; or the prophet was now in Chaldea. The burning of the third part of the hair with fire denotes such who were destroyed by the pestilence and famine during the siege; see Lamentations 5:10 ; or it denotes the burning of the city itself, when the siege was over; since it follows: when the days of the siege are fulfilled ; for, when it was taken, it was burnt... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 5:1-4
We have here the sign by which the utter destruction of Jerusalem is set forth; and here, as before, the prophet is himself the sign, that the people might see how much he affected himself with, and interested himself in, the case of Jerusalem, and how it lay to his heart, even when he foretold the desolations of it. He was so much concerned about it as to take what was done to it as done to himself, so far was he from desiring the woeful day. I. He must shave off the hair of his head and... read more