Ezekiel 24:12-22

12 "She has 1wearied Me with toil, Yet her great rust has not gone from her; Let her rust be in the fire!
13 "In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I would have cleansed you, Yet you are 2not clean, You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again Until I have 3spent My wrath on you.
14 "I, the LORD, have spoken; it is 4coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not 5pity and I will not be sorry; 6according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord GOD.' "

Death of Ezekiel's Wife Is a Sign

15 And the word of the LORD came to me saying,
16 "Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the 7desire of your eyes with a 8blow; but you shall not 9mourn and you shall not weep, and your 10tears shall not come.
17 "Groan silently; make 11no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and 12do not eat the bread of men."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded.
19 The people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?"
20 Then I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me saying,
21 'Speak to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the 13desire of your eyes and the delight of your soul; and your 14sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.
22 'You will do as I have done; you will not cover your mustache and you will not eat the bread of men.

Ezekiel 24:12-22 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 14

  • 1. Jeremiah 9:5
  • 2. Jeremiah 6:28-30; Ezekiel 22:24
  • 3. Ezekiel 5:13; Ezekiel 8:18
  • 4. Psalms 33:9; Isaiah 55:11
  • 5. Jeremiah 13:14; Ezekiel 9:10
  • 6. Isaiah 3:11; Ezekiel 18:30; Ezekiel 36:19
  • 7. Song of Songs 7:10; Ezekiel 24:18
  • 8. Job 23:2
  • 9. Jeremiah 16:5; Jeremiah 22:10
  • 10. Jeremiah 13:17
  • 11. Leviticus 21:10-12
  • 12. Jeremiah 16:7; Hosea 9:4
  • 13. Psalms 27:4; Psalms 84:1; Ezekiel 24:16
  • 14. Jeremiah 6:11; Jeremiah 16:3, 4; Ezekiel 23:25, 47

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Lit "caused to rest"
  • [b]. So with several ancient mss and versions; M.T. "they"
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