“And you will take from there a few in number, and bind them in your robes, and of these again you will take and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From there will come out a fire to all the house of Israel.”
Of the third part who escape death and were scattered some would be selected out for preservation, but even of these some too would die by famine and pestilence. The ‘fire' of pestilence and famine which burned in Jerusalem would reach out to some of those who have escaped. In the end the whole of the house of Israel would be affected. It is a sad picture. God's judgments would continue to reach out continually. His scattered people would never be fully at rest because of famine, pestilence and the sword.
‘Bind them in your robes (skirts - the lower flowing ends of the robe).' The bottom of the robe would be tucked into the belt for walking and would form a kind of container which could be used for carrying things.
The second ‘from there' probably refers to the fire depicted as burning in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 5:2 a). It would not only affect Jerusalem but would reach out and continue its effect even in those who had escaped.
Some have seen the last sentence as referring to a fire of purification, but in view of the importance of fire in the context it is difficult to think that such a change of usage would take place in context. It is rather a summary of the effect of the fire which Ezekiel had placed in Jerusalem (which signified pestilence and famine - Ezekiel 5:12). It affected one third of those in Jerusalem, and it would continue to affect the exiles, even those under God's general protection. All would share in the judgments poured out on Jerusalem, for all shared its guilt.