Discovery BoxEzekiel 3:1
Context3:1 He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you see in front of you 1 – eat this scroll – and then go and speak to the house of Israel.”
Ezekiel 20:1--22:31
Context20:1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, 2 some of the elders 3 of Israel came to seek 4 the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 20:2 The word of the Lord came to me: 20:3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, 5 declares the sovereign Lord.’ 20:4 “Are you willing to pronounce judgment? 6 Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers, 20:5 and say to them:
“‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore 7 to the descendants 8 of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore 9 to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 20:6 On that day I swore 10 to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land which I had picked out 11 for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, 12 the most beautiful of all lands. 20:7 I said to them, “Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you, 13 and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” 20:8 But they rebelled against me, and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols, 14 nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out 15 my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 20:9 I acted for the sake of my reputation, 16 so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived, 17 before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 18
20:10 “‘So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them to the wilderness. 20:11 I gave them my statutes 19 and revealed my regulations to them. The one 20 who carries 21 them out will live by them! 22 20:12 I also gave them my Sabbaths 23 as a reminder of our relationship, 24 so that they would know that I, the Lord, sanctify them. 25 20:13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out 26 my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them. 27 20:14 I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 20:15 I also swore 28 to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them – a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 20:16 I did this 29 because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols. 30 20:17 Yet I had pity on 31 them and did not destroy them, so I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
20:18 “‘But I said to their children 32 in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, 33 nor defile yourselves with their idols. 20:19 I am the Lord your God; follow my statutes, observe my regulations, and carry them out. 20:20 Treat my Sabbaths as holy 34 and they will be a reminder of our relationship, 35 and then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” 20:21 “‘But the children 36 rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by carrying them out (the one who obeys 37 them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out 38 my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness. 20:22 But I refrained from doing so, 39 and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 20:23 I also swore 40 to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands. 41 20:24 I did this 42 because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on 43 their fathers’ idols. 20:25 I also gave 44 them decrees 45 which were not good and regulations by which they could not live. 20:26 I declared them to be defiled because of their sacrifices 46 – they caused all their first born to pass through the fire 47 – so that I would devastate them, so that they will know that I am the Lord.’ 48
20:27 “Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In this way too your fathers blasphemed me when they were unfaithful to me. 20:28 I brought them to the land which I swore 49 to give them, but whenever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there and presented the offerings that provoke me to anger. They offered their soothing aroma there and poured out their drink offerings. 20:29 So I said to them, What is this high place you go to?’” (So it is called “High Place” 50 to this day.)
20:30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers 51 and engage in prostitution with detestable idols? 20:31 When you present your sacrifices 52 – when you make your sons pass through the fire – you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me, 53 O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will not allow you to seek me! 54
20:32 “‘What you plan 55 will never happen. You say, “We will be 56 like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.” 57 20:33 As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm, 58 and with an outpouring of rage, I will be king over you. 20:34 I will bring you out from the nations, and will gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm and with an outpouring of rage! 20:35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 20:36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the sovereign Lord. 20:37 I will make you pass under 59 the shepherd’s staff, 60 and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 20:38 I will eliminate from among you the rebels and those who revolt 61 against me. I will bring them out from the land where they have been residing, but they will not come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
20:39 “‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols, 62 if you will not listen to me. 63 But my holy name will not be profaned 64 again by your sacrifices 65 and your idols. 20:40 For there on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord, all the house of Israel will serve me, all of them 66 in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will seek your contributions and your choice gifts, with all your holy things. 20:41 When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, I will accept you along with your soothing aroma. I will display my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 20:42 Then you will know that I am the Lord when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land I swore 67 to give to your fathers. 20:43 And there you will remember your conduct 68 and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves. You will despise yourselves 69 because of all the evil deeds you have done. 20:44 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of my reputation and not according to your wicked conduct and corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
20:45 (21:1) 70 The word of the Lord came to me: 20:46 “Son of man, turn toward 71 the south, 72 and speak out against the south. 73 Prophesy against the open scrub 74 land of the Negev, 20:47 and say to the scrub land of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look here, 75 I am about to start a fire in you, 76 and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The flaming fire will not be extinguished, and the whole surface of the ground from the Negev to the north will be scorched by it. 20:48 And everyone 77 will see that I, the Lord, have burned it; it will not be extinguished.’”
20:49 Then I said, “O sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?’”
21:1 (21:6) 78 The word of the Lord came to me: 21:2 “Son of man, turn toward 79 Jerusalem 80 and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel 21:3 and say to them, 81 ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, 82 I am against you. 83 I will draw my sword 84 from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 85 21:4 Because I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will go out from its sheath against everyone 86 from the south 87 to the north. 21:5 Then everyone will know that I am the Lord, who drew my sword from its sheath – it will not be sheathed again!’
21:6 “And you, son of man, groan with an aching heart 88 and bitterness; groan before their eyes. 21:7 When they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you will reply, ‘Because of the report that has come. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand will be limp; everyone 89 will faint and every knee will be wet with urine.’ 90 Pay attention – it is coming and it will happen, declares the sovereign Lord.”
21:8 The word of the Lord came to me: 21:9 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘A sword, a sword is sharpened,
and also polished.
21:10 It is sharpened for slaughter,
it is polished to flash like lightning!
“‘Should we rejoice in the scepter of my son? No! The sword despises every tree! 91
21:11 “‘He gave it to be polished,
to be grasped in the hand –
the sword is sharpened, it is polished –
giving it into the hand of the executioner.
21:12 Cry out and moan, son of man,
for it is wielded against my people;
against all the princes of Israel.
They are delivered up to the sword, along with my people.
Therefore, strike your thigh. 92
21:13 “‘For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more? 93 declares the sovereign Lord.’
21:14 “And you, son of man, prophesy,
and clap your hands together.
Let the sword strike twice, even three times!
It is a sword for slaughter,
a sword for the great slaughter surrounding them.
21:15 So hearts melt with fear and many stumble.
At all their gates I have stationed the sword for slaughter.
Ah! It is made to flash, it is drawn for slaughter!
21:16 Cut sharply on the right!
Swing to 94 the left,
wherever your edge 95 is appointed to strike.
21:17 I too will clap my hands together,
I will exhaust my rage;
I the Lord have spoken.”
21:18 The word of the Lord came to me: 21:19 “You, son of man, mark out two routes for the king of Babylon’s sword to take; both of them will originate in a single land. Make a signpost and put it at the beginning of the road leading to the city. 21:20 Mark out the routes for the sword to take: “Rabbah of the Ammonites” and “Judah with Jerusalem in it.” 96 21:21 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork 97 in the road at the head of the two routes. He looks for omens: 98 He shakes arrows, he consults idols, 99 he examines 100 animal livers. 101 21:22 Into his right hand 102 comes the portent for Jerusalem – to set up battering rams, to give the signal 103 for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry, 104 to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, to build a siege wall. 21:23 But those in Jerusalem 105 will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths, 106 but the king of Babylon 107 will accuse them of violations 108 in order to seize them. 109
21:24 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have brought up 110 your own guilt by uncovering your transgressions and revealing your sins through all your actions, for this reason you will be taken by force. 111
21:25 “‘As for you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, 112
whose day has come, the time of final punishment,
21:26 this is what the sovereign Lord says:
Tear off the turban, 113
take off the crown!
Things must change! 114
Exalt the lowly,
bring down the proud! 115
21:27 A total ruin I will make it! 116
It will come to an end
when the one arrives to whom I have assigned judgment.’ 117
21:28 “As for you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says concerning the Ammonites and their coming humiliation; 118 say:
“‘A sword, a sword drawn for slaughter,
polished to consume, 119 to flash like lightning –
21:29 while seeing false visions for you
and reading lying omens for you 120 –
to place that sword 121 on the necks of the profane wicked, 122
whose day has come,
the time of final punishment.
21:30 Return it to its sheath! 123
In the place where you were created, 124
in your native land, I will judge you.
21:31 I will pour out my anger on you;
the fire of my fury I will blow on you.
I will hand you over to brutal men,
who are skilled in destruction.
21:32 You will become fuel for the fire –
your blood will stain the middle of the land; 125
you will no longer be remembered,
for I, the Lord, have spoken.’”
22:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 22:2 “As for you, son of man, are you willing to pronounce judgment, 126 are you willing to pronounce judgment on the bloody city? 127 Then confront her with all her abominable deeds! 22:3 Then say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: O city, who spills blood within herself (which brings on her doom), 128 and who makes herself idols (which results in impurity), 22:4 you are guilty because of the blood you shed and defiled by the idols you made. You have hastened the day of your doom; 129 the end of your years has come. 130 Therefore I will make 131 you an object of scorn to the nations, an object to be mocked by all lands. 22:5 Those both near and far from you will mock you, you with your bad reputation, 132 full of turmoil.
22:6 “‘See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood. 133 22:7 They have treated father and mother with contempt 134 within you; they have oppressed the foreigner among you; they have wronged the orphan and the widow 135 within you. 22:8 You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths! 22:9 Slanderous men shed blood within you. 136 Those who live within you eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains; 137 they commit obscene acts among you. 138 22:10 They have sex with their father’s wife within you; 139 they violate women during their menstrual period within you. 140 22:11 One 141 commits an abominable act with his neighbor’s wife; another obscenely defiles his daughter-in-law; another violates 142 his sister – his father’s daughter 143 – within you. 22:12 They take bribes within you to shed blood. You engage in usury and charge interest; 144 you extort money from your neighbors. You have forgotten me, 145 declares the sovereign Lord. 146
22:13 “‘See, I strike my hands together 147 at the dishonest profit you have made, and at the bloodshed 148 they have done among you. 22:14 Can your heart endure, 149 or can your hands be strong when I deal with you? 150 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it! 22:15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you among various countries; I will remove your impurity from you. 151 22:16 You will be profaned within yourself 152 in the sight of the nations; then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
22:17 The word of the Lord came to me: 22:18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become slag to me. All of them are like bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the furnace; 153 they are the worthless slag of silver. 22:19 Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Because all of you 154 have become slag, look out! – I am about to gather you in the middle of Jerusalem. 155 22:20 As silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin are gathered in a furnace so that the fire can melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and in my rage. I will deposit you there 156 and melt you. 22:21 I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted in it. 22:22 As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted in it, and you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my anger on you.’”
22:23 The word of the Lord came to me: 22:24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that receives no rain 157 or showers in the day of my anger.’ 158 22:25 Her princes 159 within her are like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they have devoured lives. They take away riches and valuable things; they have made many women widows 160 within it. 22:26 Her priests abuse my law and have desecrated my holy things. They do not distinguish between the holy and the profane, 161 or recognize any distinction between the unclean and the clean. They ignore 162 my Sabbaths and I am profaned in their midst. 22:27 Her officials are like wolves in her midst rending their prey – shedding blood and destroying lives – so they can get dishonest profit. 22:28 Her prophets coat their messages with whitewash. 163 They see false visions and announce lying omens for them, saying, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says,’ when the Lord has not spoken. 22:29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy; they have oppressed the foreigner who lives among them and denied them justice. 164
22:30 “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. 165 22:31 So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done, 166 declares the sovereign Lord.”
Ezekiel 24:1-27
Context24:1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month 167 : 24:2 “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege 168 to Jerusalem 169 this very day. 24:3 Recite a proverb to this rebellious house 170 and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Set on the pot, 171 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 172 is in it,
whose rot has not been removed 173 from it!
Empty it piece by piece.
No lot has fallen on it. 174
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, 175
until it becomes hot and its copper glows,
until its uncleanness melts within it and its rot 176 is consumed.
24:12 It has tried my patience; 177
yet its thick rot is not removed 178 from it.
Subject its rot to the fire! 179
24:13 You mix uncleanness with obscene conduct. 180
I tried to cleanse you, 181 but you are not clean.
You will not be cleansed from your uncleanness 182
until I have exhausted my anger on you.
24:14 “‘I the Lord have spoken; judgment 183 is coming and I will act! I will not relent, or show pity, or be sorry! 184 I will judge you 185 according to your conduct 186 and your deeds, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
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, 187 but you must not mourn or weep or shed tears. 24:17 Groan in silence for the dead, 188 but do not perform mourning rites. 189 Bind on your turban 190 and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lip 191 and do not eat food brought by others.” 192
24:18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning 193 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, 194 the object in which your eyes delight, 195 and your life’s passion. 196 Your very own sons and daughters whom you have left behind will die 197 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. 198 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 199 for your iniquities 200 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.’
24:25 “And you, son of man, this is what will happen on the day I take 201 from them their stronghold – their beautiful source of joy, the object in which their eyes delight, and the main concern of their lives, 202 as well as their sons and daughters: 203 24:26 On that day a fugitive will come to you to report the news. 204 24:27 On that day you will be able to speak again; 205 you will talk with the fugitive and be silent no longer. You will be an object lesson for them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
[3:1] 1 tn Heb “eat what you find.”
[20:1] 2 sn The date would be August 14th, 591
[20:1] 3 tn Heb “men from the elders.”
[20:1] 4 tn See the note at 14:3.
[20:3] 3 tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”
[20:4] 4 tn Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment.
[20:5] 5 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
[20:5] 7 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
[20:6] 6 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand to them.”
[20:6] 7 tn Or “searched out.” The Hebrew word is used to describe the activity of the spies in “spying out” the land of Canaan (Num 13-14); cf. KJV “I had espied for them.”
[20:6] 8 sn The phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey,” a figure of speech describing the land’s abundant fertility, occurs in v. 15 as well as Exod 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Lev 20:24; Num 13:27; Deut 6:3; 11:9; 26:9; 27:3; Josh 5:6; Jer 11:5; 32:23 (see also Deut 1:25; 8:7-9).
[20:7] 7 tn Heb “each one, the detestable things of his eyes, throw away.” The Pentateuch does not refer to the Israelites worshiping idols in Egypt, but Josh 24:14 appears to suggest that they did so.
[20:8] 8 tn Heb “each one, the detestable things of their eyes did not throw away.”
[20:8] 9 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
[20:9] 9 tn Heb “for the sake of my name.”
[20:9] 10 tn Heb “before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were.”
[20:9] 11 tn Heb “to whom I made myself known before their eyes to bring them out from the land of Egypt.” The translation understands the infinitive construct (“to bring them out”) as indicating manner. God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt was an act of self-revelation in that it displayed his power and his commitment to his promises.
[20:11] 10 sn The laws were given at Mount Sinai.
[20:11] 13 tn The wording and the concept is contained in Lev 18:5 and Deut 30:15-19.
[20:12] 11 sn Ezekiel’s contemporary, Jeremiah, also stressed the importance of obedience to the Sabbath law (Jer 17).
[20:12] 12 tn Heb “to become a sign between me and them.”
[20:12] 13 tn Or “set them apart.” The last phrase of verse 12 appears to be a citation of Exod 31:13.
[20:13] 12 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
[20:13] 13 tn Heb “to bring them to an end.”
[20:15] 13 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
[20:16] 14 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 15-16 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
[20:16] 15 tn Heb “for after their idols their heart was going.” The use of the active participle (“was going”) in the Hebrew text draws attention to the ongoing nature of their idolatrous behavior.
[20:17] 15 tn Heb “my eye pitied.”
[20:18] 16 tn Heb “sons,” reflecting the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
[20:18] 17 tn Or “standard of justice.” See Ezek 7:27.
[20:20] 17 tn Or “set apart my Sabbaths.”
[20:20] 18 tn Heb “and they will become a sign between me and you.”
[20:21] 19 tn Or “carries them out.”
[20:21] 20 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
[20:22] 19 tn Heb “drew my hand back.” This idiom also occurs in Lam 2:8 and Ps 74:11.
[20:23] 20 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
[20:23] 21 sn Though the Pentateuch does not seem to know of this episode, Ps 106:26-27 may speak of God’s oath to exile the people before they had entered Canaan.
[20:24] 21 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 23-24 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
[20:24] 22 tn Or “they worshiped” (NCV, TEV, CEV); Heb “their eyes were on” or “were after” (cf. v. 16).
[20:25] 23 tn The Hebrew term חֻקּוֹת (khuqot; translated “statutes” elsewhere in this chapter) is normally feminine. Here Ezekiel changes the form to masculine: חֻקִּים (khuqim). Further, they are not called “my decrees” as vv. 11 and 13 refer to “my statutes.” The change is a signal that Ezekiel is not talking about the same statutes in vv. 11 and 13, which lead to life.
[20:26] 24 sn This act is prohibited in Deut 12:29-31 and Jer 7:31; 19:5; 32:35. See also 2 Kgs 21:6; 23:10. This custom indicates that the laws the Israelites were following were the disastrous laws of pagan nations (see Ezek 16:20-21).
[20:26] 25 sn God sometimes punishes sin by inciting the sinner to sin even more, as the biblical examples of divine hardening and deceit make clear. See Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., “Divine Hardening in the Old Testament,” BSac 153 (1996): 410-34; idem, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28. For other instances where the Lord causes individuals to act unwisely or even sinfully as punishment for sin, see 1 Sam 2:25; 2 Sam 17:14; 1 Kgs 12:15; 2 Chr 25:20.
[20:28] 24 tn Heb “which I lifted up my hand.”
[20:29] 25 tn The Hebrew word (“Bamah”) means “high place.”
[20:30] 26 tn Heb “in the way of your fathers.”
[20:31] 28 tn Or “Will I reveal myself to you?”
[20:31] 29 tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”
[20:32] 28 tn Heb “what comes upon your mind.”
[20:32] 29 tn The Hebrew could also read: “Let us be.”
[20:32] 30 tn Heb “serving wood and stone.”
[20:33] 29 sn This phrase occurs frequently in Deuteronomy (Deut 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8).
[20:37] 30 tn This is the same Hebrew verb used to describe the passing of the children through the fire.
[20:37] 31 sn The metaphor may be based in Lev 27:32 (see also Jer 33:13; Matt 25:32-33). A shepherd would count his sheep as they passed beneath his staff.
[20:38] 31 tn See the note at 2:3.
[20:39] 32 sn Compare the irony here to Amos 4:4 and Jer 44:25.
[20:39] 33 tn Heb “and after, if you will not listen to me.” The translation leaves out “and after” for smoothness. The text is difficult. M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:374) suggests that it may mean “but afterwards, if you will not listen to me…” with an unspoken threat.
[20:39] 34 sn A similar concept may be found in Lev 18:21; 20:3.
[20:40] 33 tn Heb “all of it.”
[20:42] 34 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
[20:43] 36 tn Heb “loathe yourselves in your faces.”
[20:45] 36 sn Beginning with 20:45, the verse numbers through 21:32 in the English Bible differ by five from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 20:45 ET = 21:1 HT, 20:46 ET = 21:2 HT, 21:1 ET = 21:6 HT etc., through 21:32 ET = 21:37 HT. Beginning with 22:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[20:46] 37 tn Heb “set your face toward.” This expression occurs as well in Ezek 6:2; 13:17.
[20:46] 38 tn Or “the way toward the south,” or “the way toward Teman.” Teman is in the south and may be a location or the direction.
[20:46] 39 tn Or “toward Darom.” Darom may mean the south or a region just north of southern city of Beer Sheba. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:417-18.
[20:46] 40 tn The Hebrew term can also mean “forest,” but a meaning of uncultivated wasteland fits the Negev region far better. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:418.
[20:47] 38 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
[20:47] 39 tn Fire also appears as a form of judgment in Ezek 15:4-7; 19:12, 14.
[20:48] 39 tn Heb “all flesh.”
[21:1] 40 sn Ezek 21:1 in the English Bible is 21:6 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See the note at 20:45.
[21:2] 41 tn Heb “set your face toward.”
[21:2] 42 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[21:3] 42 tn Heb “the land of Israel.”
[21:3] 43 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws attention to something and has been translated here as a verb.
[21:3] 44 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
[21:3] 45 sn This is the sword of judgment, see Isa 31:8; 34:6; 66:16.
[21:3] 46 sn Ezekiel elsewhere pictures the Lord’s judgment as discriminating between the righteous and the wicked (9:4-6; 18:1-20; see as well Pss 1 and 11) and speaks of the preservation of a remnant (3:21; 6:8; 12:16). Perhaps here he exaggerates for rhetorical effect in an effort to subdue any false optimism. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:25-26; D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:669-70; and W. Zimmerli, Ezekiel (Hermeneia), 1:424-25.
[21:4] 43 tn Heb “all flesh” (also in the following verse).
[21:4] 44 tn Heb “Negev.” The Negev is the south country.
[21:6] 44 tn Heb “breaking loins.”
[21:7] 45 tn Heb “every spirit will be dim.”
[21:7] 46 sn This expression depicts in a very vivid way how they will be overcome with fear. See the note on the same phrase in 7:17.
[21:10] 46 tn Heb “Or shall we rejoice, scepter of my son, it despises every tree.” The translation understands the subject of the verb “despises,” which is a feminine form in the Hebrew text, to be the sword (which is a feminine noun) mentioned just before this. Alternatively, the line may be understood as “let us not rejoice, O tribe of my son; it despises every tree.” The same word in Hebrew may be either “rod,” “scepter,” or “tribe.” The word sometimes translated as “or” or taken as an interrogative particle may be a negative particle. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:672, n. 79.
[21:12] 47 sn This physical action was part of an expression of grief. Cp. Jer. 31:19.
[21:13] 48 tn Heb “For testing (will come) and what if also a scepter, it despises, will not be?” The translation understands the subject of the verb “despises,” which is a feminine form in the Hebrew text, to be the sword (which is a feminine noun) mentioned in the previous verses. The text is very difficult and any rendering is uncertain.
[21:20] 50 tc The MT reads “Judah in fortified Jerusalem,” a geographic impossibility. The translation follows the LXX, which assumes בְּתוֹכָהּ (bÿtokhah, “in it”) for בְּצוּרָה (bÿtsurah, “fortified”).
[21:21] 52 sn Mesopotamian kings believed that the gods revealed the future through omens. They employed various divination techniques, some of which are included in the list that follows. A particularly popular technique was the examination and interpretation of the livers of animals. See R. R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 90-110.
[21:21] 53 tn This word refers to personal idols that were apparently used for divination purposes (Gen 31:19; 1 Sam 19:13, 16).
[21:21] 55 tn Heb “the liver.”
[21:22] 52 tn Or “on the right side,” i.e., the omen mark on the right side of the liver.
[21:22] 53 tn Heb “to open the mouth” for slaughter.
[21:22] 54 tn Heb “to raise up a voice in a battle cry.”
[21:23] 53 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people in Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:23] 54 sn When the people of Judah realized the Babylonians’ intentions, they would object on grounds that they had made a treaty with the Babylonian king (see 17:13).
[21:23] 55 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:23] 57 tn Heb “and he will remind of guilt for the purpose of being captured.” The king would counter their objections by pointing out that they had violated their treaty with him (see 17:18).
[21:24] 54 tn Heb “caused to be remembered.”
[21:24] 55 tn Heb “Because you have brought to remembrance your guilt when your transgressions are uncovered so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds – because you are remembered, by the hand you will be seized.”
[21:25] 55 tn This probably refers to King Zedekiah.
[21:26] 56 tn Elsewhere in the Bible the turban is worn by priests (Exod 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:28, 31; Lev 8:9; 16:4), but here a royal crown is in view.
[21:26] 57 tn Heb “This not this.”
[21:26] 58 tn Heb “the high one.”
[21:27] 57 tn Heb “A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will make it.” The threefold repetition of the noun “ruin” is for emphasis and draws attention to the degree of ruin that would take place. See IBHS 233 §12.5a and GKC 431-32 §133.k. The pronominal suffix (translated “it”) on the verb “make” is feminine in Hebrew. The probable antecedent is the “turban/crown” (both nouns are feminine in form) mentioned in verse 26. The point is that the king’s royal splendor would be completely devastated as judgment overtook his realm and brought his reign to a violent end.
[21:27] 58 tn Heb “Also this, he was not, until the coming of the one to whom the judgment belongs and I have given it.” The Hebrew text, as it stands, is grammatically difficult. The pronoun “this” is feminine, while the following negated verb (“was not”) is masculine. Some emend the verb to a feminine form (see BHS). In this case the statement refers to the destiny of the king’s turban/crown (symbolizing his reign). See the previous note. The preposition translated “when” normally means “until,” but here it seems to refer to the period during which the preceding situation is realized, rather than its termination point. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:19, 21. The second part of the statement, though awkward, probably refers to the arrival of the Babylonian king, to whom the Lord had assigned the task of judgment (see 23:24). Or the verse may read “A total ruin I will make, even this. It will not be until the one comes to whom is (the task of) judgment and I have assigned it.”
[21:28] 58 tn Heb “their reproach.”
[21:28] 59 tn Heb “to contain, endure.” Since the Hebrew text as it stands makes little, if any, sense, most emend the text to read either “to consume” or “for destruction.” For discussion of options see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:693.
[21:29] 59 tn Heb “in the seeing concerning you falsehood, in divining concerning you a lie.” This probably refers to the attempts of the Ammonites to ward off judgment through prophetic visions and divination.
[21:29] 60 tn Heb “you”; the referent (the sword mentioned in v. 28) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:29] 61 sn The second half of the verse appears to state that the sword of judgment would fall upon the wicked, despite their efforts to prevent it.
[21:30] 60 sn Once the Babylonian king’s sword (vv. 19-20) has carried out its assigned task, the Lord commands it to halt and announces that Babylon itself will also experience his judgment. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:28.
[21:30] 61 tn In the Hebrew text of vv. 30-32 the second person verbal and pronominal forms are feminine singular. This may indicate that the personified Babylonian sword is being addressed. The Hebrew word for “sword” (see v. 28) is feminine. However, it may refer to the Ammonites.
[21:32] 61 tn Heb “your blood will be in the middle of the land.”
[22:2] 62 tn Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment upon the city. See 20:4.
[22:2] 63 tn The phrase “bloody city” is used of Nineveh in Nah 3:1.
[22:3] 63 tn Heb “her time”; this refers to the time of impending judgment (see the note on “doom” in v. 4).
[22:4] 64 tn Heb “you have brought near your days.” The expression “bring near your days” appears to be an adaptation of the idiom “days draw near,” which is used to indicate that an event, such as death, is imminent (see Gen 27:41; 47:29; Deut 31:14; 1 Kgs 2:1; Ezek 12:23). Here “your days” probably refers to the days of the personified city’s life, which was about to come to an end through God’s judgment.
[22:4] 65 tn Heb “and you have come to your years.” This appears to mean that she has arrived at the time when her years (i.e., life) would end, though it may mean that her years of punishment will begin. Because “day” and “time” are so closely associated in the immediate context (see 21:25, 29) some prefer to emend the text and read “you have brought near your time.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:31, as well as the translator’s note on verse 3.
[22:4] 66 tn The Hebrew verb is a prophetic perfect, emphasizing that the action is as good as done from the speaker’s perspective.
[22:5] 65 tn Heb “unclean of name.”
[22:6] 66 tn Heb “Look! The princes of Israel, each according to his arm, were in you in order to shed blood.”
[22:7] 67 tn Heb “treated lightly, cursed.”
[22:7] 68 tn Widows and orphans are often coupled together in the OT (Deut 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:19-21; 26:12-13; Jer 7:6; 22:3). They represented all who were poor and vulnerable to economic exploitation.
[22:9] 68 tn Heb “men of slander are in you in order to shed blood.”
[22:9] 69 tn Heb “and on the mountains they eat within you.” The mountains mentioned here were the site of pagan sacrifices. See 18:6.
[22:9] 70 sn This statement introduces vv. 10-11 and refers in general terms to the sexual sins described there. For the legal background of vv. 10-11, see Lev 18:7-20; 20:10-21; Deut 22:22-23, 30; 27:22.
[22:10] 69 tn Heb “the nakedness of a father one uncovers within you.” The ancient versions read the verb as plural (“they uncover”). If the singular is retained, it must be taken as indefinite and representative of the entire group. The idiomatic expression “uncover the nakedness” refers here to sexual intercourse (cf. Lev 18:6). To uncover a father’s nakedness could include sexual relations with one’s own mother (Lev 18:7), but more likely it refers to having intercourse with another wife of one’s father, such as a stepmother (Lev 18:8; cf. Gen 35:22; 49:4).
[22:10] 70 tn Heb “(one who is) unclean due to the impurity they humble within you.” The use of the verb “to humble” suggests that these men forced themselves upon women during menstruation. Having sexual relations with a woman during her period was forbidden by the Law (Lev 18:19; 20:18).
[22:11] 71 tn The verb is the same one used in verse 10b and suggests forcible sexual violation of the woman.
[22:11] 72 sn Sexual relations with one’s half-sister may be primarily in view here. See Lev 18:9; 20:17.
[22:12] 71 tn Heb “usury and interest you take.” See 18:13, 17. This kind of economic exploitation violated the law given in Lev 25:36.
[22:12] 72 sn Forgetting the Lord is also addressed in Deut 6:12; 8:11, 14; Jer 3:21; 13:25; Ezek 23:35; Hos 2:15; 8:14; 13:6.
[22:12] 73 tn The second person verb forms are feminine singular in Hebrew, indicating that the personified city is addressed here as representing its citizens.
[22:13] 72 sn This gesture apparently expresses mourning and/or anger (see 6:11; 21:14, 17).
[22:13] 73 tn Heb “the blood which was in you.”
[22:14] 73 tn Heb “stand.” The heart here stands for the emotions; Jerusalem would panic in the face of God’s judgment.
[22:14] 74 tn Heb “in the days when I act against you.”
[22:15] 74 sn The ultimate purpose of divine judgment is to purify the covenant community of its sins.
[22:16] 75 tc Several ancient versions read the verb as first person, in which case the Lord refers to how his people’s sin brings disgrace upon him. For a defense of the Hebrew text, see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:712, n. 68, and M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:457-58.
[22:18] 76 tn For similar imagery, see Isa 1:21-26; Jer 6:27-30.
[22:19] 77 tn The Hebrew second person pronoun is masculine plural here and in vv. 19b-21, indicating that the people are being addressed.
[22:19] 78 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[22:20] 78 tn Heb “I will put.” No object is supplied in the Hebrew, prompting many to emend the text to “I will blow.” See BHS and verse 21.
[22:24] 79 tc The MT reads “that is not cleansed”; the LXX reads “that is not drenched,” which assumes a different vowel pointing as well as the loss of a מ (mem) due to haplography. In light of the following reference to showers, the reading of the LXX certainly fits the context well. For a defense of the emendation, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:32. Yet the MT is not an unreasonable reading since uncleanness in the land also fits the context, and a poetic connection between rain and the land being uncleansed may be feasible since washing with water is elsewhere associated with cleansing (Num 8:7; 31:23; Ps 51:7).
[22:24] 80 tn Heb “in a day of anger.”
[22:25] 80 tn Heb “a conspiracy of her prophets is in her midst.” The LXX reads “whose princes” rather than “a conspiracy of prophets.” The prophets are mentioned later in the paragraph (v. 28). If one follows the LXX in verse 25, then five distinct groups are mentioned in vv. 25-29: princes, priests, officials, prophets, and the people of the land. For a defense of the Septuagintal reading, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:32, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:720, n. 4.
[22:25] 81 tn Heb “her widows they have multiplied.” The statement alludes to their murderous acts.
[22:26] 81 tn Or “between the consecrated and the common.”
[22:26] 82 tn Heb “hide their eyes from.” The idiom means to disregard or ignore something or someone (see Lev 20:4; 1 Sam 12:3; Prov 28:27; Isa 1:15).
[22:28] 82 tn Heb “her prophets coat for themselves with whitewash.” The expression may be based on Ezek 13:10-15.
[22:29] 83 tn Heb “and the foreigner they have oppressed without justice.”
[22:30] 84 tn Heb “I did not find.”
[22:31] 85 tn Heb “their way on their head I have placed.”
[24:1] 86 tn The date of this oracle was January 15, 588
[24:2] 87 tn Heb “lean on, put pressure on.”
[24:2] 88 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:3] 88 sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).
[24:3] 89 sn See Ezek 11:3-12.
[24:6] 90 tn Heb “has not gone out.”
[24:6] 91 tn Here “lot” may refer to the decision made by casting lots; it is not chosen at all.
[24:11] 90 tn Heb “set it upon its coals, empty.”
[24:11] 91 tn Or “rust” (so also in v. 12).
[24:12] 91 tn Heb “(with) toil she has wearied.” The meaning of the statement is unclear in the Hebrew text; some follow the LXX and delete it. The first word in the statement (rendered “toil” in the literal translation above) occurs only here in the OT, and the verb “she has wearied” lacks a stated object. Elsewhere the Hiphil of the verb refers to wearying someone or trying someone’s patience. The feminine subject is apparently the symbolic pot.
[24:12] 92 tn Heb “does not go out.”
[24:12] 93 tn Heb “in fire its rust.” The meaning of the expression is unclear. The translation understands the statement as a command to burn the rust away. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:768.
[24:13] 92 tn Heb “in your uncleanness (is) obscene conduct.”
[24:13] 93 tn Heb “because I cleansed you.” In this context (see especially the very next statement), the statement must refer to divine intention and purpose. Despite God’s efforts to cleanse his people, they resisted him and remained morally impure.
[24:13] 94 tn The Hebrew text adds the word “again.”
[24:14] 93 tn Heb “it”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:14] 94 tn Or perhaps, “change my mind.”
[24:14] 95 tc Some medieval Hebrew
[24:17] 95 tn Or “Groan silently. As to the dead….” Cf. M. Greenberg’s suggestion that דֹּם מֵתִים (dom metim) be taken together and דֹּם be derived from ָדּמַם (damam, “to moan, murmur”). See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:508.
[24:17] 96 tn Heb “(For) the dead mourning you shall not conduct.” In the Hebrew text the word translated “dead” is plural, indicating that mourning rites are in view. Such rites would involve outward demonstrations of one’s sorrow, including wailing and weeping.
[24:17] 97 sn The turban would normally be removed for mourning (Josh 7:6; 1 Sam 4:12).
[24:17] 98 sn Mourning rites included covering the lower part of the face. See Lev 13:45.
[24:17] 99 tn Heb “the bread of men.” The translation follows the suggestion accepted by M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 2:509) that this refers to a meal brought by comforters to the one mourning. Some repoint the consonantal text to read “the bread of despair” (see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:56), while others, with support from the Targum and Vulgate, emend the consonantal text to read “the bread of mourners” (see D. I. Block, Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:784).
[24:18] 96 tn This may refer to the following morning. For a discussion of various interpretive options in understanding the chronology reflected in verse 18, see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:790.
[24:21] 97 tn Heb “the pride of your strength” means “your strong pride.”
[24:21] 98 sn Heb “the delight of your eyes.” Just as Ezekiel was deprived of his beloved wife (v. 16, the “desire” of his “eyes”) so the Lord would be forced to remove the object of his devotion, the temple, which symbolized his close relationship to his covenant people.
[24:21] 99 tn Heb “the object of compassion of your soul.” The accentuation in the traditional Hebrew text indicates that the descriptive phrases (“the source of your confident pride, the object in which your eyes delight, and your life’s passion”) modify the preceding “my sanctuary.”
[24:23] 99 tn The same verb appears in 4:17 and 33:10.
[24:23] 100 tn Or “in your punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18:17, 18, 19, 20; 33:6, 8, 9; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.
[24:25] 100 tn Heb “(Will) it not (be) in the day I take?”
[24:25] 101 tn Heb “the uplifting of their soul.” According to BDB 672 s.v. מַשָּׂא 2, the term “uplifting” refers to “that to which they lift up their soul, their heart’s desire.” However, this text is the only one listed for this use. It seems more likely that the term has its well-attested nuance of “burden, load,” here and refers to that which weighs them down emotionally and is a constant source of concern or worry.
[24:25] 102 tn In the Hebrew text there is no conjunction before “their sons and daughters.” For this reason one might assume that the preceding descriptive phrases refer to the sons and daughters, but verse 21 suggests otherwise. The descriptive phrases appear to refer to the “stronghold,” which parallels “my sanctuary” in verse 21. The children constitute a separate category.
