Ezekiel 24:1-6

The Siege of Jerusalem

1 1In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
2 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.
3 And 3utter a parable to 4the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Set on 5the pot, set it on; pour in water also;
4 put in it the pieces of meat, all the good pieces, 6the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice bones.
5 Take the choicest one of the flock; pile the logs[a] under it; boil it well; seethe also its bones in it.
6 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 7Woe to the bloody city, to 8the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.[b]

Ezekiel 24:1-6 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.

Cross References 8

  • 1. See Ezekiel 20:1
  • 2. See Ezekiel 2:1
  • 3. [Ezekiel 17:2; Ezekiel 20:49]
  • 4. See Ezekiel 2:5
  • 5. Ezekiel 11:3, 7, 11; 2 Kings 4:38
  • 6. See 1 Samuel 9:24
  • 7. Ezekiel 22:2; [Nahum 3:1]
  • 8. [See ver. 3 above]

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Compare verse 10; Hebrew the bones
  • [b]. Hebrew no lot has fallen upon it
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.