[BACK TO 9:3] the glory … went up. God began to vacate the temple, his glory moving to the door (see note on 8:1–11:25 ).

[BACK TO 9:4] mark. A taw , the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which originally looked like an “x” (see Rev 7:2–4 and note on 7:2 ; cf. Rev 13:16 and note). those who grieve and lament. The remnant (see 1Ki 19:18 ).

[BACK TO 9:5] kill , without showing pity. See La 2:21 .

[BACK TO 9:6] Begin at my sanctuary. Because that was a primary source of the evil that pervaded Jerusalem (see ch. 8 ). Cf. an echo in 1Pe 4:17 .

[BACK TO 9:8] crying out. See 11:13 . As those who served as intermediaries between God and his people, the prophets frequently interceded on behalf of the people when God’s judgments threatened (see Ex 32:31 ; Nu 14:13–19 ; 1Sa 12:23 ; Jer 14:19–21 ; 15:1 ; Am 7:2 , 5 ).

[BACK TO 9:9] land is full of bloodshed. See 7:23 and note.

[BACK TO 9:10] bring down on their own heads what they have done. See 16:43 ; Jer 50:15 ; Pr 26:27 and note.

[BACK TO 10:1–22] See note on 8:1–11:25 .

[BACK TO 10:1] I looked. Ch. 10 echoes ch. 1 , underscoring the identity of what Ezekiel saw at the Kebar River with what he now sees in his vision (see 8:4 ). The creatures in ch. 1 are here called cherubim (see note on 1:5 ).

[BACK TO 10:2] burning coals. While in 1:13 the living creatures looked like burning coals, here there are real coals. scatter them over the city. A judgment by fire (see Ge 19:24 ; Am 7:4 ).

[BACK TO 10:3] cloud. The cloud that enclosed the “glory of the L ORD ” (v. 4 ), which otherwise would have blinded those who saw it (see 1:4 ; Ex 16:10 ; 24:15–17 ; 40:34–35 , 38 ; Nu 9:15–16 ; 16:42 ; Dt 5:23 ; 1Ki 8:10–12 ; Hag 2:7 and note; cf. Mt 13:5 ; 24:30 ; 26:64 ; Mk 9:7 ; 13:26 ; 14:62 ; Lk 9:34–35 ; 21:27 ; Ac 1:9 ; Rev 1:7 ; 14:14–16 ).

[BACK TO 10:7] one of the cherubim reached out his hand. Though the “man clothed in linen” was initially commanded to get the coals himself (v. 2 ), he received them from the hand of one of the creatures (see 1:8 ). who took it and went out. No further report is given, but the destructive spreading of the coals over Jerusalem is assumed.

[BACK TO 10:14] One face was that of a cherub. While the faces of the human being, lion and eagle are identical with those in 1:10 (see note on 1:5 ), the ox is here called a cherub (see note on Ge 3:24 ).

[BACK TO 10:15] Kebar River. See 1:1 and note.

[BACK TO 10:19] east gate … and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. A second movement of the glory, again in an easterly direction (see 9:3 ; 10:4 ; see also note on 8:1–11:25 ). See ch. 43 for the return of the glory of the Lord to the temple by way of the east gate (see note on 43:1–12 ).

[BACK TO 11:1–13] See note on 8:1–11:25 .

[BACK TO 11:1] the Spirit lifted me up. See 3:12 and note. twenty-five men. See 8:16 and note. Jaazaniah. See note on 8:11 . Pelatiah. Means “The L ORD delivers.”

[BACK TO 11:3] Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? The residents of Jerusalem who were not exiled by the Babylonians in 597 BC felt smugly secure, thinking they had no further Babylonian threat to fear. pot. As in ch. 24 , Jerusalem is compared to a cooking pot. Those left behind boasted that they were the “meat,” the choice portions—the inference being that the exiles in Babylon were the discarded bones (see v. 15 ).

[BACK TO 11:5] the Spirit of the L ORD came on me. See 2:2 and note.

[BACK TO 11:6] killed many … filled its streets with the dead. See 7:23 and note.

[BACK TO 11:7] The bodies you have thrown there are the meat. The meat, redefined by the prophet, is not those in power in Jerusalem (who will be driven out) but the innocent people they killed.

[BACK TO 11:11] at the borders of Israel. At Riblah (see 2Ki 25:20–21 ).

[BACK TO 11:13] cried out. See note on 9:8 .

[BACK TO 11:14–21] See note on 8:1–11:25 .

[BACK TO 11:16] I have been a sanctuary for them. A key verse in Ezekiel. Although the exiles had been driven from Jerusalem and its sanctuary (the symbol of God’s presence among his people), God himself became their sanctuary, i.e., he was present among them to preserve and bless them.

[BACK TO 11:19] undivided heart … new spirit. Inner spiritual and moral transformation that results in single-minded commitment to the Lord and to his will (see 36:26 ). remove … heart of stone … give … heart of flesh. Give Israel a new heart, responsive to God’s will (see 2Co 3:3 and note).

[BACK TO 11:20] my people … their God. The heart of God’s covenant promise (see Ex 6:7 ; Jer 7:23 ; Zec 8:8 and notes).

[BACK TO 11:21] bring down on their own heads what they have done. See note on 9:10 .

[BACK TO 11:22–25] See note on 8:1–11:25 .

[BACK TO 11:23] The glory of the L ORD went up. The final eastward movement of the glory (as the Lord left his temple), which stopped above the Mount of Olives (see 9:3 ; 10:4 , 19 ; see also note on 8:1–11:25 ). God’s glory returns in ch. 43 .

[BACK TO 11:24] See note on 8:3 .

[BACK TO 12:1–28] The first series of messages concludes with Ezekiel being called upon to symbolize by personal actions the coming exile of Jerusalem—just as the second series of messages culuminates ( 24:15–27 ) in Ezekiel suffering the death of his wife as a symbolic representation of the fall of Jerusalem. Verses 1–2 and v. 28 frame the chapter; two symbolic acts (vv. 3–16 , 17–20 ) are followed by the refutation of two sayings with which the Jerusalemites vainly try to reassure themselves (vv. 21–25 , 26–27 ).

[BACK TO 12:2] eyes to see but do not see. The hardening about which the Lord had spoken to Isaiah (see Isa 6:8–10 and notes). The Israelites in Jerusalem refuse to recognize that the end has come for them (see v. 28 ; 7:2–6 ).

[BACK TO 12:3] pack your belongings. Another symbolic act, which, like those in chs. 4–5 , follows a vision. Perhaps they will understand. Some hope remained that they would change.

[BACK TO 12:5] dig through the wall. Not the city wall, which was made of stone and was many feet thick, but the sun-dried brick wall of his house.

[BACK TO 12:6] sign. Prophets were often instructed to perform symbolic acts (see, e.g., v. 11 ; 24:24 , 27 ; cf. 1Ki 11:29–31 ; 13:23–32 ; 20:35–43 ; Isa 8:18 ; Jer 13:1–11 ; 16:1–9 ; 19:1–15 ; 27:2–28:14 ; 32:6–15 ).

[BACK TO 12:8] In the morning. After Ezekiel “did as … commanded” (v. 7 ). Again the divine explanation follows the prophet’s unquestioning obedience (see note on 8:3 ).

[BACK TO 12:9] What are you doing? The book’s first indication of the people’s response to the prophet’s symbolic acts.

[BACK TO 12:10] prince in Jerusalem. Zedekiah.

[BACK TO 12:13] Chaldeans. See notes on 23:23 ; Ezr 5:12 ; Job 1:17 . he will not see it. Nebuchadnezzar’s men would put out Zedekiah’s eyes (see 2Ki 25:7 ).

[BACK TO 12:14] with drawn sword. See 5:2 and note.

[BACK TO 12:15] know that I am the L ORD. See vv. 16 , 20 ; see also note on 6:7 .

[BACK TO 12:16] sword , famine and plague. See 5:16–17 and note.

[BACK TO 12:18] tremble as you eat. Another prophetic symbol. Ezekiel’s trembling must have been particularly violent, because the Hebrew word for “tremble” is used elsewhere to describe an earthquake (see 1Ki 19:11 ; Am 1:1 ).

[BACK TO 12:19] people of the land. See note on 7:27 . because of the violence. See 7:23 and note.

[BACK TO 12:22] For more than 30 years Jeremiah had been prophesying Jerusalem’s fall, but the city still stood. So among its inhabitants, whose ears were deaf to Jeremiah’s warnings (v. 2 ), a mocking proverb was making the rounds, reinforced by the false prophets (see ch. 13 ; Jer 23:9–40 ; 28 ), which said in effect: “The days go by” and none of the visions of coming disaster have come true, so forget them.

[BACK TO 12:23] The Lord refutes the first saying (v. 22 ) of the Israelites that dismisses his prophet’s announcements of impending judgment.

[BACK TO 12:24] no more false visions … divinations. Events will silence the false prophets, whose “visions are false and their divinations a lie” ( 13:6 ).

[BACK TO 12:27] Another saying (see note on v. 23 ) is being passed around among the Israelites, this one apparently among those in exile. It pertains to Ezekiel’s “visions” and dismisses them as having to do only with far-off events that need not concern the present generation.

[BACK TO 12:28] None of my words will be delayed any longer. The Lord also refutes this saying (v. 27 ) circulating among his “rebellious people” (v. 2 ; see note on 12:1–28 ).

[BACK TO 13:1–23] The Lord’s condemnation of the false prophets, both men and women—as through Jeremiah in Jerusalem ( Jer 23:9–40 ; 28 ), so through Ezekiel in Babylonia. This begins a series of messages concerning God’s judgment on Judah that concludes with a parable in which Jerusalem is likened to a pot cooking on a fire ( 24:1–14 ).

[BACK TO 13:2] out of their own imagination. Cf. Jer 23:16 , 26–32 .

[BACK TO 13:3] have seen nothing. No revelation from God was received (cf. Jer 23:18 , 22 and note on 23:18 ).

[BACK TO 13:4] jackals. Animals that travel in packs and feed on dead flesh—a powerfully negative image (see Ps 63:10 ; La 5:18 ).

[BACK TO 13:5] to repair it for the people of Israel. The function of true prophets is described (cf. 22:30 ; Ps 106:23 ). day of the L ORD. See note on 7:7 .

[BACK TO 13:6] Their visions are false. Whether the false prophets had actual visions is unknown, but they claimed to have received revelations from God when in reality their messages only proclaimed what their hearers wanted to hear (see 12:24 and note; Isa 30:10 ; Jer 23:9–17 ; 2Ti 4:3 ).

[BACK TO 13:8] I am against you. See 5:8 and note.

[BACK TO 13:9] They will not belong … land of Israel. A threefold punishment, resulting in total exclusion from the community. council of my people. See Ps 111:1 and note. records of Israel. See Ezr 2:62 ; cf. Da 12:1 ; see also Ps 69:28 and note.

[BACK TO 13:10] saying , “Peace.” Very likely in echo of the priestly benediction (see Nu 6:24–26 and note on 6:26 ), ignoring the fact that God’s promise of “peace” to his people was conditional on their faithfulness to him. when there is no peace. See v. 16 ; Jer 6:14 and note; 8:11 . whitewash. See vv. 11 , 14–15 ; 22:28 ; an uncommon word used only by Ezekiel, perhaps chosen by him to evoke the like-sounding word rendered “repulsive thing” in Jer 23:13 and “worthless” in La 2:14 , both pertaining to the proclamations of the false prophets.

[BACK TO 13:11] Rain will come in torrents. The violent thunderstorm of God’s judgment (imagery frequently used in the OT) was about to sweep them away (see, e.g., Ps 18:7–15 ; 77:17–18 ; 83:15 ; Isa 28:17 ; 30:30 ; Jer 23:19 ; 30:23 ).

[BACK TO 13:18] magic charms. Exactly what the women were doing is not known, but that it was some kind of black magic or voodoo is clear. The Bible consistently avoids explicit description of occult practices.

[BACK TO 13:19] profaned me. See note on Lev 18:21 . for a few handfuls of barley. Involvement in religious matters of any kind for mere gain is consistently condemned in the Bible (see, e.g., Jer 6:13 ; 8:10 ; Mic 3:5 , 11 ; Ac 8:9–24 ; 2Co 2:17 ; Titus 1:11 ). For the proper attitude and motivation, see 2Co 11:7 ; 2Th 3:8 ; 1Ti 3:3 . you have killed. The women had used their evil powers for unjust ends, involving even matters of life and death.

[BACK TO 14:1–11] The idolatry among the Israelites that God here condemns took the form of worshiping the gods of neighboring peoples (see notes on Ge 20:9 ; Ex 34:15 ) along with the worship of Yahweh—the people thought they should take all the gods seriously—an apostasy that struck at the very heart of Israel’s covenant relationship with Yahweh (see Ex 20:3–5 and notes). And this idolatry was not limited to those still living in Jerusalem; Ezekiel had to confront it also among the exiles.

[BACK TO 14:1] elders of Israel. Apparently interchangeable with “elders of Judah” (see note on 8:1 ).

[BACK TO 14:3] idols. See note on 6:4 . wicked stumbling blocks. The physical representations of the idols. inquire. A technical term for seeking a message from a prophet (see 2Ki 1:16 ; 3:11 ; 8:8 ).

[BACK TO 14:4] I the L ORD will answer them myself. Not through a prophet but by direct action. The punishment for idolatry was death ( Dt 13:6–18 ).

[BACK TO 14:6] Repent! First of three calls for repentance from Ezekiel, who elsewhere proclaims inescapable judgment (see 18:30 ; 33:11 ).

[BACK TO 14:9] enticed. Related to God’s testing of his people’s loyalty (see 3:20 and note; cf. 1Ki 22:19–23 ).

[BACK TO 14:11] The harsh judgment about to fall on idolatrous Israel has a redemptive purpose: to restore Israel to covenant faithfulness (see 20:32–44 ; cf. 33:11 ). my people … their God. Covenant terminology (see note on 11:20 ).

[BACK TO 14:12–23] Israel must know that once God’s judgments have been sent upon an unfaithful nation, no one can persuade him to call them back—and that will be even more true of Jerusalem (cf. Jer 15:1 and note). The judgments in view here include the four often mentioned in Ezekiel: famine (v. 13 ), wild beasts (v. 15 ), sword (v. 17 ) and plague (v. 19 ; see also v. 21 and note on 5:16–17 ).

[BACK TO 14:14] , 20 Noah , Daniel and Job. Three ancient men of renown, selected because of their proverbial righteousness. As the NIV text note indicates, another Daniel may be referred to (Ugaritic literature speaks of an honored “Danel”; see chart ), since the Biblical Daniel’s righteousness probably had not become proverbial so soon (Daniel and Ezekiel were contemporaries; see Da 1:1 ).

[BACK TO 14:20] neither son nor daughter. When God comes in judgment against a nation or people, they cannot count on another’s righteousness—not even that of their parents—to deliver them.

[BACK TO 14:23] You. Plural; i.e., the exiles in Babylonia. will be consoled. When the exiles see the wickedness of those brought to Babylonia from Jerusalem, they will know that God’s judgment on the city was just.

[BACK TO 15:1–8] God compares Jerusalem to a vine (cf. Ps 80:8–16 and note) that yields no grapes and is therefore good for nothing but to be used as fuel.

[BACK TO 15:3] Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? See Isa 22:23–25 .

[BACK TO 15:4] is it then useful for anything? Whereas Isaiah ( 5:1–7 ) and Jeremiah ( 2:21 ) express divine disappointment over Israel’s failure to produce good fruit, Ezekiel typically laments her total uselessness.

[BACK TO 15:7] Although they have come out of the fire. A reference to the siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC , which resulted in the exile of which Ezekiel was a part (see 1:2 ; 2Ki 24:10–16 ). fire will yet consume them. Prophecy threatening another and more devastating siege—Ezekiel’s main message before 586 (see 5:2 , 4 ; 10:2 , 7 ).

[BACK TO 16:1–63] The whole history of God’s dealings with Jerusalem is graphically portrayed in an allegory that highlights the Lord’s great goodness to the city on the one hand and the depth of the city’s unfaithfulness to him on the other. Here Jerusalem as a royal city among the other cities of the world is in focus and serves as an analogue and representative of Israel. She is the city God had chosen to be the site of his temple (see 1Ki 9:3 ; 2Ch 7:1–3 ; Ps 68:16 ; 78:68–69 ; 132:13–16 ), and he had elevated her as “the city of the Great King” ( Ps 48:2 ), to be the earthly center of his kingly rule in human affairs (see 5:5 and note). He had married her (see v. 8 and note) and provided for her richly. But she turned to the false gods to supply her needs and allied herself with the great empires around her (Egypt [v. 26 ], Assyria [v. 28 ] and Babylonia [v. 29 ]) to provide her security. So God accuses her of unfaithfulness to him, like that of an adulterous wife (see Ex 34:15 and note).

[BACK TO 16:3] Your ancestry and birth. Jerusalem had a centuries-old, pre-Israelite history (see notes on Ge 14:18 ; Ecc 1:16 ), and the city had long resisted Israelite conquest ( Jos 15:63 ). It became fully Israelite only after David’s conquest ( 2Sa 5:6–9 ). father … mother. A reference to Jerusalem’s non-Israelite origin generally, not to any specific individuals. Amorite. Cf. v. 45 . Like the Canaanites, the Amorites were pre-Israelite, Semitic inhabitants of Canaan (see Ge 10:16 and note; 48:22 ; Jos 5:1 and note; 10:5 ; Jdg 1:34–36 ). Hittite. The Hittites were non-Semitic residents of Canaan, who had flourished in Asia Minor during the second millennium BC (see Ge 10:15 and note; 23:10–20 ; 26:34 ; 1Sa 26:6 ; 2Sa 11:2–27 ; 1Ki 11:1 ).

[BACK TO 16:4] rubbed with salt. This practice has been observed among Arab peasants as late as AD 1918. wrapped in cloths. Cf. Lk 2:7 .

[BACK TO 16:5] thrown out into the open field. Abandoned to die. Exposure of infants, common in ancient pagan societies, was abhorrent to Israel.

[BACK TO 16:6] blood. Of childbirth. Live! God’s basic desire for all people, summed up in one word (see 18:23 , 32 ; 1Ti 2:4 ; 2Pe 3:9 ).

[BACK TO 16:7] hair. Pubic hair.

[BACK TO 16:8] spread the corner of my garment. Symbolic of entering a marriage relationship (see notes on Dt 22:30 ; Ru 3:9 ). covenant. Since the young woman symbolizes Jerusalem, this does not refer to the Sinaitic covenant but to marriage as a covenant (see Mal 2:14 ).

[BACK TO 16:9] blood. Menstrual blood, indicating sexual maturity.

[BACK TO 16:10] embroidered dress … sandals of fine leather … fine linen. Representative of the very best garments. embroidered dress. See 27:16 , 24 ; colored, variegated material fit for a queen (see Ps 45:14 ). sandals of fine leather. The same kind of leather was used to cover the tabernacle (see Ex 25:5 ; 26:14 ).

[BACK TO 16:11] bracelets on your arms. See Ge 24:22 .

[BACK TO 16:12] ring. Not piercing the nose but worn on the outer part of the nose (see Ge 24:47 ). earrings. Circular ear ornaments, worn by men ( Nu 31:50 ). The Hebrew for this word is not the same as that used in Ge 35:4 ; Ex 32:2–3 . crown. The wedding crown (see SS 3:11 , where the groom wears it).

[BACK TO 16:13] gold and silver. Cf. Hos 2:8 . olive oil. Cf. Hos 2:8 . For the combination of honey and oil, see Dt 32:13 . finest flour. Used in offerings and therefore of high quality (see v. 19 ; 46:14 ). You became very beautiful. Cf. Eph 5:27 .

[BACK TO 16:14] your fame spread. Especially in the time of David and Solomon.

[BACK TO 16:15] favors. Sexual favors. Verb and noun forms of the Hebrew for this word occur 23 times in this chapter. anyone who passed by. Cf. Ge 38:14–16 .

[BACK TO 16:16] garments. All of the Lord’s previous gifts were used by Jerusalem in prostituting herself. Cloths of some kind were needed in the Asherah worship practices (see 2Ki 23:7 ). They may have been used as curtains or as bedding (see Am 2:7–8 ).

[BACK TO 16:20] sons and daughters … sacrificed. See 20:26 , 31 and note; 23:37 ; 2Ki 21:6 ; 23:10 ; Jer 7:31 and note; 19:5 ; 32:35 . For laws against child sacrifice, see Lev 18:21 ; Dt 18:10 ; cf. Lev 20:2–5 ; Dt 12:31 .

[BACK TO 16:24] mound … lofty shrine. Centers of idol worship were built not only in the countryside but also in Jerusalem itself.

[BACK TO 16:26–29] Egyptians … Philistines … Assyrians … Babylonia. The historical sequence of Jerusalem’s political alliances with these four powers.

[BACK TO 16:26] neighbors. Nowhere else in the OT are the Egyptians called “neighbors.” large genitals. See 23:20 . The language reflects both God’s and Ezekiel’s disgust with Jerusalem’s apostasy.

[BACK TO 16:27] reduced your territory. After the 701 BC siege of Jerusalem, the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, gave some of Jerusalem’s territory to the Philistines. shocked by your lewd conduct. Cf. Am 3:9 , 13 and notes.

[BACK TO 16:29] Babylonia , a land of merchants. See note on Rev 14:8 ; see also Rev 18:11–19 , 23 .

[BACK TO 16:32] your own husband. The Lord himself (see v. 8 and note; see also Jer 3:14 ; 31:32 ; Hos 2:16–17 and notes; cf. Ex 34:15 and note).

[BACK TO 16:33] you give gifts to all your lovers. Jerusalem’s perversity is here pictured as worse than adultery and ordinary prostitution (see also v. 34 ).

[BACK TO 16:37] strip you. A reversal of the marriage covering (v. 8 ) and a return to the state described in v. 7 .

[BACK TO 16:38] sentence you. The punishment prescribed in the law was death (see Lev 20:10 ; Dt 22:22 ) by stoning ( Dt 22:21–24 ; Jn 8:5–7 ). jealous anger. See v. 42 ; see also notes on Ex 20:5 ; Zec 1:14 .

[BACK TO 16:39] your mounds … your lofty shrines. See vv. 24–25 .

[BACK TO 16:40] See 23:46–47 .

[BACK TO 16:43] bring down on your head what you have done. See note on 9:10 .

[BACK TO 16:44] Like mother , like daughter. Referring to Jerusalem’s continual and seemingly hereditary tendency toward evil (cf. vv. 3 , 45 ).

[BACK TO 16:45] Hittite … Amorite. See note on v. 3 .

[BACK TO 16:46] Your older sister was Samaria. Historically, Samaria was not founded as a royal city until after 880 BC (see note on 1Ki 16:24 ), so “older” in this allegory apparently alludes to the fact that Samaria ruled over a significantly larger kingdom than Jerusalem did. daughters. Suburbs or satellite cities.

[BACK TO 16:47] more depraved than they. The Bible frequently compares a city or people to Sodom (see v. 46 ) as the epitome of evil and degradation (see Ge 13:10 and note; Dt 29:23 ; 32:32 ; Isa 1:9–10 and note; 3:9 ; Jer 23:14 ; La 4:6 ; Mt 10:15 ; 11:23–24 ; Jude 7 ).

[BACK TO 16:49] sin of your sister Sodom. Here social injustice rather than sexual perversion ( Ge 19 ) is highlighted.

[BACK TO 16:51–52] righteous. Relatively innocent.

[BACK TO 16:56] day of your pride. Referring to a time long before Ezekiel, when Jerusalem (as an Israelite city) was still relatively uncorrupted—as in the days of David and the early years of Solomon.

[BACK TO 16:57] scorned by the daughters of Edom. The OT frequently condemns Edom for this (see 25:12–14 ; 35:5 and note; Isa 63:1 ; Introduction to Obadiah: Unity and Theme; Ob 10–14 and notes).

[BACK TO 16:59–63] In God’s concluding word concerning Jerusalem’s future reformation and restoration, the city’s role as representative of Israel in the allegory is foregrounded (see note on vv. 1–63 ), so that his words about remembering the covenant and establishing an everlasting covenant (see v. 60 ; cf. v. 62 ) parallel what is elsewhere said of Israel itself (see 37:26 ; Isa 55:3 ; Jer 32:40 and notes).

[BACK TO 16:59] covenant. See v. 8 and note.

[BACK TO 16:60] I will remember the covenant. Though Jerusalem did not (v. 43 ).

[BACK TO 16:61] will remember … be ashamed. See v. 63 . Jerusalem (Israel) will remember—to her everlasting shame.

[BACK TO 16:63] when I make atonement for you. God himself will do for faithless Jerusalem what she cannot do for herself (cf. Ro 3:23 ; 1Jn 2:2 and notes).

[BACK TO 17:1–24] An allegory/parable symbolizing King Zedekiah’s vacillating royal policy that led to his downfall. The allegory is presented in vv. 1–10 ; its explanation follows in vv. 11–21 ; and vv. 22–24 append a promise of better times to come, utilizing the imagery of the allegory.

[BACK TO 17:3] great eagle. Nebuchadnezzar (see v. 12 ). Lebanon. Jerusalem (see v. 12 ). cedar. David’s dynasty; his royal family.

[BACK TO 17:4] topmost shoot. Jehoiachin. land of merchants. The country of Babylonia (see v. 12 ; 16:29 and note). city of traders. Babylon.

[BACK TO 17:5] one of the seedlings. Zedekiah, son of Josiah; he was the brother of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim and uncle of Jehoiachin (see 2Ki 23–24 ). planted it. Made him king ( 2Ki 24:17 ).

[BACK TO 17:6] low , spreading vine. No longer a tall cedar, because thousands of Judah’s leading citizens had been deported (see 2Ki 24:15–16 ; see also Jer 52:28 ). But see note on 15:1–8 .

[BACK TO 17:7] another great eagle. An Egyptian pharaoh, either Psammetichus II (595–589 BC ) or Hophra (589–570). Hophra, mentioned in Jer 44:30 , is probably the pharaoh who offered help to Jerusalem in 586 (see Jer 37:5 ). If the fact that ch. 17 is located between ch. 8 (dated 592) and ch. 20 (dated 591) is chronologically meaningful, Psammetichus is meant. sent out its roots toward him. Zedekiah appealed to Egypt for military aid (v. 15 ), an act of rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar (see 2Ki 24:20 ).

[BACK TO 17:10] east wind. The hot, dry wind known today as the khamsin, which withers vegetation (see 19:12 ). Here it stands for Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian forces.

[BACK TO 17:12] this rebellious people. See 2:3 and note.

[BACK TO 17:15] Will he break the treaty and yet escape? The point of the chapter (see vv. 16 , 18 ).

[BACK TO 17:16] he shall die in Babylon. See 2Ki 25:7 .

[BACK TO 17:19] my oath … my covenant. The king of Judah would have sworn faithfulness to the treaty in the name of the Lord. His oath would have taken some such form as “May the Lord slay me if I do not remain true to this treaty” (a self-maledictory oath; see notes on Ge 9:13 ; 15:17 ; 17:10 ). To swear such an oath and then violate it was to treat the Lord as if he were powerless.

[BACK TO 17:22] I myself. A beautiful Messianic promise follows, using the previous imagery in a totally new and unexpected way. shoot. A member of David’s family (cf. Isa 11:1 ; Zec 3:8 ; 6:12 and notes). cedar. See note on v. 3 . plant it. Make him king (see v. 5 ). high and lofty mountain. Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2–4 and note).

[BACK TO 17:23] Birds … will nest in it. For similar imagery applied to a mighty king, see Da 4:10–12 , 20–22 ; cf. Mk 4:32 .

[BACK TO 17:24] trees of the forest. Kings and rulers of the world. bring down the tall tree … make the dry tree flourish. See 1Sa 2:4–8 and notes; cf. Isa 2:12–18 .

[BACK TO 18:1–32] A word to silence those who complained that they were being made to suffer for the sins of their ancestors rather than for their own sins. That sin and guilt are not always purely individual but often have a communal and thus also a cumulative dimension is the pervasive testimony of the OT (see, e.g., Ex 20:5 ; Jdg 7:24 ; 1Ki 14:14–16 and notes; see also Ex 34:7 ; 1Ki 22:16–20 ; 23:26–27; 24:1–4; 2Ki 21:10–15 ; Isa 5:1–7 ; Jer 1:15–16 ; 5:1–17 ; 17:1–4 ; Am 2:4–16 ; 5:12 ). But when the Jerusalemites charged God with injustice, as if they themselves were not guilty, that called for a sharp corrective word—they had not turned away from the sinful ways of their ancestors after the manner specified in vv. 14–17 , 27–28 . This justification of God’s way with Israel stands at the center of the series of messages found in 13:1–24:14 (see note on 13:1–23 ).

[BACK TO 18:2] this proverb. Jer 31:29 indicates that the proverb arose first in Jerusalem. Jeremiah predicted the cessation of the proverb, and Ezekiel said that its end had come. about the land of Israel. And about the fate of those who have suffered loss. The parents … on edge. The proverb expresses self-pity and mocks the justice of God. set on edge. The Hebrew for this phrase perhaps means “blunted” or “worn” (cf. Ecc 10:10 ), but it may refer to the sensation in the mouth when eating something bitter or sour.

[BACK TO 18:3] As surely as I live. See note on 5:11 .

[BACK TO 18:4] The one who sins is the one who will die. Or “Only the one …” Ezekiel spoke out against a false use the people were making of a doctrine of inherited guilt (perhaps based on a false understanding of Ex 20:5 ; 34:7 ). What follows is his description of three men, standing for three generations, who break the three/four-generation pattern.

[BACK TO 18:5] righteous man. The first generation that keeps the law. The following 15 commandments are partly ceremonial but are mostly moral injunctions. See the Ten Commandments in Ex 20 and Dt 5 ; cf. Ps 15:2–5 ; 24:3–6 ; Isa 33:15 ; cf. also notes on Ps 1:5 ; 119:121 . just and right. Emphasized by Ezekiel in chs. 18 (see vv. 19 , 21 , 27 ) and 33 (see vv. 14 , 16 , 19 ; see also note on Ps 119:121 ).

[BACK TO 18:6] eat at the mountain shrines. Eating meat sacrificed to idols on the high places (see 6:3 ; Hos 4:13 ). look to. Seek help from (see 23:27 ; 33:25 ; Ps 121:1 ). idols. See note on 6:4 . defile. Adultery (condemned in Ex 20:14 ; Dt 22:22 ; Lev 18:20 ; 20:10 ) is here associated with a menstrual prohibition (see Lev 15:19–24 ; 18:19 ; 20:18 ), which is absent from the two listings that follow (cf. vv. 11 , 15 ).

[BACK TO 18:7] oppress. The rich taking advantage of the poor. returns what he took in pledge. See Ex 22:26 ; Dt 24:12–13 ; Am 2:8 . robbery. See the commandment against stealing in Ex 20:15 ; Dt 5:19 . This is violent (armed) robbery rather than secret theft or burglary (see Lev 19:13 ). food to the hungry. See Dt 15:7–11 ; Mt 25:31–46 .

[BACK TO 18:8] lend … at interest. See 22:12 ; see also Ex 22:25–27 and note.

[BACK TO 18:9] That man is righteous ; he will surely live. After the checklist of commandments has been gone over, the verdict is rendered (cf. Ps 15:5 ; 24:5 ). live. See note on 16:6 . This is life as more than mere existence; it includes communion with God (see Ps 63:3 ; 73:27–28 ).

[BACK TO 18:10] violent son. Evil, second generation. About half (eight) of the previous commandments follow, but in a different order.

[BACK TO 18:13] his blood will be on his own head. He is held responsible for his own sin (see Lev 20:9 , 11–12 , 16 , 27 ).

[BACK TO 18:14] a son. Righteous, third generation. Twelve commandments follow.

[BACK TO 18:20] righteousness … credited to them. See Ps 106:31 and note.

[BACK TO 18:21] But if a wicked person turns … and keeps … that person will surely live. Verses 1–20 indicate that the chain of inherited guilt can be broken, and vv. 21–29 teach that the power of guilt accumulated within a person’s life can be overcome.

[BACK TO 18:23] Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? In addition to the answer in this verse and in v. 32 , see 33:11 ; Jnh 4:11 and notes; cf. 2Pe 3:9 and note.

[BACK TO 18:24] But if a righteous person turns. See Heb 2:3 ; 2Pe 2:20–22 for warnings against those who knowingly and willfully turn from righteousness.

[BACK TO 18:25] Is my way unjust? See 33:17 ; cf. Ge 18:25 and note; Dt 32:4 ; Jer 12:1 and note.

[BACK TO 18:26] If a righteous person. Verses 26–29 repeat the argument developed in vv. 21–25 .

[BACK TO 18:30] Therefore. Concluding summary message. Compare the language of this conclusion with the closing words of the last (the 14th) message in this series ( 24:14 ). each of you. While the house of Israel as a whole was guilty, God’s judgment would be just and individual. Repent! Second call to repentance (see 14:6 and note).

[BACK TO 18:31] get a new heart. What had been promised unconditionally ( 11:19 ; 36:26 ) is here portrayed as attainable but not inevitable (cf. the same tension between Php 2:12 and 2:13 ).

[BACK TO 18:32] I take no pleasure. Verse 23 is echoed in this final, grand summary, called by some the most important message in the whole book of Ezekiel (see note on 16:6 ).

[BACK TO 19:1–14] A twofold dirge lamenting the fall of the royal family of Judah, one part employing the imagery of a lioness and her brood of whelps (vv. 1–9 ), the other utilizing the imagery of a once flourishing vine (vv. 10–14 ).

[BACK TO 19:1] lament. A chant usually composed for funerals of fallen leaders (as in 2Sa 1:17–27 ), but often used sarcastically by the OT prophets to lament or to ironically predict the death of a nation (see Isa 14:4–21 ; Am 5:1–3 and note on 5:1 ). See also 2:10 . princes. Kings.

[BACK TO 19:2] An allegorical reference to the people of Israel or the nation of Judah.

[BACK TO 19:3] one of her cubs. Jehoahaz (see 2Ki 23:31–34 ; Jer 22:10–12 ), who reigned only three months. became a man-eater. A reference to his oppressive policies.

[BACK TO 19:5] another of her cubs. Perhaps Jehoiachin (who also reigned only three months, 2Ki 24:8 ), but probably Zedekiah (of whom v. 7 appears a more likely description). Both were taken to Babylon (v. 9 ). If the reference is to Jehoiachin ( 2Ki 24:15 ), this was a true lament; if to Zedekiah, it was a prediction ( 2Ki 25:7 ).

[BACK TO 19:10] Your mother was like a vine. The one previously pictured as a lioness (v. 2 ) is here a vine (for other uses of the vine imagery, see 15:1–8 ; 17:7 and notes).

[BACK TO 19:12] east wind. Nebuchadnezzar and his army (see note on 17:10 ).

[BACK TO 19:13] desert. Babylonia—which to Israel seemed like a desert (see 20:35 ; Isa 21:1 and note).

[BACK TO 19:14] Fire. Rebellion (see 2Ki 24:20 ). one of its main branches. Zedekiah. to be used as a lament. Indicates repeated use (see Ps 137:1 ).

[BACK TO 20:1–44] This word (to be addressed to the elders of Israel) came to Ezekiel on Aug. 14, 591 BC , some 11 months after the preceding dated vision (see 8:1 and note on 8:1–11:25 ; see also chart ). It begins with an overview of Israel’s long history of apostasy (vv. 1–29 ), which leads into an announcement of the Lord’s purpose to purge and renew his apostate people through the judgment now overtaking them (vv. 30–44 ).

[BACK TO 20:1] seventh year … fifth month … tenth day. The third date (see previous note) supplied in the book of Ezekiel (see 1:2 ; 8:1 ). elders of Israel. See notes on 8:1 ; 14:1 . inquire. See v. 3 and note on 14:3 .

[BACK TO 20:3] As surely as I live. See note on 5:11 . I will not let you inquire of me. See v. 31 ; see also 3:26 ; 7:26 and notes.

[BACK TO 20:4] Will you judge them? … Then confront them. As the one sent to pronounce God’s judgment on Israel, Ezekiel is instructed to spell out the “detestable practices” for which that judgment comes on them (see also 22:2 ; 23:36 ).

[BACK TO 20:5–26] These verses present Israel’s history of apostasy in three acts (Act 1: vv. 5–9 , Egypt; Act 2: vv. 10–17 , Wilderness, Part 1; Act 3: vv. 18–26 , Wilderness, Part 2). Each act has four scenes: (1) revelation, (2) rebellion, (3) wrath, (4) reconsideration. But see also note on v. 28 .

[BACK TO 20:5] With uplifted hand. A symbolic act accompanying the swearing of an oath (see vv. 15 , 23 , 42 ; Ge 14:22 and note; Ex 6:8 ). I am the L ORD your God. See Ex 3:6 , 14–15 and notes.

[BACK TO 20:6] land flowing with milk and honey. See note on Ex 3:8 . most beautiful of all lands. Cf. Dt 8:7–10 ; Jer 3:19 for the land’s natural beauty. Its real beauty lay in being selected as God’s dwelling place ( Dt 12:5 , 11 ).

[BACK TO 20:7] idols. See note on 6:4 .

[BACK TO 20:8] But they rebelled. See vv. 13 , 21 ; see also Jos 24:14 . So I said I would pour out my wrath on them. An internal refrain (see vv. 13 , 21 ); see also note on 7:8 . spend my anger against. See note on 5:13 .

[BACK TO 20:9] for the sake of my name. See vv. 14 , 22 , 44 . Name and person are closely connected in the Bible. God’s name is his identity and reputation—that by which he is known (see note on Ps 5:11 ). The phrase used here is equivalent to “for my own sake” (cf. Isa 37:35 ; 43:25 ). God’s acts of deliverance—past and future—identify him, revealing his true nature (see 36:22 ; Ps 23:3 and notes; Isa 48:9 ). profaned. Made light of—as through ridicule (see Nu 14:15–16 ).

[BACK TO 20:10] wilderness. Act 2 (see note on vv. 5–26 ).

[BACK TO 20:11] will live. See vv. 13 , 21 ; contrast v. 25 . See notes on 16:6 ; 18:9 ; see also Lev 18:5 and note.

[BACK TO 20:12] Sabbaths as a sign. Israel’s observance of the Sabbath was to serve as a sign that they were the Lord’s holy people (see Ex 31:16–17 and note). Ezekiel highlights the Sabbath (see 22:8 , 26 ; 23:38 ; 44:24 ; 45:17 ; 46:3 ), as did Isaiah (see Isa 56:1–8 and notes) and Jeremiah ( Jer 17:19–27 ; cf. Ne 13:17–18 ). Jewish legalism later corrupted the Sabbath law (see Mt 12:1–14 ).

[BACK TO 20:13] desecrated. By not observing the Sabbath-rest (see Jer 17:21–23 ) or by not observing it in the manner and spirit God intended (see Am 8:5 ).

[BACK TO 20:15] land flowing with milk and honey. See note on Ex 3:8 .

[BACK TO 20:18] I said to their children. Act 3 (see note on vv. 5–26 ). God began anew with the second generation in the wilderness (see Nu 14:26–35 ).

[BACK TO 20:25] So I gave them … laws through which they could not live. Just as God’s judgments undo the creation order (see note on Ge 6:9–9:29 ) and undo human history (see note on Ge 11:1–9 ), so as an act of judgment he turns the laws he gave as the way to life (see vv. 12–13 , 21 and note on v. 11 ) into laws that produced death. This is a hard saying, but it most likely refers to God’s requirement that Israel dedicate to him every firstborn male ( Ex 13:2 ; 22:29 )—which kings Ahaz and Manasseh, under the influence of the pagan religions of Israel’s neighbors, radicalized into a law calling for actual sacrifice of the firstborn (v. 26 ; cf. Ro 1:24–32 and notes).

[BACK TO 20:26] sacrifice of every firstborn. See v. 31 and note on 16:20 . so they would know that I am the L ORD. God will go to any lengths to get his people to acknowledge him (see note on 6:7 ).

[BACK TO 20:28] When I brought them into the land. Apparently Act 4 in Ezekiel’s history (see note on vv. 5–26 ), but it is not carried through with the same schematic consistency.

[BACK TO 20:30–44] See note on vv. 1–44 .

[BACK TO 20:30] Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did … ? See note on vv. 5–26 .

[BACK TO 20:31] inquire. See v. 3 and note.

[BACK TO 20:32] like the nations. The temptation to lose its uniqueness was always present for Israel (see 1Sa 8:5 and note). will never happen. As happened to those who were exiled to Egypt (see Jer 44:15–19 ). God will not abandon them to their idolatrous ways but will firmly turn them back to the way of covenant faithfulness to him.

[BACK TO 20:33] mighty hand … outstretched arm. Terminology of the exodus (cf. Dt 4:34 ; 5:15 ; 7:19 ; 11:2 ; 26:8 ).

[BACK TO 20:35] wilderness of the nations. Exile among the nations would be for Israel like a return to the wilderness through which she journeyed on the way to the promised land (see Hos 2:14 and note).

[BACK TO 20:37] pass under my rod. The way a shepherd counts or separates his flock (see Lev 27:32 ; Jer 33:13 ; cf. Mt 25:32–33 ). I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. As he had in the Sinai Desert (see note on 16:59–63 ).

[BACK TO 20:38] purge. As in the first wilderness experience, many were not allowed to enter the land (see Nu 14:26–35 and notes).

[BACK TO 20:39] Go and serve your idols. Irony, as in Am 4:4 . profane my holy name. See Lev 18:21 and note.

[BACK TO 20:40] my holy mountain. Mentioned only here in Ezekiel, it refers to Jerusalem or Zion (see Ps 2:6 ; Isa 2:2–4 and notes; 65 ; Ob 16 ; Zep 3:11 ). all the people of Israel. Includes a remnant of the northern kingdom, which fell in 722–721 BC (see 11:15 ; 36:10 and note). offerings. Possibly refers to a prescribed contribution. The other 19 occurrences in Ezekiel of the Hebrew for this word are confined to chs. 44–48 , where the reference is to the land set aside for the temple and priests (see 45:1 ; 48:8–10 , “portion”) or to the special gifts for the priests (see 44:30 ). choice gifts. Voluntary contributions (but see NIV text note).

[BACK TO 20:41] as fragrant incense. In a metaphorical sense (as in Eph 5:2 ). bring you out. Cf. v. 34 . I will be proved holy. See Lev 10:3 and note.

[BACK TO 20:43] you will remember … and … loathe yourselves. A thorough repentance (see 6:9 and note; 16:63 ; 36:31 ; Lk 15:17–19 ).

[BACK TO 20:44] for my name’s sake. Summarizes and concludes the message (see note on v. 9 ).

[BACK TO 20:45–21:32] Babylon will be God’s sword to bring a ruinous destruction as total as that of a forest fire—primarily on Judah and Jerusalem ( 20:45–21:27 ), but also on the Ammonites ( 21:28–29 )—and then Babylon, too, will feel God’s wrath ( 21:30–32 ).

[BACK TO 20:46] set your face. A posture required eight times of Ezekiel (here; 13:17 ; 21:2 ; 25:2 ; 28:21 ; 29:2 ; 35:2 ; 38:2 ). toward the south. Toward Judah and Jerusalem. Any Babylonian invasion would traverse Israel from north to south (see 26:7 and note).

[BACK TO 20:47] set fire. Common figurative language for God’s devastating judgments (see Isa 10:16–19 ), which often took the form of invasion by some world power (see Am 1:4 and note). both green and dry. All trees (cf. 17:24 ; Lk 23:31 ). from south to north. Expresses totality, not direction; equivalent to saying, “from the border on the right to that on the left.”

[BACK TO 20:49] parables. See note on 17:1–24 ; for other ridiculing of the prophet, see 12:21–28 ; 33:32 .

[BACK TO 21:2] set your face. See note on 20:46 . against the sanctuary. See 9:6 and note.

[BACK TO 21:3–5] my sword … my sword … my sword. See 5:2 and note. The threefold repetition is for emphasis (see note on Jer 7:4 ).

[BACK TO 21:3] I am against you. See note on 5:8 . my sword. This is the first of five sword messages (see vv. 8–17 , 18–24 , 25–27 , 28–32 ). Here the sword refers to Babylonia and Nebuchadnezzar (v. 19 ). both the righteous and the wicked. Indicates the completeness of the judgment that is about to come on Israel. No one will escape its devastating effects, not even the righteous in the land. Contrast God’s deliverance of Noah ( Ge 6:7–8 ) and Lot ( Ge 18:23 ; 19:12–13 ).

[BACK TO 21:4] from south to north. See note on 20:47 .

[BACK TO 21:6] groan … with broken heart and bitter grief. Ezekiel’s display of intense grief is to serve as another prophetic sign and as an occasion for a new message of impending judgment. This is Ezekiel’s seventh symbolic act (see Introduction: Literary Features ).

[BACK TO 21:7] every leg will be wet with urine. See 7:17 .

[BACK TO 21:9] A sword , a sword. A sword song (see vv. 3–5 and note; see also note on v. 3 ), possibly accompanied by dancing or symbolic actions. Such songs may have been sung by warriors about to go into battle (see note on 2Sa 1:18 ).

[BACK TO 21:10] Shall we rejoice … every such stick. To think that the Babylonians would conquer every other country except Judah was a false hope. scepter. Represents rule, government or kingdom. my royal son. Referring to the reigning king of the house of David (see vv. 25–27 ; Ps 2:7 and notes). sword. Babylonia and Nebuchadnezzar (v. 19 ).

[BACK TO 21:11] slayer. Nebuchadnezzar (v. 19 ).

[BACK TO 21:12] Cry out and wail … beat your breast. Eighth symbolic act (see Introduction: Literary Features ).

[BACK TO 21:13] come. On Judah. what if even the scepter … does not continue? See note on v. 10 . The question anticipates the final interruption of Davidic kingship, which came in 586 BC (see vv. 25–27 ).

[BACK TO 21:14] strike your hands. See 6:11 and note. Let the sword strike twice. Cf. 2Ki 13:18–19 .

[BACK TO 21:17] strike my hands. As Ezekiel was commanded to do in v. 14 .

[BACK TO 21:19] king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar. same country. Babylonia, or possibly Aram (Syria)—Nebuchadnezzar headquartered at Riblah in northern Aram (see 2Ki 25:6 ).

[BACK TO 21:20] Rabbah. Capital of Ammon ( Jer 49:2 ); modern Amman (capital of Jordan).

[BACK TO 21:21] cast lots with arrows. Divination with arrows, for the purpose of seeking good omens for the coming campaign—a practice not elsewhere mentioned in the Bible. Apparently arrows were labeled (e.g., “Rabbah,” “Jerusalem”), placed into a quiver and drawn out, one with each hand. Right-hand selection was seen as a good omen (see v. 22 ). idols. The Hebrew for this word is translated “household gods” in Ge 31:19 (see note there). Consulting them is referred to in Hos 3:4 ; Zec 10:2 . The household gods of Ge 31:19–35 were small enough to hide in a saddle, but others were life-size ( 1Sa 19:13–16 ). examine the liver. Looking at the color and configurations of sheep livers to foretell the future was common in ancient Babylonia and Rome, but the practice is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.

[BACK TO 21:23] false omen. The leaders of Jerusalem, once submissive to Nebuchadnezzar but now in rebellion ( 2Ki 24:20 ), hoped that the result of the omen-seeking (vv. 21–22 ) was misleading.

[BACK TO 21:25] , 29 whose day … has reached its climax. The same fate that awaits the Ammonites also awaits Judah’s king.

[BACK TO 21:25] prince of Israel. Zedekiah (see note on 7:27 ).

[BACK TO 21:26] turban. Only here is it mentioned as royal headwear. Elsewhere it is worn by priests ( Ex 28:4 , 37 , 39 ; 29:6 ; 39:28 , 31 ; Lev 8:9 ; 16:4 ) as a setting for the crown ( Ex 28:36–37 ; 29:6 ; 39:31 ; Lev 8:9 ). It was made of fine linen ( Ex 28:39 ; 39:28 ). lowly … exalted … exalted … brought low. A common Biblical expression for the reversal of human conditions because of the intervention of the Lord (see 17:24 and note; 1Sa 2:7–8 ; Pr 26:27 and note; Lk 1:52–53 ).

[BACK TO 21:27] A ruin! A ruin! … a ruin! Threefold repetition for emphasis (see Isa 6:3 ; Jer 7:4 and notes). The crown. Representing dominion (the kingdom of Judah). until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come. The Messiah; probably an allusion to Ge 49:10 (see note there).

[BACK TO 21:28] Ammonites. See v. 20 . After judgment on Jerusalem, they too will be dealt with (see 25:1–7 ; see also Jer 9:26 ; 49:1–6 ; Am 1:13–15 ; Zep 2:8–11 ). their insults. See 25:3 , 6 ; cf. 36:15 . A sword , a sword. Nebuchadnezzar’s (see vv. 9 , 19 and notes).

[BACK TO 21:29] false visions … lying divinations. Apparently Ammon also had false prophets of peace (see v. 10 and note; 13:10 ; Jer 6:14 ; 8:11–12 ). it. The sword.

[BACK TO 21:30–32] When the Lord has accomplished his purpose through the Babylonians, they too will come under his judgment for all their evil ways (see Jer 50:15 , 27 , 29 , 31 ; 51:6 , 49 ; Hab 2:4–20 ; cf. Isa 10:5–19 and note on 10:12 ).

[BACK TO 21:30] Let the sword return. Addressing Nebuchadnezzar.

[BACK TO 21:31] brutal men. The people of the East, as in 25:4 .

[BACK TO 21:32] fuel for the fire. See 20:47 and note.

[BACK TO 22:1–31] Ezekiel is instructed to confront Jerusalem (vv. 1–12 ) and the land of Judah (vv. 23–29 ) with all the sins they are guilty of and for which they were about to feel the fiery wrath of Yahweh (vv. 13–22 , 30–31 ). Under Manasseh, Amon and Jehoiakim, Jerusalem had become a city of idolatry and pervasive moral corruption (see 2Ki 21:2–26 ; Jer 22:13–17 ). In the land of Judah all who held power cruelly exploited the weak.

[BACK TO 22:2] will you judge her? Cf. 20:4 and note. this city. Jerusalem, the usual focal point of Ezekiel’s prophecy (see 5:5 and note).

[BACK TO 22:3] shedding blood … making idols. Two categories of sins are developed: social injustices and idol worship. idols. See note on 6:4 .

[BACK TO 22:6] princes of Israel. Leaders generally, not kings; contrast 21:12 with 19:1 .

[BACK TO 22:7] treated father and mother with contempt. See Mic 7:6 and note. Both passages are the opposite of what God commands in Ex 20:12 (see note there). foreigner … fatherless … widow. See Ex 22:21–27 and notes; Dt 10:18 ; 16:11 , 14 ; 24:17 ; 27:19 ; Ps 68:5–6 and note; 82:3 ; Isa 1:17 and note; 23 ; Jer 7:6 ; 22:3 ; Jas 1:27 .

[BACK TO 22:8] Sabbaths. A major concern in Ezekiel (see note on 20:12 ).

[BACK TO 22:9] eat at the mountain shrines. See 18:6 and note. commit lewd acts. In their pagan worship practices (see Hos 4:14 and note).

[BACK TO 22:10] violate women. Cf. 18:6 and note.

[BACK TO 22:11] detestable offense. All the sins mentioned in this verse were specifically forbidden in the law ( Lev 18:7–20 ; 20:10–21 ; Dt 22:22–23 , 30 ; 27:22 ).

[BACK TO 22:12] you take interest and make a profit from the poor. See 18:8 and note.

[BACK TO 22:13] strike my hands. In anger (see 21:14 , 17 ).

[BACK TO 22:17–22] Jerusalem will become God’s “furnace” in which he melts down all those remaining in and around the city in order to cleanse away the “dross” (see Ps 12:6 and note).

[BACK TO 22:25] princes. Ezekiel begins to speak plainly concerning the “dross” of vv. 18–22 . All of Jerusalem’s leaders and people were included: princes (here), priests (v. 26 ), officials (v. 27 ), prophets (v. 28 ), people (v. 29 ). like a roaring lion. Cf. v. 27 ; 13:4 ; Zep 3:3 .

[BACK TO 22:26] distinguish between the holy and the common. One of the main duties of the priests (see 44:23 and note; see also Lev 10:10 and note). Sabbaths. See note on v. 8 . I am profaned. See Lev 18:21 and note.

[BACK TO 22:28] whitewash. See 13:10 and note.

[BACK TO 22:29] people of the land. See 7:27 and note.

[BACK TO 22:30] I looked for someone. Cf. Isa 59:16 ; 63:5 and notes. stand before me in the gap. See 13:5 and note. Some interpret the task here as prophetic intercession with God in behalf of the people (see Ge 20:7 ; 1Sa 12:23 ; Jer 37:3 ; 42:2 ). Others interpret it as teaching, particularly calling the people to repentance. Cf. the task of the prophetic “watchman” ( 3:17–21 ; 33:1–6 ).

[BACK TO 22:31] bringing down on their own heads all they have done. See note on Pr 26:27 .

[BACK TO 23:1–49] This extended allegory depicting in lurid colors the sins of Israel (similar to that found in ch. 16 ) climaxes the series of messages of judgment on Jerusalem and Judah begun in ch. 13 (see notes on 13:1–23 ; 18:1–32 ).

[BACK TO 23:4] The older. See 16:46 and note. Oholah. Means “her tent,” probably referring to the fact that Samaria had its own unauthorized sanctuary. Oholibah. Means “My tent is in her,” probably referring to the Lord’s sanctuary in Jerusalem. Cf. the two sisters of Jer 3:6–12 and note on 3:7 .

[BACK TO 23:5] prostitution. Here represents political alliances with pagan powers—not idolatry as in ch. 16 (see Ex 34:15 and note). The graphic language of the chapter underscores God’s and Ezekiel’s disgust with Israel for playing the worldly game of international politics rather than relying on the Lord for her security—as clear a case of religious prostitution as idolatry. Assyrians. See 2Ki 15:19 and note.

[BACK TO 23:8] in Egypt. Cf. 20:5–8 . Israel’s entire history was marked by unfaithfulness. For her attachment to Egypt, see Ex 17:3 ; Nu 11:5 , 18 , 20 ; 14:2–4 ; 21:5 .

[BACK TO 23:10] stripped her naked. A reference to the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians in 722–721 BC.

[BACK TO 23:14] portrayed in red. Jeremiah, too, noted red interior decorations with disfavor ( Jer 22:14 ).

[BACK TO 23:15] belts. Cf. Isa 5:27 for similar Assyrian military equipment.

[BACK TO 23:20] genitals. See note on 16:26 .

[BACK TO 23:23] Babylonians … Chaldeans. Often identified with one another (see 1:3 and NIV text note there; 12:13 ), here distinguished (as in v. 15 ), probably because the Chaldeans were relative newcomers. Pekod. Aramaic people located east of Babylon. Shoa and Koa. Babylonian allies of uncertain origin and location.

[BACK TO 23:24] their standards. Which were cruel and gruesome (see v. 25 ).

[BACK TO 23:25] jealous anger. See 16:38 and note. fire. See notes on 15:7 ; 20:47 .

[BACK TO 23:27] in Egypt. See note on v. 8 .

[BACK TO 23:31] cup. Filled with the anger of the Lord. To drink it was to die. For a development of the imagery, see Ps 16:5 and note; 75:8 ; Isa 51:17 , 22 ; Jer 25:15 and note; 49:12 ; La 4:21 ; Ob 16 and note; Hab 2:16 ; Mt 20:22 ; 26:39 ; Rev 14:10 and note.

[BACK TO 23:34] tear your breasts. Beating the breasts—a sign of mourning (see 21:12 ; see also Jer 31:19 ; Lk 23:48 and notes)—is here poetically intensified to the point of tearing them in a frantic attempt to find relief from intolerable suffering.

[BACK TO 23:35] you have forgotten me. See 22:12 ; Jer 2:32 and note.

[BACK TO 23:37] sacrificed their children. See note on 16:20 .

[BACK TO 23:38] defiled my sanctuary. See ch. 8 . Sabbaths. See note on 22:8 .

[BACK TO 23:40] They even sent messengers for men. Possibly a reference to the Jerusalem summit meeting in Zedekiah’s time ( Jer 27 ). you. Jerusalem. applied eye makeup. By daubing the eyelids with kohl, a soot-like compound, to draw attention to the eyes.

[BACK TO 23:41] couch , with a table spread before it. Ready for a banquet (see Isa 21:5 ; also Pr 9:2 ).

[BACK TO 23:42] drunkards. Drunkenness is consistently condemned in Scripture (see notes on Pr 20:1 ; Isa 5:11–13 ).

[BACK TO 24:1–14] The series of messages beginning with ch. 13 (see note on 13:1–23 ) ends with a depiction of Jerusalem as a pot cooking over an open fire, concluding with words that echo the final words of the seventh message in this series (see 18:30 ; 24:14 and notes).

[BACK TO 24:1] ninth year … tenth month … tenth day. Of King Zedekiah’s reign ( 2Ki 25:1 ); Jan. 15, 588 BC , some two and a half years after the preceding dated message (see 20:1 and chart ); Ezekiel’s fourth date (see 1:2 ; 8:1 ; 20:1 ).

[BACK TO 24:2] record this date … because. God revealed to Ezekiel what was happening in Jerusalem.

[BACK TO 24:3] rebellious people. The last occurrence of this condemning phrase in Ezekiel (see 2:5 , 6 , 8 ; 3:9 , 26–27 ; 12:2–3 , 9 , 25 ; 17:12 ). Jerusalem’s rebellion would soon be crushed. parable. Cf. 17:2 . cooking pot. A reuse of the imagery found in 11:3–12 . The cooking pot is Jerusalem (cf. 11:3 and note). In what follows, the imagery shifts from cooking the meat and bones in the pot (vv. 4–5 ) to burning away the impurities that adhere to the pot (vv. 6–8 ) and then repeats the cycle (vv. 9–10 , cooking the meat and bones; vv. 11–12 , burning off the encrusted impurities).

[BACK TO 24:4] choice pieces. The people of Jerusalem who thought they were spared the exile in 597 BC because of their goodness (see 11:3 and note).

[BACK TO 24:5] wood. Nebuchadnezzar’s siege equipment.

[BACK TO 24:6] city of bloodshed. Cf. v. 9 ; 22:2–3 . encrusted. Representing Jerusalem’s irredeemable situation. in whatever order it comes. After the siege of Jerusalem in 597, perhaps the Babylonians had cast lots to see whom they would take away into exile. Now everyone would go.

[BACK TO 24:7] blood … on the bare rock. Jerusalem had brazenly left on display the blood she unjustly shed (cf. Isa 3:9 ). For uncovered blood, see Ge 4:10 ; Job 16:18 and notes; cf. Lev 17:13–14 .

[BACK TO 24:8] wrath. God’s wrath. What Jerusalem had done would be done to her (see 16:43 and note; see also 1Ki 8:32 ; Isa 3:1 ; cf. Ex 4:21 ; 21:23–25 ; Lev 24:17–22 ; Dt 19:21 and notes).

[BACK TO 24:11] empty pot. Jerusalem, emptied of inhabitants, would be set to the torch in a vain, final effort at purification.

[BACK TO 24:13] lewdness. See 16:1–63 ; 23:1–49 and notes.

[BACK TO 24:14] The time has come. See 7:2–3 and note on 7:1–27 . judged according to your conduct and your actions. See notes on Ro 2:1–16 ; 2:6–8 ; Rev 20:12 .

[BACK TO 24:15–27] Following the series of messages concerning God’s judgment on Judah ( 13:1–24:14 ), Ezekiel’s action upon the death of his wife serves to symbolize how the exiles would react to the fall of Jerusalem, just as his earlier symbolic actions symbolized the exile of the people of Jerusalem (see 12:1–28 and note). These two symbolic acts thus serve as a literary frame around this second series of messages in Ezekiel.

[BACK TO 24:16] blow. Some swiftly fatal disease, one that often reached plague proportions (see Ex 9:14 ; Nu 14:37 ). delight of your eyes. The object of loving attention (see vv. 21 , 25 )—apparently a conventional way of referring to a man’s wife (cf. Jdg 14:3 , “She’s the right one for me” [lit. “She is right in my eyes”]; see also SS 8:10 ).

[BACK TO 24:17] Keep your turban fastened. Mourners normally removed turbans and put dust on their heads (see Jos 7:6 ; 1Sa 4:12 and notes). sandals on your feet. To remove them showed grief (see 2Sa 15:30 and note). cover … mustache and beard. A gesture of shame ( Mic 3:7 ). food of mourners. The funeral meal (see Jer 16:7 and note).

[BACK TO 24:18] in the evening my wife died. She died the same day the temple was burned (Aug. 14, 586 BC ; see vv. 25–27 ; 2Ki 25:8 and note; see also Introduction: Occasion, Purpose and Summary of Contents ).

[BACK TO 24:19] Then the people asked me. The third time the people responded to Ezekiel’s behavior (see 12:9 ; 21:7 and notes).

[BACK TO 24:21] desecrate. By letting Nebuchadnezzar burn it down.

[BACK TO 24:24] Ezekiel. The Lord speaks of Ezekiel in the third person. Elsewhere the prophet’s name occurs only in 1:3 (see note there). sign. See v. 27 and note on 12:6 .

[BACK TO 24:26] fugitive. The first of the exiles of 586 BC. news. About the siege—its beginning (verifying the accuracy of vv. 1–2 ) and its ending (see note on 33:21 ).

[BACK TO 24:27] At that time. When the fugitive arrived from Jerusalem (see 33:21 and note). no longer be silent. The muteness that had been imposed on him at the beginning of his ministry was now lifted (see 3:26 and note).

[BACK TO 25:1–32:32] Messages against the nations. Frequently in the Prophets, God’s word of judgment on Israel is accompanied by messages of judgment on the nations (see note on Jer 46:1–51:64 ). These make clear that, while judgment begins “with God’s household” ( 1Pe 4:17 ), the pagan nations would not escape God’s wrath. Often these judgments are implicit messages of salvation for Israel (see 28:25–26 and notes) since the Lord’s victories over hostile powers remove enemies of his people or punish them for their cruel attacks on his people. In the case of Ezekiel, there are seven prophecies (the seventh of which has seven parts, each introduced by the phrase “The word of the L ORD came to me”; see Introduction: Outline ). The structure of these prophecies follows the pattern “Because [introducing the evil committed] …, therefore [introducing the judgment] … know that I am the L ORD ” (e.g., 25:3–7 ).

[BACK TO 25:2] set your face. See note on 20:46 . Ammonites. Ammon (part of modern Jordan) was immediately east of Israel (see 21:20 and note; see also Jer 9:26 ; 49:1–6 ; Am 1:13–15 ; Zep 2:8–11 ). For hostile Ammonite action during this time and later, see 2Ki 24:2 ; Ne 4:7 .

[BACK TO 25:3] Aha! A cry of malicious joy (cf. 26:2 ; 36:2 ; Ps 35:21–25 ).

[BACK TO 25:4] people of the East. Probably nomadic tribes of the desert east of Ammon, though this could be a reference to Nebuchadnezzar and his army (see 21:31 ).

[BACK TO 25:5] Rabbah. See note on 21:20 . pasture … resting place. A common OT description of destroyed cities (see Isa 34:13–15 ; Zep 2:13–15 ). The sites were returned to the conditions they were in before the cities were built, representing the undoing of human efforts.

[BACK TO 25:6] clapped your hands. See 6:11 and note.

[BACK TO 25:7] I will stretch out my hand against. See note on 6:14 . plunder to the nations. Cf. 26:5 ; 34:28 . wipe you out. Cf. v. 16 .

[BACK TO 25:8] Moab. Immediately to the south of Ammon, east of the Dead Sea (see Ge 19:36–38 and note; Isa 15–16 ; Jer 48 ; Am 2:1–3 ; Zep 2:8–11 ). Seir. Edom, a country south of Moab and south of the Dead Sea (see ch. 35 , especially v. 15 ; 36:5 ; Isa 34:5–17 ; 63:1–6 ; Jer 49:7–11 ; Am 1:11–12 ). like all the other nations. Israel wanted to be like the nations (see 20:32 and note), but when the nations saw Judah in her apparent vulnerability and lost their awe of her, they failed to take her God seriously (cf. La 4:12 ).

[BACK TO 25:9] flank of Moab. Lower hills rising from the Dead Sea, visible from Jerusalem. Beth Jeshimoth. A town in the plains of Moab. Baal Meon. A major Moabite town mentioned in an inscribed monument of Mesha, king of Moab (see chart ). Kiriathaim. A city also mentioned in the Mesha inscription (cf. 2Ki 3:4–5 and note on 2Ki 1:1 ).

[BACK TO 25:12] Edom. See note on v. 8 (“Seir”). took revenge. By not harboring Judah’s refugees after 586 BC (see Ob 11–14 and notes).

[BACK TO 25:13] Teman. A district near Petra in central Edom (see Jer 49:7 , 20 ; Am 1:12 ; Ob 9 ; Hab 3:3 and notes). Dedan. A tribe and territory in southern Edom (see 27:20 ; 38:13 ; Isa 21:13 and note; Jer 49:8 ).

[BACK TO 25:15] Philistines. Inhabitants of the coastal plain along the Mediterranean west of Judah ( 1Sa 6:17 ; see note on Ge 10:14 ) who strove for control of Canaan until subdued by David. Their hostility to Israel continued, however (see Isa 14:29–31 ; Jer 47 ; Am 1:6–8 ; Zep 2:4–7 ), until Nebuchadnezzar deported them.

[BACK TO 25:16] Kerethites. Related to, if not identical with, the Philistines (see 1Sa 30:14 and note; 2Sa 8:18 ; 15:18 ; 20:7 ). coast. Of the Mediterranean.

[BACK TO 26:1–28:19] A series of prophecies against Tyre, the chief seaport of Phoenicia (present-day Lebanon). Tyre was an island fortress that had an additional harbor on the mainland. After Nebuchadnezzar’s victory at Carchemish in 605 BC , Tyre acknowledged the hegemony of the Babylonian king, but in 594 BC it joined a coalition of states to throw off the Babylonian yoke ( Jer 27:3 ). Ancient historians relate that Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Tyre for 15 years (cf. 29:18 and note) and may have succeeded in once more establishing some kind of authority over it, but he did not succeed in destroying the city. The island fortress was not overrun until Alexander the Great conquered it after a seven-month siege in 332 BC (see notes on Isa 23:1 ; Zec 9:3 ).

[BACK TO 26:1] eleventh month of the twelfth year … first day of the month. The fifth date in the book (see 1:2 ; 8:1 ; 20:1 ; 24:1 ). As the NIV text note indicates, the Masoretic Text (the traditional Hebrew text) does not have “month of the twelfth.” Thus it reads “eleventh year,” which dates from Apr. 23, 587, to Apr. 13, 586 BC. If this is the correct text, the prophecy must date from the end of that year, in the 11th (Feb. 13, 586) or the 12th month ( Mar. 15 , 586). But there is a problem with these dates: This prophecy describes Tyre’s gloating over the destruction of Jerusalem (v. 2 ), yet Jerusalem did not fall until July 18, 586 (see note on 2Ki 25:2–3 ), and was not burned until Aug. 14, 586 (see note on 2Ki 25:8 )—several months after the date given here for Tyre’s celebration of the fact that Jerusalem “now … lies in ruins” (v. 2 ). To solve the problem, many interpreters believe that the probable reading of the original Hebrew text was “In the eleventh month of the twelfth year, on the first day of the month” and that the words “month of the twelfth” must have been inadvertently omitted by a copyist (hence the NIV reading). The restored reading would yield the date Feb. 3, 585, which would nicely fit the chronology in 33:21 (see note there). If, on the other hand, the Hebrew text that has come down to us is correct, then the Lord (through Ezekiel) is prophesying what Tyre’s response to Jerusalem’s fall will be and how the Lord, in turn, will judge Tyre.

[BACK TO 26:2] Tyre. For other prophecies against Tyre, see Isa 23 ; Jer 25:22 ; 47:4 ; Joel 3:4–5 ; Am 1:9–10 ; Zec 9:2–4 . Aha! See note on 25:3 . gate to the nations. Because of its geographic location, its political importance and the central role it played in international trade. The anti-Babylonian summit meeting was held there (see Jer 27 ).

[BACK TO 26:3] I am against you. See note on 5:8 . like the sea casting up its waves. For invading armies likened to waves of the sea, cf. Isa 17:12–13 . Since Tyre was mainly a fortified island, the metaphor is especially appropriate here.

[BACK TO 26:5] plunder for the nations. Cf. 25:7 ; 34:28 .

[BACK TO 26:6] know that I am the L ORD. See Introduction: Themes .

[BACK TO 26:7] north. The direction from which Nebuchadnezzar would descend on Tyre after first marching his army up the Euphrates River valley rather than across the Arabian Desert (cf. Jer 1:13 ). I am going to bring. A clear indication of God’s sovereignty over the nations (cf. 28:7 ; 29:8 ). Nebuchadnezzar. The first of four references to him in Ezekiel (see 29:18–19 ; 30:10 ). He ruled from 605 to 562 BC , and his name means “O (god) Nabu, protect my son” or “O (god) Nabu, protect my boundary.” Jeremiah and Ezekiel both proclaimed that this pagan king would be used by God to do his work (see Jer 25:9 and note; 27:6 ).

[BACK TO 26:8] siege. See note on 26:1–28:19 .

[BACK TO 26:14] never be rebuilt. Eventually fulfilled by Alexander’s devastating siege in 332 BC (see 26:1–28:19 ; Isa 23:1 and notes).

[BACK TO 26:16] princes of the coast. Called kings in 27:35 , they were probably trading partners with Tyre. lay aside their robes. Usually mourners tore their clothes ( Job 2:12 ) and put on sackcloth, but cf. the king of Nineveh ( Jnh 3:6 ). Clothed with terror. Because of political shock waves from the fall of such a powerful city (cf. 7:27 ; Ps 35:26 ; 109:29 and note).

[BACK TO 26:17] lament. See note on 19:1 .

[BACK TO 26:19] ocean depths. The primeval, chaotic mass—the “deep” of Ge 1:2 . Tyre’s collapse into the sea is described in almost cosmic terms.

[BACK TO 26:20] pit. The grave, “the earth below” (see note on Ps 30:1 ). people of long ago. Those long dead ( Ps 143:3 ; La 3:6 ). not return or take your place in the land of the living. As Israel would (see 37:1–14 ).

[BACK TO 26:21] See 27:36 ; 28:19 .

[BACK TO 27:2] lament. See note on 19:1 .

[BACK TO 27:3] I am perfect in beauty. See 28:12 and note; cf. 28:2 for a similar prideful statement. Since Tyre is described as a stately ship in the following verses, some translate, “You are a ship, perfect in beauty.”

[BACK TO 27:4] brought your beauty to perfection. See v. 11 .

[BACK TO 27:5] Senir. Amorite name for Hermon, the Anti-Lebanon mountain (or range) famed for cedar.

[BACK TO 27:6] Bashan. See note on 39:18 . Cyprus. Translates Hebrew Kittim , originally the name of a town in southern Cyprus colonized by Phoenicia.

[BACK TO 27:7] Elishah. A city on the east side of Cyprus; also the oldest name for Cyprus (but see note on Ge 10:4 ).

[BACK TO 27:8] Sidon. A harbor city 25 miles north of Tyre, which sometimes rivaled her in political and commercial importance (see note on 28:21 ). Arvad. Another Phoenician island-city, off the Mediterranean coast and north of Sidon.

[BACK TO 27:9] Byblos. An important ancient city on the coast between Sidon and Arvad (see 1Ki 5:18 ; see also map ).

[BACK TO 27:10] Persia. Or “Paras” (identification uncertain). Lydia. In Asia Minor; the Lydians are known to have served as mercenaries for the Egyptians. Put. Libya, in North Africa, west of Egypt. soldiers. The ship image is abandoned, and Tyre is now described literally—as a city (note references to walls and towers here and in v. 11 ), complete with a mercenary army gathered from many peoples.

[BACK TO 27:11] Arvad. See note on v. 8 . Helek. Cilicia, the mountainous region in southeast Asia Minor. Gammad. Either (1) northern Asia Minor or (2) a coastal town near Arvad.

[BACK TO 27:12] Tarshish. Traditionally located on the coast of southern Spain, but the island of Sardinia has also been suggested. Passages such as 1Ki 10:22 ; Jnh 1:3 imply that it was a long distance from the Canaanite coast. The list of places in vv. 12–23 generally follows a west-to-east direction.

[BACK TO 27:13] Tubal and Meshek. Both in Asia Minor.

[BACK TO 27:14] Beth Togarmah. In eastern Asia Minor, present-day Armenia (see 38:6 ). chariot horses. Asia Minor was known for its horses (see 1Ki 10:28 and NIV text note there on “Kue”).

[BACK TO 27:15] Rhodes. A large island off the southwest coast of Asia Minor that served as gateway to the Aegean islands. It was an early major trading center (see Ac 21:1 ).

[BACK TO 27:16] Aram. Modern Syria. Since Damascus, the capital of Aram, is mentioned in v. 18 , perhaps Edom is meant here (see NIV text note; see also 25:12 and note).

[BACK TO 27:17] Israel traded with you. In the past. Since 722–721 BC Israel had ceased to exist as a political state. Minnith. An Ammonite town, apparently famous for its wheat; “wheat from Minnith” possibly denoted a superior quality of wheat. balm. Gum or oil from one of several plants; a product of Gilead (see Ge 37:25 and note; Jer 8:22 ; 46:11 ).

[BACK TO 27:18] Damascus. Capital of Aram (see note on v. 16 ; see also Isa 7:8 ). Helbon. A town north of Damascus, still in existence and still a wine-making center. The name occurs only here in the Bible. Zahar. Modern a ra, an area northwest of Damascus, where grazing is still common today.

[BACK TO 27:19] Izal. Perhaps the area between Harran and the Tigris. cassia. Similar to the cinnamon tree. The only other Biblical mention of it is in Ex 30:24 , where it appears in a list of aromatic plants. calamus. An aromatic reed.

[BACK TO 27:20] Dedan. See note on 25:13 .

[BACK TO 27:21] Arabia and … Kedar. A general expression for the nomadic tribes from Aram to the Arabian Desert. For Kedar, see Isa 21:16 and note; 42:11 ; 60:7 ; Jer 49:28 .

[BACK TO 27:22] Sheba. See note on 23:42 . Raamah. A city in southern Arabia.

[BACK TO 27:23] Harran. A city east of Carchemish, in present-day eastern Turkey. It was well-known in ancient times as a center both for trade and for the worship of the moon-god, Sin. From here Abram moved to Canaan (see Ge 11:31 and note; 12:4 ). Kanneh. Of uncertain location, presumably in Mesopotamia. It is often identified with Kalno or Kalneh ( Isa 10:9 ; Am 6:2 ). Eden. A district south of Harran, mentioned in connection with Harran in 2Ki 19:12 (see note there). Cf. Beth Eden in Am 1:5 (but see note there). Sheba. See note on 23:42 . Ashur. Can mean the city, the country (Assyria) or the people (Assyrians). Here it is probably the city south of Nineveh that gave its name to the country. Kilmad. If a town, it is yet unidentified; presumably in Mesopotamia. Some read “all Media.”

[BACK TO 27:25] Tarshish. See note on v. 12 . The ship image is resumed (see notes on vv. 3 , 10 ).

[BACK TO 27:26] east wind. Disastrous at sea ( Ps 48:7 ) as well as on land ( Jer 18:17 ). It perhaps symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar (as in 17:10 ; 19:12 ).

[BACK TO 27:30] dust on their heads. See 26:16 for a similar scene. roll in ashes. Cf. Mic 1:10 and note.

[BACK TO 27:31] shave their heads. Cf. 7:18 ; Isa 15:2 and note; 22:12 . sackcloth. See notes on Ge 37:34 ; Rev 11:3 .

[BACK TO 27:36] horrible end … be no more. See 26:21 ; 28:19 ; see also note on Isa 23:1 .

[BACK TO 28:2] , 8 in the heart of the seas. Emphasizes Tyre’s location as an island fortress and as a dominant force in maritime commerce.

[BACK TO 28:2] ruler of Tyre. May refer to the city of Tyre as ruler, or to Ethbaal II, Tyre’s king (see v. 12 ), not to be confused with Ethbaal I (see 1Ki 16:31 ). pride. Cf. 27:3 ; Pr 11:2 and note; 16:18 ; Ac 12:21–23 . I am a god. Cf. the proud boasts of the king of Babylon in Isa 14:12–15 (see note there).

[BACK TO 28:3] Daniel. See note on 14:14 .

[BACK TO 28:7] foreigners. The Babylonians; see next phrase.

[BACK TO 28:8] pit. Cf. Job 33:22 , 24 ; see note on 26:20 .

[BACK TO 28:10] uncircumcised. Used here in the sense of barbarian or uncouth. The Phoenicians, like the Israelites and the Egyptians, practiced circumcision (see 31:18 ; 32:19 ).

[BACK TO 28:12] lament. See note on 19:1 . king of Tyre. Cf. v. 2 , but see note on Isa 14:12–15 . seal of perfection. For “seal,” see Hag 2:23 , where Zerubbabel is called God’s “signet ring” (see note there). With cutting irony Ezekiel depicts the proud king of Tyre as the first man created, radiant with wisdom and beauty. perfect in beauty. See 27:3 and note.

[BACK TO 28:13] You were in Eden. Like Adam ( Ge 2:15 ). Ezekiel continues to use imagery of the creation and the fall to picture the career of the king of Tyre (see 31:9 , 16 , 18 ). every precious stone. Unlike Adam, who was naked ( Ge 2:25 ), the king is pictured as a fully clothed priest, ordained (v. 14 ) to guard God’s holy place. The 9 stones are among the 12 worn by the priest ( Ex 28:17–20 ). (The Septuagint, the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT, lists all 12.) settings and mountings. For the precious stones. on the day you were created. Cf. v. 15 ; Ge 5:2 .

[BACK TO 28:14] as a guardian cherub. Cf. v. 16 . The Genesis account has cherubim (plural) stationed at the border of the garden after the expulsion of Adam and Eve (see Ge 3:24 and note). Some read “with” instead of “as.” holy mount of God. Cf. v. 16 . This does not reflect the Genesis story. See Isa 14:13 for the figure of God dwelling on a mountain. fiery stones. The precious stones (v. 13 ; cf. Rev 4:1–6 ; 21:15–21 ).

[BACK TO 28:15] You were blameless … till. The parallel to Ge 2–3 is clear (see Ge 6:9 and note; 17:1 ).

[BACK TO 28:16] widespread trade … filled with violence. Tyre’s major crime.

[BACK TO 28:17] threw you to the earth. Expulsion from the heavenly garden.

[BACK TO 28:19] horrible end … be no more. See note on 27:36 .

[BACK TO 28:21] set your face. See note on 20:46 . Sidon. See 27:8 and note. This is the only time in the OT that Sidon is mentioned apart from Tyre (cf. Isa 23:1–4 ; Jer 47:4 ; Joel 3:4 ; Zec 9:2 ).

[BACK TO 28:22] I am against you. Possibly because of Sidon’s involvement in the Jerusalem summit conference ( Jer 27:3 ; see note on 5:8 ). among you I will display my glory. The Lord’s glory would be recognized in Sidon’s punishment. am proved to be holy. See v. 25 ; Lev 10:3 and note.

[BACK TO 28:24] painful briers. For references to Israel’s enemies as briers, see Nu 33:55 ; Jos 23:13 .

[BACK TO 28:25] When I gather … Israel. A frequent promise in Ezekiel and later (see 11:17 ; 20:34 , 41–42 ; 29:13 ; 34:13 ; 36:24 ; 37:21 ; 38:8 ; 39:27 ; Ne 1:9 ; Zec 10:8 , 10 ). my servant Jacob. Cf. 37:25 . For the promise, see Ge 28:13 ; 35:12 ; Ps 105:10–11 .

[BACK TO 28:26] live there in safety. A perennial ideal that had become an especially meaningful promise (cf. 34:28 ; 38:8 , 11 , 14 ; 39:26 ; Lev 25:18–19 ; Jer 23:6 ; 32:37 ; 33:16 )—closely related to God’s promised “rest” (see Dt 3:20 and note). houses … vineyards. Basic necessities of the good life (cf. Isa 65:21 ; Jer 29:5 , 28 ; Am 9:14 ).

[BACK TO 29:1–32:32] A series of seven prophecies against Egypt (for their dates, see notes below), most of which came during Jerusalem’s last years when the Egyptian pharaoh was offering encouragement to King Zedekiah to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar (see 17:15 ; Jer 37:5–8 ).

[BACK TO 29:1] tenth year … tenth month … twelfth day. Jan. 7, 587 BC ; the sixth date in Ezekiel (see 1:2 ; 8:1 ; 20:1 ; 24:1 ; 26:1 ). All the prophecies against Egypt are dated except one ( 30:1 ).

[BACK TO 29:2] set your face. See note on 20:46 . Pharaoh. Hophra, 589–570 BC (see Jer 44:30 ).

[BACK TO 29:3] I am against you. See note on 5:8 . great monster. Or “crocodile”; pictured as being in the Nile. See notes on Job 41:1 ; Ps 74:13–14 ; Isa 27:1 . your streams. Nile delta and canals (cf. Isa 7:18 ; 19:6 ; 37:25 ). You say. Boasts inscribed on Egyptian monuments had become proverbial.

[BACK TO 29:4] hooks. Cf. 19:4 . fish of your streams. Egypt’s conquered territories or mercenaries.

[BACK TO 29:5] food to the beasts. Particularly frustrating to the pharaoh’s great hopes for an afterlife, as symbolized by the pyramids and expressed in the Egyptian “Book of the Dead.”

[BACK TO 29:6] You have been a staff of reed. A comparison made earlier (see Isa 36:6 and note). Pharaoh Hophra briefly but unsuccessfully diverted the Babylonians from laying siege to Jerusalem (see Jer 37:1–10 ).

[BACK TO 29:8] sword. Nebuchadnezzar’s (see 5:2 and note).

[BACK TO 29:10] Migdol. Probably in northern Egypt (see Jer 44:1 and note). Aswan. A town in southern Egypt. “From Migdol to Aswan” ( 30:6 ) probably indicated all Egypt, just as “from Dan to Beersheba” meant all Israel (see, e.g., Jdg 20:1 ; 1Sa 3:20 and notes).

[BACK TO 29:11] forty years. Sometimes used to signify a long and difficult period (cf. 4:6 ).

[BACK TO 29:14] Upper Egypt. Southern Egypt (see 30:14 ; Isa 11:11 and note; Jer 44:1 , 15 ).

[BACK TO 29:17] The second prophecy against Egypt (see note on v. 1 ). twenty-seventh year … first month … first day. Apr. 26, 571 BC ; the seventh date in Ezekiel (see v. 1 ; 1:2 ; 8:1 ; 20:1 ; 24:1 ; 26:1 ). This is the latest date in Ezekiel; accordingly, this prophecy intrudes in the series of dated prophecies against Egypt, all the rest of which come within the years 587–585.

[BACK TO 29:18] hard campaign. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for 15 years, from 586 to 571 BC (see 26:7–14 ). every head was rubbed bare. Probably from the leather helmets.

[BACK TO 29:19] I am going to give. God’s sovereignty over the nations is again proclaimed.

[BACK TO 29:21] make a horn grow for. Revive the strength of (see NIV text note). The passage is not a Messianic prophecy. open your mouth. Ezekiel’s muteness ( 3:26 ; 24:27 ) would be removed, which anticipates 33:22 .

[BACK TO 30:1] The third prophecy against Egypt (see note on 29:1 ). No date is given, but it was probably between January and April of 587 BC. Compare 29:1 with 30:20 . Jerusalem was under siege at this time.

[BACK TO 30:2–3] that day … the day of the L ORD. The day of God’s coming in judgment (see 7:7 and note). Egypt’s judgment is announced.

[BACK TO 30:3] the day is near. See 7:2–3 , 6 and note on 7:1–27 ; cf. Isa 13:6 . day of clouds. Cf. Joel 2:2 ; Zep 1:15 .

[BACK TO 30:4] sword. Nebuchadnezzar’s (see 29:8 and note).

[BACK TO 30:5] Libya. In North Africa (see note on 27:10 ). Lydia. See 27:10 and note. Kub. Probably best understood as an unidentified place. people of the covenant land. Apparently Jews living in Egypt (see Jer 44 and note on 44:1 ).

[BACK TO 30:6] From Migdol to Aswan. See note on 29:10 .

[BACK TO 30:8] set fire to. See note on 20:47 .

[BACK TO 30:9] messengers … in ships. See Isa 18 for a similar prophecy against Cush, involving ships on the Nile.

[BACK TO 30:11] most ruthless of nations. A common phrase for the Babylonians, who were known for their cruelty (see 2Ki 25:7 ).

[BACK TO 30:13] idols. See note on 6:4 . Memphis. Located 15 miles south of Cairo, Memphis was a former capital of Egypt and one of her largest cities. The following list of towns shows no discernible geographic pattern but is a literary device used to underscore the scope of the destruction (cf. Isa 10:9–11 , 27–32 ; Mic 1:10–15 ; Zep 2:4 ). prince. King.

[BACK TO 30:14] Upper Egypt. See 29:14 and note. Zoan. A city in northeast Egypt in the delta region; also called Tanis (see Isa 19:11 ; 30:4 and notes). Thebes. Capital of Upper Egypt; present-day Luxor and Karnak. See photos ; 1384 .

[BACK TO 30:15] Pelusium. A fortress in the eastern delta region of the Nile.

[BACK TO 30:17] Heliopolis. Greek name (meaning “city of the sun”) for Hebrew On , located six miles northeast of Cairo. Bubastis. At one time the capital of Lower (northern) Egypt; located 40 miles northeast of Cairo.

[BACK TO 30:18] Dark. A common Biblical metaphor describing ruin, destruction or death. Tahpanhes. In extreme northeast Egypt. Johanan, son of Kareah, and his men fled there after the murder of Gedaliah (see Jer 43:4–7 ). covered with clouds. See v. 3 and note; 32:7 .

[BACK TO 30:20] The fourth prophecy against Egypt (see note on 29:1 ). eleventh year … first month … seventh day. Apr. 29, 587 BC ; the eighth date in Ezekiel (see 1:2 ; 8:1 ; 20:1 ; 24:1 ; 26:1 ; 29:1 , 17 ).

[BACK TO 30:21] broken the arm. Refers to Pharaoh Hophra’s defeat by Nebuchadnezzar the previous year (see notes on 29:6 ; Jer 37:10 ).

[BACK TO 30:24] put my sword in his hand. See note on 21:3 .

[BACK TO 30:25] my sword. See 5:2 and note.

[BACK TO 31:1] The fifth prophecy against Egypt (see note on 29:1 ). eleventh year … third month … first day. June 21, 587 BC ; the ninth date in Ezekiel (see 1:2 ; 8:1 ; 20:1 ; 24:1 ; 26:1 ; 29:1 , 17 ; 30:20 ).