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Texts -- Ezekiel 24:1-24 (NET)

Context
The Boiling Pot
24:1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year , in the tenth month , on the tenth day of the month : 24:2 “Son of man , write down the name of this day , this very day . The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day . 24:3 Recite a proverb to this rebellious house and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says : “‘Set on the pot , set it on , pour water in it too ; 24:4 add the pieces of meat to it, every good piece , the thigh and the shoulder ; fill it with choice bones . 24:5 Take the choice bone of the flock , heap up bones under it; boil rapidly , and boil its bones in it. 24:6 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says : Woe to the city of bloodshed , the pot whose rot is in it, whose rot has not been removed from it! Empty it piece by piece . No lot has fallen on it. 24:7 For her blood was in it; she poured it on an exposed rock ; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it up with dust . 24:8 To arouse anger , to take vengeance , I have placed her blood on an exposed rock so that it cannot be covered up . 24:9 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says : Woe to the city of bloodshed ! I will also make the pile high . 24:10 Pile up the bones , kindle the fire ; cook the meat well, mix in the spices , let the bones be charred . 24:11 Set the empty pot on the coals , until it becomes hot and its copper glows , until its uncleanness melts within it and its rot is consumed . 24:12 It has tried my patience ; yet its thick rot is not removed from it. Subject its rot to the fire ! 24:13 You mix uncleanness with obscene conduct . I tried to cleanse you, but you are not clean . You will not be cleansed from your uncleanness until I have exhausted my anger on you. 24:14 “‘I the Lord have spoken ; judgment is coming and I will act ! I will not relent , or show pity , or be sorry ! I will judge you according to your conduct and your deeds , declares the sovereign Lord .’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
24:15 The word of Lord came to me: 24:16 “Son of man , realize that I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a jolt , but you must not mourn or weep or shed tears . 24:17 Groan in silence for the dead , but do not perform mourning rites. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on your feet . Do not cover your lip and do not eat food brought by others .” 24:18 So I spoke to the people in the morning , and my wife died in the evening . In the morning I acted just as I was commanded . 24:19 Then the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?” 24:20 So I said to them: “The word of the Lord came to me: 24:21 Say to the house of Israel , ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says : Realize I am about to desecrate my sanctuary – the source of your confident pride , the object in which your eyes delight , and your life’s passion . Your very own sons and daughters whom you have left behind will die by the sword . 24:22 Then you will do as I have done : You will not cover your lip or eat food brought by others . 24:23 Your turbans will be on your heads and your sandals on your feet ; you will not mourn or weep , but you will rot for your iniquities and groan among yourselves . 24:24 Ezekiel will be an object lesson for you; you will do all that he has done . When it happens , then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord .’

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Ezekiel

    [ebd] God will strengthen. (1.) 1 Chr. 24:16, "Jehezekel." (2.) One of the great prophets, the son of Buzi the priest (Ezek. 1:3). He was one of the Jewish exiles who settled at Tel-Abib, on the banks of the Chebar, "in the land o...
    [smith] (the strength of God), one of the four greater prophets, was the son of a priest named Buzi, and was taken captive in the captivity of Jehoiachin, eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem. He was a member of a communi...
    [nave] EZEKIEL, a priest. Time of his prophecy, Ezek. 1:1-3. Persecution of, Ezek. 3:25. Visions of: of God's glory, Ezek. 1; 8; 10; 11:22; of Jews' abominations, Ezek. 8:5, 6; of their punishment, Ezek. 9:10; of the valley of dry...

  • EZEKIEL, 1

    [isbe] EZEKIEL, 1 - e-ze'-ki-el: I. THE PROPHET AND HIS BOOK 1. The Person of Ezekiel Name, Captivity and Trials 2. The Book (1) Its Genuineness (2) Its Structure (3) Relation to Jeremiah (4) Fate of the Book and Its Place in the C...

  • Babylon

    [nave] BABYLON City of Built by Nimrod, Gen. 10:10. In the land of Shinar, Gen. 10:10; 11:2. Tower of, Gen. 11:1-9. Capital of the kingdom of Babylon, Dan. 4:30; 2 Kin. 25:13; 2 Chr. 36:6, 7, 10, 18, 20. Gates of, Isa. 45:1, 2...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Instruction

    [nave] INSTRUCTION From nature, Prov. 24:30-34; Eccl. 1:13-18; 3; 4:1; Matt. 6:25-30. See: Parables. From the study of human nature, Eccl. 3-12. By Object Lessons: The pot of maa, Ex. 16:32. The pillar of twelve stones at the f...

  • Symbols and Similitudes

    [nave] SYMBOLS AND SIMILITUDES Trees of life and knowledge, Gen. 2:9, 17; 3:3, 24; Rev. 22:2. Rainbow, Gen. 9:12, 13. Circumcision, of the covenant of Abraham, Gen. 17:11; Rom. 4:11. Passover, of the sparing of the firstborn, an...

  • Sin

    [nave] SIN. Index of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to, Defining, and Illustrating; Confession of; Consequences of, Entailed Upon Children; Conviction of; Forgiveness of; Fruits of; Kn...

  • Minister

    [nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...

  • Tire

    [smith] an old English word for headdress. It was an ornamental headdress worn on festive occasions, (Ezekiel 24:17,23) and perhaps, as some suppose, also an ornament for the neck worn by both women, (Isaiah 3:18) and men, and even o...
    [nave] TIRE, a headdress, Isa. 3:18; Ezek. 24:17.

  • SCUM

    [isbe] SCUM - skum (chel'ah; Septuagint ios, "poison" or "verdigris"; compare Plato Rep. 609a): The word is only found in Ezek 24:6,11,12, where the Revised Version (British and American) translates it "rust." The fact, however, th...

  • Ezekiel, Book of

    [ebd] consists mainly of three groups of prophecies. After an account of his call to the prophetical office (1-3:21), Ezekiel (1) utters words of denunciation against the Jews (3:22-24), warning them of the certain destruction of ...

  • Bereavement

    [nave] BEREAVEMENT From God, Ex. 12:29; Hos. 9:12. Mourning in, forbidden to Aaron, on account of his son's wickedness, Lev. 10:6; and to Ezekiel, for his wife, Ezek. 24:16-18. Instances of Abraham, of Sarah, Gen. 23:2. Jacob, ...

  • Parables

    [nave] PARABLES Of the trees, Judg. 9:8-15. Of the lamb, 2 Sam. 12:1-6. Of the woman of Tekoa, 2 Sam. 14:5-12. Of the garment torn in pieces, 1 Kin. 11:30-32. Of the prisoner of war, 1 Kin. 20:39-42. Of the thistle and cedar, ...

  • Prophecy

    [nave] PROPHECY Concerning Jesus, See: Jesus. Concerning church, See: Church, Prophecies Concerning Prosperity of. Relating to various countries, nations, and cities, see under their respective titles. Respecting individuals, see...

  • TIRE, HEADTIRE

    [isbe] TIRE, HEADTIRE - tir (2 Ki 9:30; Isa 3:20; Ezek 24:17,23; Judith 10:3; 16:8). See DRESS, V.

  • Bonnet

    [ebd] (Heb. peer), Ex. 39:28 (R.V., "head-tires"); Ezek. 44:18 (R.V., "tires"), denotes properly a turban worn by priests, and in Isa. 3:20 (R.V., "head-tires") a head-dress or tiara worn by females. The Hebrew word so rendered li...

  • SHOE; SHOE-LATCHET

    [isbe] SHOE; SHOE-LATCHET - shoo, shoo'-lach-et (na`al, literally, "that which is fastened," with denominative verb na`al, "to provide with shoes" (2 Ch 28:15; Ezek 16:10); hupodema (Sirach 46:19; Mt 3:11, etc.), from the verb hupo...

  • ZEDEKIAH (2)

    [isbe] ZEDEKIAH (2) - (tsidhqiyahu, "Yah my righteousness"; name changed from Mattaniah (mattanyah, "gift of Yah"; Sedekias): I. SOURCES FOR HIS REGION AND TIME 1. Annalistic 2. Prophetic II. THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAST KING OF ...

  • HEADDRESS

    [smith] The Hebrews do not appear to have regarded a covering for the head as an essential article of dress. Hats were unknown. The earliest notice we have of such a thing is in connection with the sacerdotal vestments. (Exodus 28:40...

  • PILE

    [isbe] PILE - pil (medhurah, from dur, "heap up"): Isa 30:33, "The pile thereof is fire and much wood"; Ezek 24:9,10, "I also will make the pile great. Heap on the wood, make the fire hot." Isa 30:33 may be paraphrased, `the pyre t...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The burnt offering (in Greek, holokautoma, from which we get the word "holocaust") expressed the offerer's complete consecration to Yahweh (cf. Matt. 22:37; Rom. 12:1-2). However it also made atonement for the offerer. Some r...
  • God dealt with 21 different cases of skin diseases in this pericope. Some of these may have included measles, smallpox, scarlet fever, and other diseases characterized by skin rash.141Some authorities believe that exact ident...
  • Haman covered his head (v. 12) as a sign of his grief (cf. 2 Sam. 15:30; 19:4; Jer. 14:3-4; Ezek. 24:17). His friends evidently realized that unseen forces were maintaining the blessing that they had observed following the Je...
  • Sometimes God used the events in the lives of His prophets to speak to the people as well as their messages."Hosea's unhappy marriage (Hos. 1-3), Isaiah's family (Isa. 7-8), the death of Ezekiel's wife (Ezek. 24:15-27), and J...
  • This is one of four accounts of the fall of Jerusalem in the Old Testament (cf. 2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36:11-21; Jer. 39:1-14). The repetition underlines the importance of the event.52:1 Zedekiah (Mattaniah, 2 Kings 24:17) was ...
  • The title of this book comes from its writer, Ezekiel, the son of Buzi (1:3). "Ezekiel"means "God strengthens (or hardens)"or "God will strengthen (harden)"or "May God strengthen (harden)."The Lord strengthened Ezekiel in the...
  • Ezekiel ministered to the Jews in exile. He probably wrote this book for the benefit of the exiles and the other Jewish communities of his day and beyond his day. In some of his visions (e.g. chs. 8 and 11) the Lord carried t...
  • There are two major structural peculiarities that set Ezekiel off as distinctive.First, the book is a collection of prophecies arranged in almost consistent chronological order. No other prophetical book is as consistently ch...
  • One stylistic characteristic is Ezekiel's autobiographical perspective. Almost all of his oracles (except 1:2-3; 24:24) appear in the first person giving the impression that they are memoirs of a true prophet of Yahweh. Howev...
  • Ezekiel began prophesying when he was 30 years old, and he had gone into captivity five years before that. Thus Ezekiel was familiar with Jeremiah's preaching and ministry. Ezekiel shows quite a bit of similarity to Jeremiah ...
  • I. Ezekiel's calling and commission chs. 1-3A. The vision of God's glory ch. 11. The setting of the vision 1:1-32. The vision proper 1:4-28B. The Lord's charge to Ezekiel chs. 2-31. The recipients of Ezekiel's ministry 2:1-52...
  • This pericope contains 10 commands, and it is the center of the chiasm in chapters 1-3."The Lord's charge to Ezekiel emphasized the absolute necessity of hearing, understanding, and assimilating God's message prior to going f...
  • In this parable, the people were to put a bronze (v. 11) cooking pot (caldron, Heb. sir) on the fire and pour water into it. Then they were to put various pieces of choice meat into the pot. They were to build a strong fire u...
  • 24:6 Ezekiel was then to announce woe on the bloody city (no longer the holy city) of Jerusalem (cf. Nah. 3:1), which the pot represented (cf. 11:3, 7, 11; Jer. 1:13-14). The pot had rust (Heb. hel'ah) in it that evidently st...
  • This second oracle stresses not the boiling of meat in the pot but the cleansing of the pot by superheating, a second stage in God's judgment process.24:9-10 The Lord pronounced woe on the bloody city of Jerusalem and promise...
  • 24:15-16 The Lord told Ezekiel that He was about to take the life of his beloved wife. The English word "blow"(v. 16) implies a sudden, unexpected death. The Hebrew word, magephoh, does not demand a sudden death, but it somet...
  • 24:25-26 Evidently Ezekiel was not to deliver any more prophetic messages to his fellow exiles after he made the explanation in verses 20-24 until he received word of the destruction of the temple and the capture of the remai...
  • It is appropriate that this section appears at this point in Ezekiel, between the messages announcing judgment on Judah and Jerusalem for sin (chs. 4-24) and the messages announcing future blessings for Israel (chs. 33-48). I...
  • This chapter ties in very closely with the preceding one. Evidently all the messages in these two chapters date from the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (24:1-2). Even though this chapter begins a series of mes...
  • Ezekiel previously recorded an oracle against Ammon (21:28-32). Its placement there was evidently due to the presence of "sword of the Lord"terminology in that oracle, which the other prophecies in that chapter also contain.2...
  • Ezekiel concluded his oracles against foreign nations with seven messages the Lord gave him concerning the fate of Egypt, one of Israel's most ancient and powerful enemies (cf. Isa. 31:1; Jer. 2:36; 46:1-26). God controls eve...
  • "This last major division of the book focuses on the restoration of Israel's blessing. Israel would be judged for her sin (chaps. 1-24) as would the surrounding nations (chaps. 25-32). But Israel will not remain under judgmen...
  • Since this message is undated, it may have come to Ezekiel about the same time as the previous two in chapter 32, namely, in the last month of 585 B.C. If so, Ezekiel received it about two months after God gave him the six me...
  • This part of Ezekiel's message of warning to the exiles is similar to 3:16-21. Yahweh recommissioned Ezekiel to his prophetic task (cf. chs. 2-3)."Now that Ezekiel's original ministry of judgment was completed, God appointed ...
  • 37:15-17 The Lord also commanded Ezekiel to take two sticks (cf. Zech. 11:7-14). He was to write on one of them "For Judah and for the sons of Israel, Judah's companions."He was to write on the other stick "For Joseph and for...
  • The Book of Ezekiel begins with a vision of God's glory (ch. 1), records the departure of God's glory (chs. 8-11), and ends with another vision of God's glory (chs. 40-48). This is the longest vision outside the Book of Revel...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. Exile and Restoration. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1968.Alexander, Ralph H. Ezekiel. Everyman's Bible Commentary series. Chicago: Moody Press, 1976._____. "Ezekiel."In Isaiah-Ezekiel. Vol. 6 of The Expo...
  • 3:5 The Lord also had a message concerning the false prophets who were misleading His people. The false prophets gave benedictions to those who paid them, but people who did not give them anything received maledictions of doo...
  • This final section of this part of the book (chs. 7-8) returns full circle to the theme with which it began, namely, the people's concern about fasting (cf. 7:1-7). These messages began after a few Bethelites came to Jerusale...
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