Ezekiel 24:15-27

15 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},
16 "Son of man, look! I [am] taking from you what is pleasing to your eyes with a plague, but you shall not mourn, and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not run down.
17 Sigh in silence [for the] dead; you shall not make a mourning ceremony. Bind your turban on you, and you must put your sandals on your feet. You must not cover your [upper] lip, and the bread of {mourners} you shall not eat."
18 And I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening, and I did in the morning {just as} I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me, "Will you not make known to us what these [things] that you are doing [mean] for us?"
20 And I said to them that the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},
21 "Say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I [will be] profaning my sanctuary, the pride of your strength [and] the delight of your eyes and the object of your own affection; and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind will fall by the sword,
22 and you shall do {just as} I did: You shall not cover your [upper] lip, and you shall not eat [the] bread of {mourners}.
23 And your turban [must be] on your heads, and your sandals [must be] on your feet. You shall not mourn, and you shall not weep, but you shall waste away because of your iniquities, and you shall groan {to one another}.
24 And Ezekiel will be to you as a sign; {everything that he did} you shall do; and when it comes you will know that I [am] the Lord Yahweh.
25 "And you, son of man, [will it] not [be that] on the day {when I take from them} their stronghold, the joy of their glory, the delight of their eyes, and the longing of their inner self, their sons and daughters--
26 on that day a survivor will come to you {with the news}.
27 On that day your mouth shall be opened {at the arrival of the fugitive}, and you shall speak, and you shall not be silent [any] longer, and you shall be to them as a sign, and they will know that I am Yahweh."

Ezekiel 24:15-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 24

Is this chapter the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem is prophesied of; the former under the parable of a boiling pot; the latter is represented by the sudden death of Ezekiel's wife. The time of this prophecy was that very day the king of Babylon began the siege of Jerusalem, Eze 24:1,2, the parable of the boiling pot, Eze 24:3-5, the explanation and application of it to the city of Jerusalem, Eze 24:6-14, the prophet is told of the death of his wife, and bid not to mourn on that account, which accordingly came to pass, Eze 24:15-18, upon the people's inquiring what these things meant, he informs them that hereby was signified the profanation of the temple; and that their distress should be so great, that they should not use any set forms of mourning, but pine away and die, Eze 24:19-24, and the chapter is closed with assuring the prophet, that the day these things should come to pass, a messenger should be sent him, to whom he should open his mouth, and be no more dumb, Eze 24:25-27.

Footnotes 20

  • [a]. Literally "was"
  • [b]. Literally "to say"
  • [c]. Literally "to say"
  • [d]. Or "blow"
  • [e]. Or "your mustache" (NASB)
  • [f]. Literally "men"
  • [g]. Literally "as that"
  • [h]. Literally "was"
  • [i]. Literally "to say"
  • [j]. Or "souls'," or "selves'"
  • [k]. Literally "as that"
  • [l]. Or "mustache"
  • [m]. Literally "men"
  • [n]. Literally "a man to his brother"
  • [o]. Literally "like all that he did"
  • [p]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
  • [q]. Literally "on the day of to take me from them"
  • [r]. Or "soul"
  • [s]. Literally "with a message for ears"
  • [t]. Literally "with the fugitive"; or "to the one who has escaped" (NRSV; cf. NASB)
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.