Ezekiel 12:1-16

1 The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see and do not see; they have ears to hear and do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

3 Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for moving and move by day in their sight and thou shalt move from thy place to another place in their sight: they will not see for they are a rebellious house.

4 And thou shalt bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving; and thou shalt go forth in the evening in their sight, as those that go forth to not return.

5 Dig through the wall in their sight, and leave thereby.

6 In their sight thou shalt bear it upon thy shoulders and carry it forth in the night; thou shalt cover thy face, and thou shalt not look at the land; for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

7 And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for a journey, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the night, and I bore it upon my shoulder in their sight.

8 And in the morning the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

9 Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?

10 Say thou unto them, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel that are among them.

11 Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: when they go to another country they shall go in captivity.

12 And the prince that is among them shall be born upon their shoulders in the night, and they shall go forth; they shall dig through the wall to carry him out thereby; he shall cover his face that he not see the land with his eyes.

13 But I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will cause him to be taken to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it though he shall die there.

14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that were about him to help him and all his companies; and I will draw out the sword after them.

15 And they shall know that I am the LORD when I shall scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them in the countries.

16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles where they go; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 12:1-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 12

In this chapter, under the sign of the prophet's removing household goods, is represented the removal of the king of Judah and his people from their own land into captivity; and under another sign, of the prophet's eating and drinking with quaking, and trembling, and carefulness, is set forth, either the famine that should be during the siege of Jerusalem, or the desolations following the taking of it; and the chapter is concluded with a reproof of the Jews flattering themselves that these prophecies respected times a great way off, and therefore hoped they would never be accomplished. The preface to the first sign is in Eze 12:1,2; which describes the people of the Jews as rebellious, and given up to judicial blindness and hardness; and suggests the cause of all their calamities: the order to prepare goods for removing, to show to the people; for digging a wall; carrying the stuff out in their sight, on his shoulders, at twilight; and covering his face when he did it, is in Eze 12:3-6; the execution of this order, which is declared in part for the whole, is in Eze 12:7; then follows the explication of this sign, Eze 12:8-11; and the application of it, first to King Zedekiah, in whom should be fulfilled several of the particulars mentioned, Eze 12:12,13; and to the people about him, and his army that should be scattered and fall by the sword, Eze 12:14; the end of which should be, that the Lord should be known, his power, truth, and righteousness, by a few that should escape the famine, pestilence, and sword, Eze 12:15,16. The second sign, with the explication and application of it, is in Eze 12:17-20; and the chapter is closed with a reproof of the Jews; the proverbial expression they used, and which the Lord resented, is cited Eze 12:21,22; and the prophet is bid to assure them that it should cease, or there should be no room for it; and also every vain vision and flattering divination, Eze 12:23,24; and that the word of the Lord should not be prolonged, but should quickly and certainly be accomplished; and that their hopes of the contrary were in vain, Eze 12:25-28.