EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:1–3:27 Inaugural Vision. The story of Ezekiel’s call as a prophet is the most complex of all the “prophetic call stories” in the OT. It is also one of the most carefully structured. Ezekiel has a vision of the glory of God (1:1–28). He receives his prophetic commission through swallowing a scroll that God offers him (2:1–3:11). Doing so strengthens him and trains him in obedience. After the glory of God withdraws (3:12–15), Ezekiel is appointed to be a “watchman” (3:16–21). Then he has another encounter with God’s glory (3:22–27).
The Babylonians exiled people from Judah and Jerusalem in stages. Daniel and his friends were taken in 605 B.C. Ezekiel was deported in 597 B.C., along with King Jehoiachin and many others (2 Kings 24:8–17). The final exile occurred 10 years later.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:1 The mention of the Chebar canal means that Ezekiel was near Nippur. He is not in the city of Babylon itself (see map). Visions of God links this vision (1:4–3:15) with 8:3 and 40:2.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:2 Probably the “thirtieth year” of v. 1 should be linked with the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin (593 B.C.). Jehoiachin’s exile is the reference point for dates throughout the book.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:4 A stormy wind announces the Lord’s approach, as in Job 38:1. The north is associated with God’s home (see Ps. 48:2), and in Jeremiah it indicates the source of divine judgment (Jer. 1:13–15). The phrase as it were shows that Ezekiel is struggling for the right words to describe the vision.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:9 Their wings touched recalls the description of the cherubim in the Most Holy Place in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6:27). The four-sided form of the creatures ensures that they can do the impossible: go straight forward, in any direction, but without turning.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:10 The creatures’ shape was mainly human, but each had four faces. Many suggestions have been made to explain their symbolism. Certainly each creature is majestic in its realm, whether among the wild (lion) and domestic (ox) animals, or in the air (eagle).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:12 The term spirit can refer either to God’s spirit or to wind. Given v. 20, it seems likely that this is a reference to a “spirit” distinct from that of the living creatures (see esv footnote).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:22–23 The term expanse appears four times in the immediate context (vv. 22–23, 25–26). Compare Gen. 1:6–8, 14–20, where it is used nine times. There the expanse forms the dome of the sky. Here it is a horizontal layer above the wings of the creatures. The rest of the vision is beyond the expanse (Ezek. 1:26–28).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 1:28 bow . . . on the day of rain. Given the threatening message that follows, the bow is likely a symbolic reference to the Lord sending arrows of lightning (see Ps. 7:12–13; Hab. 3:9). The glory of the LORD is his demonstrated presence with his people. It was visible as a bright light in the wilderness (Ex. 16:7) and accessible through the sanctuary (Ex. 40:34–35). In Ezekiel the term appears in Ezek. 1:28; 3:12, 23; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18–19; 11:22–23; 43:2–5; 44:4. This glory will leave the impure temple (chs. 9–11) and then will return to the restored temple (43:2–5).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 2:1 Ezekiel is never addressed by name in this book, but 93 times he is called son of man. Daniel is the only other person addressed like this in the OT (Dan. 8:17). The Hebrew idiom “son of x” indicates membership in a class. “Son of man” identifies Ezekiel as a human creature before the supreme creator.
Son of man (or “son of Adam”) highlights the prophet’s humanity before the holy God. Ezekiel is called “son of man” 93 times in this book.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 2:2–4 God describes Israel as rebels (see also “rebellious house,” vv. 5–7) throughout this inaugural vision. This deep-seated trait (and their fathers; see v. 4) will be emphasized again in Ezekiel’s review of Israel’s history in ch. 20. Ezekiel is sent to speak on God’s behalf (you shall say to them), but he is not yet told what to say.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 2:8–10 Ezekiel is told he must open his mouth and eat the scroll of a book. When it is unrolled, writing is visible on its front and back. The scroll is full, just as Ezekiel soon will be (3:3). Its words are all audible, though their precise content remains unspecified.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:1–2 The command to eat is now combined with the commission to go and speak.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:3 feed your belly. Having tasted the scroll, the prophet learns that the words of mourning are not bitter, as one would expect, but sweet as honey.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:4 The command to go and speak is repeated in v. 11, framing this second speech (vv. 4–11). While the first speech emphasized divine sending (2:3–4), here the focus is on the prophet’s action.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:5–7 Contrary to what he expected, Ezekiel is warned that taking God’s word to another nation would be easier than taking God’s words to his own people.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:10 This charge contains one of the few descriptions of prophetic experience in the OT. Ezekiel’s ministry will have both a psychological (receive in your heart) and an auditory (hear with your ears) element (compare Job 32:18–20; Jer. 20:7–9).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:14 The phrase in the heat appears 30 times in the OT. The esv generally translates it “in wrath” or “in fury.” Ezekiel has gained God’s perspective on his people’s sin, and his anger reflects that.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:16–21 Ezekiel is assigned to be a watchman for Judah. This role is expanded in 33:1–9, the passage introducing the second phase of Ezekiel’s ministry.
Tel-abib was located along the Chebar canal near Babylon. Ezekiel settled there with a community of fellow deportees from Judah (3:15). Many exiles prospered in Babylon, and when the Persians allowed them to return to Jerusalem, many decided to stay.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:18–19 Although the intent of prophetic messages is clearly to warn the wicked and thus save his life (compare 33:8), the greater concern in these verses is the importance of Ezekiel delivering the warnings faithfully. If the warning is issued, the prophet’s life is saved (delivered your soul; see 3:21), even if the wicked continue to rebel against God.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:22–23 Here the valley is the broad river valley of Mesopotamia.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 3:25–27 Ezekiel has already eaten the message (vv. 1–3) and absorbed God’s perspective on the people’s sin (v. 14). Now his identification with the prophetic message is pushed even further. His actions and words must come under God’s direct control. Ezekiel will be mute until Jerusalem’s fall (see 33:22). So, how will he warn the people if he cannot speak? The solution: the Lord will enable him to speak the words of prophecy (I will open your mouth). The concluding words echo the divine commission in 2:4, 7.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:1–24:27 Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. The oracles of chs. 4–24 come before Jerusalem’s downfall in 587 B.C. Although the sequence appears to be chronological, there is also some grouping by theme and type of literature: chs. 4–7 include several symbolic actions; chs. 8–11 comprise the second major vision sequence in the book, Ezekiel’s first “temple vision”; chs. 15–23 are dominated by “parables” and extended metaphors. Almost the only hopeful statement comes in 11:14–21, which anticipates the latter half of the book. Yet even that passage includes the familiar warnings against sin.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:1–5:4 Ezekiel is called upon to dramatize his prophecy, using actions rather than words to convey the divine message. As in most cases in the book, only the instructions are recorded, and not the report of the performance and its reception.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:1–2 The symbolic actions in these verses describe a siege in miniature form. Brick was the common building material in Babylon, though not in Jerusalem. Repeating against it five times emphasizes the danger for the city.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:3 The sign ensures that the siege, which could have been interpreted as God’s passive neglect, will be understood as his deliberate hostility against his people.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:4 The number of the days, as specified in vv. 5–9, corresponds to periods of exile for Israel and Judah. Compare the announcement of the 40 years of wilderness wandering in Num. 14:33–34.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:7 The arm bared (compare Isa. 52:10) suggests the “outstretched arm” (e.g., Ex. 6:6; Ezek. 20:33–34) with which the Lord acts on behalf of his people. In this situation, however, the Lord is acting against Jerusalem. Ezekiel’s silence (3:26) gives way to speech when he is told to prophesy against the city.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:10 The twenty shekels ration of bread amounts to just 8 ounces (0.23 kg).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:11 The sixth part of a hin is roughly equivalent to 1.4 pints (0.6 liters).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:12–15 Ezekiel objects when he is told to use human dung for fuel. Animal dung was a common fuel (v. 15; see 1 Kings 14:10), but Ezekiel, as a priest, regards food as holy (e.g., Lev. 22:7–8) and excrement as defiling (Deut. 23:12–14).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 4:16 Supply of bread in Hebrew is “staff of bread” (see esv footnote), which probably refers to a method of storage. To break the staff (see 5:16; 14:13; also Ps. 105:16) is synonymous with famine.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 5:1–4 razor. Priests were not to shave off their hair (44:20; see also Lev. 21:5), so shaving his head and beard shamed and defiled Ezekiel.
God sometimes asked Ezekiel to act out his prophetic message. In ch. 4, God asks him to lie on his side for 430 days. In ch. 5, Ezekiel shaves his beard, a shameful act for a priest, to warn the people that God would judge Jerusalem for its rebellion.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 5:5–17 These verses comment on Ezekiel’s dramatic presentation of prophecy (4:1–5:4).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 5:8–10 eat their sons. This gruesome prospect sometimes became a reality during siege warfare (see Lam. 4:10). This was one of God’s judgments for breaking the covenant (Deut. 28:49–57).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 5:11 Deuteronomy often uses the phrase “eye not pitying” to describe the attitude that the Israelites must have in order to carry out stern judgment when issues of purity or loyalty are at stake (e.g., Deut. 13:8; 19:13). The same Hebrew is used here for God’s eye that will not spare his own sinful people.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 6:1–7:27 These two extended oracles are both addressed to “geography”: the “mountains” (6:2) and “land” (7:2) of Israel, although in both cases the real audience is human (see 6:6).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 6:2 set your face. Another favorite phrase of Ezekiel, expressing determination. The hills and mountains that Ezekiel addresses were linked to improper worship (see 1 Kings 14:22–23; 2 Chron. 21:11; Jer. 3:6).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 6:3 The treaty curses of Leviticus 26 are the background for this verse. This is especially clear in the threat to bring a sword upon you (also Ezek. 5:17; 11:8; 14:17; 29:8; and 33:2). The high places were cultic worship sites that were to be destroyed.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 6:8–10 leave some of you alive. Complete destruction is avoided with the promise that a remnant will be spared (compare 5:3). The survivors’ sorrow is matched by the striking description of God’s deep grief at the people’s idolatry: I have been broken (6:9). This is the same verb that God uses in v. 6 to describe what will happen to the idols.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 7:2 The address to the land (literally, “soil”) of Israel uses a phrase unique to Ezekiel (found 17 times in the book, always referring to the people Israel). Compare “the mountains of Israel,” 6:2. The announcement of an end (also 7:3, 6) echoes Amos 8:2, where God announces the coming outpouring of his wrath.
God sent the prophets to warn Israel that the Day of the Lord was coming, when God would judge his people for their rebellion against him (see 3:19; Amos 5:18–20; Isa. 2:12). Here Ezekiel specifically condemns Jerusalem’s crime and violence (7:23).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 7:3 Abominations are offenses that God despises, that make someone or something impure. The term appears 41 times in Ezekiel.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 7:10 Behold, the day! The “day of the Lord” is a prominent theme in the Hebrew prophets (see note on Amos 5:18–20). It refers to near or future judgment of the Lord on Israel and the nations (see Joel 2:1–11). This judgment also reveals God’s glory and restores his people. Ezekiel’s development of the theme relates most closely to Amos 8:9–10. Among the many concepts shared by Ezekiel 7 and Amos 8 are the “day” itself, violence and wealth, agricultural metaphors, foiled commerce, desecration of holy things, and withholding of divine direction.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 7:12–13 The transactions described here connect with the laws of Lev. 25:26–27. There is no opportunity to redeem property because death will come first.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 7:17 all knees turn to water. The Hebrew suggests a loss of bladder control due to panic.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 7:26 Loss of divine direction from the prophet, priest, and elders provides another link to Jeremiah, where the sinful Judeans assume that such guidance will always be available to them (Jer. 18:18).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:1–11:25 Ezekiel’s “temple vision,” the second of his four dramatic visions, has strong connections with the opening vision (chs. 1–3) and the concluding vision (chs. 40–48), which is a mirror image to this one. In his vision, Ezekiel is taken on a tour and is shown a series of pictures of idolatrous worship in the temple (ch. 8), the citywide slaughter of idolaters (ch. 9), the destruction of Jerusalem by fire, and the gradual withdrawal of the presence of the Lord from the temple (ch. 10). The vision culminates in the contrast of judgment on wicked officials (11:1–13) with an oracle of hope (11:14–21) before God’s glory departs completely (11:22–25). As a whole, the vision emphasizes God’s righteous rejection of this generation of Judeans.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:1–18 Ezekiel is transported in his vision to the temple complex at the heart of Jerusalem (vv. 1–4). In a series of locations, including both the center and the periphery of the temple, various cultic practices, termed abominations, are revealed.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:1 The vision took place in September 592 B.C., just over a year after the inaugural vision (see 1:1–3:27). Clearly there were “prophets” among the exiles stirring up rebellion (see Jer. 29:20–23). Thus the elders seek a word from Ezekiel.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:3 When interpreting chs. 8–11, one must keep in mind that what Ezekiel sees are dreamlike visions of God. This is spiritual, not “natural,” reality. The inner gateway locates Ezekiel within the temple-palace complex, but not yet at its center.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:4 glory. See note on 1:28.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:5–6 The first of the four scenes finds Ezekiel with his back to the altar, facing an image of jealousy, which remains unidentified. The vagueness is deliberate: focus remains on what provokes God’s outrage, not on the specifics of the image itself. It will get worse (still greater abominations; see vv. 13, 15). These sins are “greater” in the sense of being more hateful to God. This can be because of such factors as bringing him more dishonor, bringing greater harm to others, expressing defiance of God’s warnings or indifference to his love, sinning more boldly in public, or sinning by those with greater responsibility.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:10 The images engraved on the walls break the second commandment (Ex. 20:4) and violate the standards in Deut. 4:15–18.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:11 The presence of Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan among the 70 elders may have been a shock. He was probably a member of the clan of Shaphan (2 Kings 22:8–10), which had proved loyal to Yahweh’s cause in Jeremiah’s ministry (e.g., Jer. 26:24).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:14–15 Moving farther north, Ezekiel sees women weeping for Tammuz. This ancient Mesopotamian cult celebrated the shepherd-king and god of vegetation. Mourning rites among women in this cult are recorded in extrabiblical sources.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 8:16 The final scene, which is the briefest, states simply and starkly the worst of the offenses against God. The twenty-five men are not further identified, but the location between the porch and the altar would normally be reserved for priests. At this sacred place they worship the sun, which is prohibited in Deut. 4:19. This action contrasts sharply with what priests ought to do here (compare Ps. 26:6–7; Joel 2:17).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 9:1–11 A team of seven angels carries out the execution of the unfaithful in Jerusalem at God’s command. Only one of them is assigned the job of protecting the faithful. The prophet’s anguished intervention does not change the Lord’s mind about the judgment.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 9:3–7 The seventh angel, in the role of scribe, puts a mark on the foreheads (v. 4) of those who are faithful to the Lord. Preserving a remnant has been a feature of chs. 4–7. Here, the mark is the Hebrew letter taw. In the script of Ezekiel’s day it would be an X. Ancient Christian interpretation saw this symbol as an anticipation of the cross.
A writing case (9:2) was standard equipment for scribes. The case provided a surface for writing upon and a place for storing pens and ink. It also contained a knife for keeping the pens sharp.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 9:6 they began with the elders. Just as the leaders had led the people astray, so now judgment begins with them. house. The temple.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 9:8 Ah, Lord GOD! Will you destroy all the remnant? Compare 11:13.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 9:9–10 God pointedly responds to the elders’ claim that he does not know what they are doing (the LORD does not see; compare 8:12 and 9:9).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 10:1–22 Two actions are interwoven here: the second (visionary) phase of city destruction (vv. 1–8), and the further withdrawal of the glory of God from the temple (vv. 9–22).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 10:2 The man clothed in linen, a “preserving angel” in ch. 9, now becomes an agent of destruction.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 10:4 glory. See note on 1:28.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 10:9–22 While this section is mostly description, the action in vv. 18–19 is crucial. At the threshold (v. 18) of the east gate of the temple (v. 19), the glory of the God of Israel is ready to depart from the midst of his sinful people. The departure will be slow and in stages, perhaps symbolizing how the Lord gives the people every opportunity to repent.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 11:1–13 Ezekiel sees 25 men—a different group from 8:16, and at a different location. Unlike the previous group, the problem here is not with worship but with politics, although the precise issue at stake is unclear. The overall impression is that the thing they fear will come upon them (11:8) and that they have brought divine judgment on themselves.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 11:1 The named individuals are otherwise unknown; on Pelatiah, see v. 13. Princes of the people does not refer to royalty; the identical phrase is translated “leaders of the people” in Neh. 11:1.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 11:2–3 cauldron . . . meat. The imagery is best understood to indicate fear that led to mistrusting God. The idea is further developed in ch. 24.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 11:7–12 The focus here is on the distinction between the court officials and the people who have been killed.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 11:13 The significance of Ezekiel’s shock at the death of Pelatiah the son of Benaiah may lie in the meaning of his name: “the Lord delivers,” son of “the Lord builds,” has died!
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 11:14–21 Ezekiel’s outcry in v. 13 apparently prompts one of the most important statements of hope in the book, one closely connected to the “new heart” passage in 36:22–32. In 11:15 the voice of those left in Judah taunts the exiles. God’s response in v. 16 shows that God’s own action brought about the exile (I removed . . . I scattered); it also redefines the relationship between God and the remnant remaining in Judah: the real sanctuary is not the temple but God himself. That new relationship is marked by a new spirit and a heart of flesh (v. 19) provided by God himself. This enables faithful living, which was impossible with a heart of stone. Ezekiel stresses both God’s provision (here and in 36:26–27) and the importance of a correct human response (“make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit,” 18:31).
Hearts of flesh to replace hearts of stone. The Lord says that his rebellious people have a “heart of stone” (11:19), but he promises to someday give them a “heart of flesh,” enabling them to love and obey him.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 11:22–25 The vision concludes on a tragic note. God leaves his city, which means divine absence and thus death for the people. The mountain . . . on the east is the Mount of Olives. God’s absence from Jerusalem will continue until 43:1–5.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 12:1–28 The predictions of exile in this chapter come during a time when the exile has already begun. Thus, the chapter probably relates to the uncertain decade between 597 B.C. (the deportation during the reign of Jehoiachin, during which Ezekiel was exiled) and 587 (the final fall of Jerusalem, during the reign of Zedekiah).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 12:2 On Ezekiel’s use of the phrase rebellious house (also vv. 9, 25), see note on 2:2–4.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 12:3 In their sight is repeated seven times in vv. 3–7, further underlining the prophecy’s main point. The hope that they will understand (literally, that they will “see”) also develops this theme.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 12:8–15 The explanation of the symbolic actions has both a broad and a narrow application. Verse 10 targets the prince in Jerusalem—a reference to Zedekiah, whom Ezekiel refuses to refer to as “king.” The rest of v. 10 and the plural references of v. 11 broaden the scope to the remaining Judeans. Verses 12–15 detail the fate of Zedekiah as recorded in 2 Kings 25. Still, this remains a sign for you (plural, Ezek. 12:11), that is, for Ezekiel’s fellow exiles.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 12:13 he shall not see it. The fate of Zedekiah is clearly in view here. Compare 2 Kings 25:7; Jer. 52:11.
Though Zedekiah was king of Judah at the time, Ezekiel refused to call him king. Instead, he calls him “the prince in Jerusalem” (12:10). This is because Zedekiah was a “puppet king” placed on the throne by the Babylonians.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 12:21–28 Apparently the delay in the prophecy’s fulfillment allowed time for counter-prophecies to be given. These false statements are answered here.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 13:1–14:11 Chapters 13–14 condemn those who speak false prophecy (ch. 13) and ignore true prophecy (14:1–11).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 13:1–23 Two groups are condemned: male “prophets” who simply prophesy falsely (vv. 1–16), and women who pretend to be prophets (vv. 17–23). Compare Mic. 3:5–7.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 13:1–9 Introductory and concluding phrases and distinctive content separate these verses from those that follow. The basic charge—that these prophets speak their own delusions—is voiced in vv. 2–3 and developed throughout. The metaphors of vv. 4–5 are striking. Like jackals (v. 4; compare Jer. 9:11) these false prophets are scavengers, but they ought to have protected the people by speaking God’s word to them (Ezek. 22:30; see also Ps. 106:23).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 13:10–16 A further connection with Jeremiah brackets this second oracle: the false declaration of peace (vv. 10, 16; compare Jer. 6:14; 8:11). The false prophets’ word of well-being gives the people false hope.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 13:17–21 Attention turns to women who give prophecies out of their own imaginations. The term “prophetess,” used to describe genuine agents of God (e.g., Miriam in Ex. 15:20; Deborah in Judg. 4:4; Huldah in 2 Kings 22:14), is avoided in describing these impostors. Focus shifts to magical practices. The striking phrase hunt for souls (Ezek. 13:18, 20) identifies this activity as spiritual manipulation. Such behavior is forbidden in Lev. 19:26, 31 and Deut. 18:10–14.
The women in 13:17 who “prophesy out of their own hearts” were false prophets and magicians. Unlike Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), these female prophets did not speak God’s words.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 13:22–23 The false female prophets of the preceding oracle are addressed in v. 23 (you shall no more).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 14:1–11 The theme of false prophecy continues (vv. 9–11). The elders in exile (v. 1) approach Ezekiel (compare 8:1; 20:1). They want him to give them a word from the Lord, but the Lord knows they are idolaters. The key verse in this section is God’s question in 14:3 (Should I indeed . . . be consulted by them?), which brings three responses. Verses 4–5 give an apparent “yes,” but what it might mean to lay hold of the hearts (v. 5) is explained in the following verses. The second response comes in vv. 6–8: any divine answer to the idolatrous elders will involve calling for their repentance (v. 6); if they do not repent, God will reject them (v. 8). In his third response (vv. 9–11), God acknowledges that he himself has deceived that prophet but that they shall bear their punishment, with the ultimate goal that Israel may no more go astray from me (compare 1 Kings 22:13–28).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 14:9 I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet. One of the forms of God’s judgment is allowing people to believe falsehood, or even (as in this verse) leading them to believe falsehood. Yet Scripture also consistently affirms human responsibility for the decision to sin (note the idolatry [v. 7] that came before this deception, and the just punishment from God [vv. 9–10]). Moreover, Scripture states that God himself cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18), and it never excuses human beings for speaking or believing falsehood.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 14:12–23 Five distinct paragraphs make up this oracle. The first four describe four forms of divine judgment on Jerusalem: famine (vv. 12–14); beasts (vv. 15–16); sword (vv. 17–18); and pestilence (vv. 19–20). The final paragraph provides a summary and holds open the possibility that a remnant will be spared (vv. 21–23). All five paragraphs emphasize the accountability of each person for his or her own life. Compare 3:16–21 and ch. 18.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 15:1–8 Comparing Israel to a vine is a common OT theme (e.g., Ps. 80:8–16; Jer. 2:21). (On Israel as a vineyard, see Isa. 5:1–7; Jer. 12:10; as an olive tree, see Jer. 11:16; Rom. 11:17–24.) The mixing of vine imagery and spiritual unfaithfulness in Jer. 2:20–21 is also found in Ezekiel 15–16. Ezekiel further develops the vine metaphor in ch. 17 (compare 19:10–14). Here in 15:1–8, the point is simple: the wood of a vine is fit only for burning—and so it is with the inhabitants of Jerusalem (v. 6). Such a pessimistic evaluation matches God’s evaluation of the whole of Israelite history in ch. 20.
Ezekiel compares the Jerusalemites to a vine that can only be used as fuel for a fire (ch. 15). In the Bible, the people of God are often compared to a vine. Jesus describes his relationship with his followers using vine imagery in John 15:1–11.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:1–63 Chapter 16 includes brutal violence and shocking sexual language. It shows that the infidelity of Jerusalem has brought upon it the just punishment of God. In no way does it justify any human punishment of adultery. Verses 1–43 follow the story of the abandoned child who became a bride; vv. 44–58 broaden the “family” to include two “sisters,” Samaria and Sodom; and vv. 59–63 conclude both parts.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:1–43 The oracle has three phases. Verses 1–14 tell the story of an abandoned girl (v. 6) who becomes a queen (v. 13). God is the king who found her. Verses 15–34 describe the sexual sins the “queen” commits despite her husband’s generosity. Verses 35–43 announce the coming judgment of the faithless bride.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:2 The instruction to deliver the oracle comes in semi-legal language: make known (compare 20:4; Job 13:23) expresses the idea of an arraignment in court.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:4–5 cast out. Leaving a newborn child outside implies an unwanted birth and certain death. The other actions that Ezekiel describes are the usual practice for welcoming a newborn.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:6 Blood is an important theme throughout Ezekiel. Usually it refers to violence, but here it involves life (compare Gen. 9:4).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:7 The story quickly moves from infancy to puberty. Still naked, the girl is vulnerable and in need of resources of all kinds.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:8 Now at a marriageable age, the girl is taken as a wife. Spread . . . my garment signals intent to marry (compare Ruth 3:9), and the covenant signifies formal commitment (Mal. 2:14).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:9 The cleansing actions here mirror those of v. 4. Blood in this case indicates her menstrual cycle has begun.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:10–13 Only after the covenant has been entered are the gifts of clothing and jewelry given. This signifies her status as royalty (v. 13).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:14 God asserts that Jerusalem’s renown and beauty were entirely of his making (that I had bestowed).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:15 Played the whore in the OT usually refers to unrestrained sexual immorality. When used metaphorically of one’s relationship with God, it usually includes idol worship.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:23–29 Jerusalem’s “whorings” included multiple partners.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:30–34 This summary of vv. 15–34 accuses Jerusalem of being uniquely promiscuous. It draws together the two preceding metaphors. The marriage metaphor relates to infidelity and adultery, which betray the exclusive loyalty of the covenant relationship. The prostitution metaphor relates to the number of partners, which breaks God’s standard of commitment only to him.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:35–43 Because . . . therefore (vv. 36–37 and v. 43) presents the sins and punishments in two parts (vv. 36–42, 43). Adultery, along with other illicit sexual relationships, was one of a number of capital crimes in Israel’s law, so the announcement of execution here is not surprising. Other aspects of the punishments described here do not fit Israelite law so simply. It is unclear how stripping the culprit (v. 37) relates to the law about adultery. Perhaps it is a case of “poetic justice” in which Jerusalem returns to the nakedness in which she was found (v. 4).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:49–52 Jerusalem’s crimes include social justice issues (v. 49), not just idolatry. She mistreats other people and God.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:53–58 Here judgment is assumed and a future restoration is envisioned. Both here and in the conclusion (vv. 59–63), the people feel shame at their previous acts. Restoring each to their former state (v. 55) puts Jerusalem on the same level as her “sisters,” who have been similarly forgiven.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 16:60 The term everlasting covenant also occurs in 37:26 and elsewhere in the OT (see Isa. 61:8). In Jer. 32:40 it appears in the context of bringing together the old northern and southern kingdoms.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 17:1–24 If ch. 16 can be said to express a theological point of view, ch. 17 seems to be more political in nature. It is a sort of “fable,” a story form in which plants and animals are used to teach a lesson (e.g., Judg. 9:8–15). Here two eagles, a cedar tree, and a vine are the main actors, and the story centers on the fortunes of the vine (compare Isa. 5:1–7; Ezek. 19:10–14). The story illustrates Judah’s political fortunes, and ultimately its future under God. The fable is told in 17:1–12 and then is explained, first on the natural plane (vv. 11–18) and then in theological terms (vv. 19–21). Finally the fable resumes, describing an ideal future (vv. 22–24).
A “fable” with an important message. Ezekiel’s story about the two eagles, the cedar tree, and the vine could be considered a type of “fable.” A fable is a story in which animals or plants are the main characters. Though they are sometimes entertaining to read, biblical fables teach important lessons.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 17:2 This oracle (vv. 1–10) appears as a riddle, designed to provoke thought, and a parable (also translated “proverb”; see 12:22), which relies on comparison.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 17:3–5 The terms of the description are significant, for they indicate the status of the various characters. This is the greater eagle, taking a topmost twig as well as a seed.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 17:7 The second eagle lacks the magnificence of the first, while still remaining “great.”
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 17:8 The new orientation of the vine to the second eagle threatens its choice location and flourishing state.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 17:11–18 The first part identifies the characters of the fable (vv. 11–15) before spelling out the moral of the story (vv. 16–18). The first eagle is the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, who takes her king, that is, Judah’s king Jehoiachin (the “twig”), to Babylon (v. 12). The royal offspring (the “seed”) is Zedekiah (v. 13). Zedekiah’s failure was to break his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar (vv. 13–14) by turning to Egypt (v. 15), whose king was Hophra, the lesser eagle. Ultimately, hope in Egyptian aid will prove useless (v. 17; see Jer. 37:6–10). Breaking this political covenant will bring disaster on Zedekiah and his people (Ezek. 17:18).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 17:19–21 God takes full responsibility for the disaster to come (return . . . spread . . . bring . . . enter, all first-person verbs). This is not just a military defeat, but divine judgment.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 17:22–24 God’s action continues. The terms of the parable are used to sketch an ideal messianic future. God chooses a new sprig from the topmost part of the cedar (v. 22) and plants it himself (v. 23).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 18:1–32 God holds each generation accountable for its own sins.
Are God’s judgments fair? Some of the exiles complained that God was punishing them for their parents’ sins (ch. 18). Ezekiel replies that God will not judge on the basis of a parent’s sins; neither will he forgive because of a parent’s righteousness. God’s judgement is fair.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 18:1–4 The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and children’s teeth are set on edge. Despite the popularity of this proverb, says Ezekiel, the soul who sins shall die, not others. Compare Jer. 31:29–30.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 18:5–18 Ezekiel describes three generations: a righteous father (vv. 5–9) and his wicked son (vv. 10–13), who in turns fathers a righteous son (vv. 14–18).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 18:19–24 Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father? Ezekiel anticipates his audience clinging to their traditional understanding, which is summarized in the now irrelevant proverb (vv. 1–2).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 18:20–24 The soul who sins shall die. Verses 21–24 explain this teaching in what might seem a surprising way. Verses 21–22 consider the wicked person who then repents and lives rightly before God. Verse 24 considers the opposite scenario. Sandwiched between these is the central declaration of God’s “pleasure” (v. 23) in repentance, and a denial that he has any pleasure in the death of the wicked (see note on 33:11).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 18:25–29 The way of the Lord is not just. “Just” has the sense of “weighed” or “measured,” that is, in conformity to a standard (compare 1 Sam. 2:3). This objection is amusing, coming from people who do not live justly.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 18:30–32 Repentance is not being urged on Jerusalem, for the preceding chapters affirm that its destruction is assured. Rather, the exiles are pressed to repent and take responsibility for their moral lives. Thus the appeal is to make yourselves a new heart and spirit, in contrast to 11:19 and 36:26, where these are the gift of God. The fact that God is not pleased when anyone dies (18:32; compare v. 23 and note on 33:11) is the basis for the final command to turn, and live.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 19:1–14 Ezekiel presents two further political allegories (vv. 1–9 and vv. 10–14). The whole is presented as a lamentation (v. 1), a distinctive form of Hebrew poetry. Both allegories refer to a mother (vv. 2, 10). One cannot be certain whether a literal queen mother is in view (then most likely Hamutal; 2 Kings 23:31; 24:18), or whether this is a symbolic reference to the nation of Judah (compare Gen. 49:9 and “mother” of Babylon as a nation, Jer. 50:12). The first cub (Ezek. 19:3–4) applies most closely to Jehoahaz, who was taken captive to Egypt by Pharaoh Neco (2 Kings 23:31–35). The second cub’s identity in Ezek. 19:5–9 is much more problematic. Jehoiachin is most likely (2 Kings 24:12).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 19:10–14 For details, see the parable of the eagles and the vine in ch. 17. Whereas the lioness-and-cubs story fixed attention on the fate of individuals, the vine-and-stems story refers to the whole dynasty. Ezekiel 19:12b, 14 singles out one particular strong stem, normally translated “staff.” Here it refers to a living branch. The reference is probably to Zedekiah, the last Davidic king. His attempts at power politics ended in disaster.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:1–44 This lengthy oracle has two main parts: a review of Israel’s history of offending the Lord (vv. 1–31), and a preview of her future restoration (vv. 33–44). (Verse 32 is a turning point between the two parts.)
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:1–31 This recital of Israel’s history is unique in the Bible, involving a very different interpretation of both the nature of the exodus experience and God’s dealings with his people. The narration focuses entirely on life outside the Promised Land—an important consideration for an audience of exiles.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:1–4 This is the third occasion on which elders seek an oracle (see also 8:1; 14:1). It is not given. Justification for this “silence” comes in the form of a recital of Israel’s history. The narrative begun in 20:1–4 concludes in vv. 27–31. The oracle was given in August 591 B.C. About a year has passed since the temple vision (see 8:1). The command to speak is renewed in 20:27.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:5–26 Israel’s story is told in five broad movements. The author describes the exodus generation first while they were in Egypt (vv. 5–8), then in the exodus itself (vv. 9–13), and then in the wilderness (vv. 14–17). The story of the wilderness generation follows in two phases (vv. 18–21, 22–26).
The Hebrew word for swearing an oath (20:5) literally means “I raised my hand.” In courtrooms today, people are asked to raise their right hand as they take an oath, promising to tell the truth.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:9–13 But I acted for the sake of my name (v. 9; see vv. 14, 22) is one of the repeated themes in Ezekiel. God’s reputation, not Israel’s merit, is the basis for God’s patience and grace.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:22–26 The statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life are a mixture of Israelite and pagan customs that the people followed. The fact that they were offering up all their firstborn in fire (see v. 31) is an example of this mixing of beliefs.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:27–31 As Ezekiel turns from history to application, life in the land itself is in view for the first time. On worship on the high places (vv. 28–29), see note on 6:3.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:32 This verse acts as a turning point between the history in the preceding passage and the future orientation that follows. It encourages readers to obey the warning of Deut. 28:64.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:33–38 As in the exodus, God will bring the people to the desert (v. 34). There he will judge between the faithful and the wicked (vv. 35–38). Only the faithful will return home (v. 38).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:39–44 The people must choose between idols and God (v. 39). The faithful will turn from their former evil idolatry and will serve God (vv. 40, 43). Both Israel (v. 44) and the nations (v. 41) will then recognize God’s glory.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:40 The holy mountain is the place of God’s renewed presence with his people. This is especially prominent in the latter chapters of Isaiah (e.g., Isa. 56:7; 66:20). Its height is celebrated in the psalms about Zion (compare Ps. 48:1–3).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:45–21:32 An oracle using the symbolism of fire (20:45–49) leads to a series of oracles using the sword as a symbol (ch. 21).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 20:45–49 The command to set your face and its orientation to the southland are both reminiscent of 6:2. Here, however, all-consuming fire is the destroying agent, which clearly indicates the thoroughness of God’s coming judgment (destroying both green tree and dry tree).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:1–7 The opening words directly correspond with those of 20:46–47: set your face, preach, prophesy, and say all appear in the same order in those preceding verses. Now, however, the people addressed are clearly identified. The “southland” is Jerusalem, the “south” is now sanctuaries, the “forest land” is the land of Israel (see note on 7:2). No doubt remains about the focus of the Lord’s judgment, and the destroying agent is identified as the drawn sword (21:3).
Like Jesus, the prophets sometimes used parables to explain their messages. Parables convey a message by comparing one thing with another. Ezekiel apparently found the parable God gave him in 20:49 particularly difficult to deliver (see also 17:2).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:3–4 The righteous and wicked correspond to the “green” and “dry” trees of 20:47. Here God predicts a judgment that will come on the whole nation and will affect everyone. Sometimes the righteous suffer not because of judgment for their own sin, but because they live in a fallen world.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:6–7 These verses seem to continue describing the destruction of both “righteous and wicked” (see note on vv. 3–4). The groan and breaking heart of v. 6 point back to 9:4, which identifies the righteous by this behavior. Verse 7 of ch. 21 echoes 7:17 and the reaction to the coming day of the Lord. The closing phrase, behold . . . it will be fulfilled, echoes 7:5–6, 10.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:8–17 This oracle uses the image of a sharpened sword. Verses 8–13 focus on the nature of the sword itself, honed to razor sharpness. Verses 14–17 describe its lethal effect.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:12 The princes of Israel may refer to the tragic events at Riblah (2 Kings 25:6–7). Strike . . . your thigh is an action associated with lament (see Jer. 31:19).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:14, 17 As in 6:11, to clap your hands communicates nervous anxiety, perhaps in anticipation of the approaching judgment.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:18–29 In v. 11 the sword was committed to the “hand of the slayer,” identified here as the king of Babylon. Ezekiel performs another symbolic action (see ch. 4). He draws (presumably on the ground) a map with a forked road, and adds road signs. It is unknown how much of the rest of the action was actually performed or whether it was simply narrated. It describes Nebuchadnezzar at his camp, probably somewhere in Syria, deciding whether to head west toward Jerusalem or east toward Rabbah (21:20, modern Amman, Jordan). He decides to attack Jerusalem (v. 22).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:24–27 Now that God has given the sword to the Babylonian king, judgment on Jerusalem is announced. The “wicked” prince of Israel must be Zedekiah.
Strange religious practices. The pagan King Nebuchadnezzar employed three means of divination to decide what he should do (21:21). Shaking arrows is similar to casting lots. The teraphim are household gods (small figurines). “Looking at the liver” means examining the liver of a sacrificed animal.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 21:30–32 The instruction to return the sword to its sheath (v. 30) completes the action begun in v. 3. With its work done, Babylon is now subject to judgment (as was Assyria in Isa. 10:5–19). The conclusion in Ezek. 21:31–32 points in two directions: fire of my wrath refers back to the parable of the fire that began this oracle (20:45–49), and it anticipates the conclusion to a later oracle (22:31). Fuel for the fire points back to 20:45–49, while the reference to blood prepares the way for ch. 22.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 22:1–31 This chapter includes three distinct but thematically related oracles. Each convicts Jerusalem of practicing vile impurities that God refuses to tolerate. The first describes this behavior in detail (vv. 1–16); the second uses the metaphor of melting for ridding Jerusalem of its impurities (vv. 17–22); the third surveys the city’s inhabitants. None of the oracles provides any reason for preventing the city’s destruction (vv. 23–31).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 22:1–16 Issues of purity are key here. Although guilt is included, the issue is not primarily legal. The repetition of defiled in vv. 3–5 (also v. 11) points to ethical or ritual impurity. So does the distinctive joining of blood and idols in vv. 3–4 (compare 16:36; 36:18).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 22:6–12 In you, that is, in Jerusalem, all the sins on this long list occur. Every area of life is affected, for these sins violate God’s laws for the protection of worship, parental authority, human life, marriage, property, and truth. In short, they include all the matters addressed in the Ten Commandments; see Ex. 20:1–17.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 22:9 To eat on the mountains (see 18:6, 15) is to participate in forbidden sacrificial rites.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 22:12 This verse explains why these sins have occurred: but me you have forgotten.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 22:17–22 The metaphor of melting is found elsewhere in the OT (see Isa. 48:10 and Jer. 6:29). Here, however, the point is not to get purified silver but to be rid of the impure metal, that is, Jerusalem’s inhabitants (compare Isa. 1:22, 25). Jerusalem is portrayed as a heap of useless material.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 22:23–31 Here, rather than surveying types of behavior (as in vv. 6–12), Ezekiel surveys the people involved. The issue is still impurity (a land . . . not cleansed, v. 24). This oracle could be seen as a commentary on 7:23–27, where prophet, priest, elders, and king mislead the city (compare Zeph. 3:3–4).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 22:30 There is no one to stand in the breach (compare 13:5; Ps. 106:23) who might prevent the destruction.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:1–49 The allegory of the unfaithful sisters parallels ch. 16. Jerusalem’s destruction is depicted as yet more just and certain in light of the judgment that befell her sister Samaria. The oracle falls into two main parts: 23:1–35 tell the story and its outcome, with a condensed version following in vv. 36–49.
Samaria was defeated by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., bringing the northern kingdom of Israel to an end. Judah’s final defeat came in 587 B.C. Ezekiel portrays the two kingdoms as two sisters (ch. 23). Their unfaithfulness to God caused their defeat.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:1–35 In the first part of this oracle (vv. 1–21), the behavior of the unfaithful sisters is individually described. The younger sister (Jerusalem) not only exceeds her older sister’s (Samaria’s) unfaithfulness by involving more partners, but she “saw” (v. 11) what happened to Samaria yet increased her own sinfulness. Judgment follows (vv. 22–31).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:4 The names Oholah and Oholibah are identified as Samaria and Jerusalem. The significance of the symbolism of these names is not known.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:11 The notice that Oholibah saw this is the only hint Ezekiel gives that she ought to have learned the lessons of her older sister.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:12 The Assyrians dominated Manasseh’s era (see 2 Chron. 33:11).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:14–17 The empire of the Babylonians followed that of the Assyrians (v. 12).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:19 Usually, remembering the days of one’s youth means that a person has come to his or her senses (e.g., 16:22). Here, such memories cause Oholibah to become more wicked.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:22–31 As in ch. 16, the lovers become the punishers. Twice here the phrase thus says the Lord GOD (23:22, 28) introduces announcements of judgment (vv. 22–27; 28–31). The longer first section describes the political agents of destruction, while the second is a summary.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:32–35 Two further thus says introductions frame the final outcomes. The cup (see v. 31) is a common image of punishment (see Jer. 25:15–29; compare Isa. 51:17–23).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 23:36–49 Having reached a stopping point, the oracle restarts, once again naming Oholah and Oholibah (v. 36; see note on v. 4). The familiar pattern of accusation and analysis (vv. 36–45) leading to judgment (vv. 46–49) is again followed. The growing interest in the worship life of the cities matches the political unfaithfulness identified in vv. 5–21.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 24:1–27 The two losses recounted here almost certainly belong together, and they come at a turning point in Ezekiel’s prophetic career. The first loss (vv. 1–14) is that of the city of Jerusalem: the beginning of the Babylonian siege marks the beginning of the end for Jerusalem. The second loss, that of Ezekiel’s own wife (vv. 15–24), leads to his most memorable symbolic action. The final three verses, 25–27, are a promise for Ezekiel himself.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 24:1–14 This is the last of Ezekiel’s “parables” (see 12:22). It uses imagery already found in the temple vision (see 11:2–3) but further develops and clarifies it here. As the Babylonians lay siege to Jerusalem, it is likened to a boiling pot. A brief “song” in 24:3b–5 receives two explanations in vv. 6–14.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 24:1–5 The oracle is precisely dated in v. 1. It corresponds exactly to the date given in 2 Kings 25:1 (see also Jer. 39:1; 52:4) and is equivalent to January 587 B.C. (or 588 if counted by years of exile).
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 24:2 The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. Jerusalem was 880 miles (1,416 km) from Babylon, a journey of several weeks. God revealed the invasion to Ezekiel while it was happening.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 24:10–14 The extent of the corruption and rot demands that both the pot and its contents be completely consumed (v. 11; see 22:15). The repetition of first-person pronouns in 24:14 emphasize that this is God’s work, and it is certain to happen.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 24:15–24 No further reference is made to a date, but the placement of this account next to the oracle about the siege of Jerusalem is significant. Ezekiel has performed other symbolic actions (4:1–5:17; 12:1–28; 21:19–20), but this must be the most painful. He is now about 35 years old. He is told that his wife will die, and that he must not mourn. She dies, and he does not mourn. Ezekiel has learned that there is nothing that God cannot ask of him.
When Ezekiel’s wife suddenly dies, God tells him not to mourn. This was to be a sign to the people that they should not mourn when their beloved temple is destroyed. God asked Ezekiel to do difficult things in order to warn his people.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 24:19–24 The people are disturbed by Ezekiel’s apparent lack of grief, but his action symbolizes what awaits them: the desecration of the temple will be devastating and numbing, breaking the people’s spirit.
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON 24:25–27 As for you, son of man. The final verses of this oracle are for Ezekiel himself. They continue the language of loss found in the preceding verses. The prophecy foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and the arrival of a fugitive bearing the news. Ezekiel’s speech will be regained when this happens. Once again Ezekiel will be a sign to them, as he had been at the death of his wife.