Yechezkel 11

1 1 Moreover the Ruach lifted me up, and brought me unto the Sha’ar Beis Hashem hakadmoni (eastern gate of the Beis HaMikdash of Hashem), and hinei at the petach of the Sha’ar five and twenty ish; among whom I saw Ya’azanyah Ben Azur, and Pelatyahu Ben Benayahu, sarim of HaAm.

2 Then said He unto me, Ben adam, these are the anashim that plot evil, and give atzat rah (evil counsel) in this ir,

3 Which say, The end is not near; let us build batim (houses): this ir is the caldron, and we are the basar.

4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O ben adam.

5 And the Ruach Hashem fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak: Thus saith Hashem; Thus have ye said, O Bais Yisroel: for I know the things that come into your ruach, every one of them.

6 Ye have multiplied your slain in this ir, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

7 Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Your slain whom ye have placed in the midst of it, they are the basar, and this ir is the caldron; but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.

8 Ye have feared the cherev; and I will bring a cherev upon you, saith Adonoi Hashem.

9 And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the yad of zarim, and will execute shefatim (judgments) among you.

10 Ye shall fall by the cherev; I will judge you at the border of Yisroel; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

11 This ir shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the basar in the midst thereof; but I will judge you at the border of Yisroel;

12 And ye shall know that I am Hashem; for ye have not walked in My chukkot, neither executed My mishpatim, but have done after the mishpatim of the Goyim that are all around you.

13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatyah Ben Benayah died. Then I fell down upon my face, and cried out with a kol gadol, and said, Ah, Adonoi Hashem! Wilt Thou make a full end of the she’erit (remnant) Yisroel?

14 Again the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

15 Ben adam, thy brethren, even thy relatives, the anashim of thy geulah, and kol Bais Yisroel wholly, are those of whom the inhabitants of Yerushalayim have said, They [the Exiles] have gone far from Hashem; unto us is this land given in possession.

16 Therefore say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Although I have cast them far off among the Goyim, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a mikdash me’at (little holy place) in the countries where they went.

17 Therefore say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; I will even gather you from the nations, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you Eretz Yisroel.

18 And they shall come there, and they shall remove all the shikkutzim thereof and all the to’avot (abominations) thereof from her [Eretz Yisroel].

19 And I will give them a lev echad, and I will put a ruach chadashah (new regenerated spirit) within you; and I will remove the lev haeven (heart of stone) out of their basar, and will give them a lev basar;

20 That they may walk in My chukkot, and be shomer over Mine mishpatim, and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their Elohim.

21 But as for them whose lev walketh after the lev of their shikkutzim and their to’avot, I will repay their derech upon their own rosh, saith Adonoi Hashem.

22 Then did the Keruvim lift up their wings, and the Ofanim (wheels) beside them; and the Kavod Elohei Yisroel was high above them.

23 And the Kavod Hashem went up from the midst of the Ir, and stood upon the har which is on the east side of the ir.

24 Afterward the Ruach lifted me up, and brought me in a mar’eh (vision) [inspired] by the Ruach Elohim into Kasdimah (Chaldea, Babylon), to them of the Golus. So the mareh (vision) that I had seen went up from me.

25 Then I spoke unto them of the Golus all the things that Hashem had showed me.

Yechezkel 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

Divine judgments against the wicked at Jerusalem. (1-13) Divine favour towards those in captivity. (14-21) The Divine presence forsakes the city. (22-25)

Verses 1-13 Where Satan cannot persuade men to look upon the judgment to come as uncertain, he gains his point by persuading them to look upon it as at a distance. These wretched rulers dare to say, We are as safe in this city as flesh in a boiling pot; the walls of the city shall be to us as walls of brass, we shall receive no more damage from the besiegers than the caldron does from the fire. When sinners flatter themselves to their own ruin, it is time to tell them they shall have no peace if they go on. None shall remain in possession of the city but those who are buried in it. Those are least safe who are most secure. God is often pleased to single out some sinners for warning to others. Whether Pelatiah died at that time in Jerusalem, or when the fulfilment of the prophecy drew near, is uncertain. Like Ezekiel, we ought to be much affected with the sudden death of others, and we should still plead with the Lord to have mercy on those who remain.

Verses 14-21 The pious captives in Babylon were insulted by the Jews who continued in Jerusalem; but God made gracious promises to them. It is promised, that God will give them one heart; a heart firmly fixed for God, and not wavering. All who are made holy have a new spirit, a new temper and dispositions; they act from new principles, walk by new rules, and aim at new ends. A new name, or a new face, will not serve without a new spirit. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The carnal heart, like a stone, cannot be made to feel. Men live among the dead and dying, and are neither concerned nor humbled. He will make their hearts tender and fit to receive impressions: this is God's work, it is his gift by promise; and a wonderful and happy change is wrought by it, from death to life. Their practices shall be agreeable to those principles. These two must and will go together. When the sinner feels his need of these blessings, let him present the promises as prayers in the name of Christ, they will be performed.

Verses 22-25 Here is the departure of God's presence from the city and temple. It was from the Mount of Olives that the vision went up, typifying the ascension of Christ to heaven from that very mountain. Though the Lord will not forsake his people, yet he may be driven away from any part of his visible church by their sins, and woe will be upon them when He withdraws his presence, glory, and protection.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 11

This chapter contains an account of the sins of the princes of Judah; a prophecy of their destruction; some comfortable, promises respecting those of the captivity; and the chapter is closed with the finishing of the vision of the Lord's removing from Jerusalem; and the whole being ended, the prophet related it to the men of the captivity. In Eze 11:1; the prophet, is shown five and twenty men, among whom were two he knew, and are mentioned by name, and were princes of the people; and he is told that these men devised mischief, and gave bad advice to the people, Eze 11:2,3; wherefore he is bid to prophesy against them, Eze 11:4; which he accordingly did, the Spirit of the Lord falling upon him, Eze 11:5; declaring that their secret evils were known, as well as their public ones; and that, seeing they had multiplied their slain, and had feared the sword, the sword should come upon them; some should fall by it, and others should be carried captive; the consequence of which would be, that God would be known, and his justice acknowledged, it being what their sins deserved, Eze 11:6-12; upon this prophecy being delivered out, one of the princes before named died immediately; which filled the prophet with great concern, and put him upon expostulating with God, Eze 11:13; wherefore, for his comfort, he is told, that though the inhabitants of Jerusalem had insulted their brethren that were carried captive, and looked upon the land of Israel as their own possession, that God would be a little sanctuary to them; that he would gather them out of all lands, and give them the land of Israel; that they should come thither, and remove all idolatry from it, and should have regenerating and renewing grace given them, to walk in the statutes and ordinances of the Lord, by which they should appear to be his people, and he to be their God, Eze 11:14-20; but as for such that continued in their abominable idolatries, these should receive a just recompence of reward, Eze 11:21; after which follows an account of the entire removal of the glory of the Lord from the city of Jerusalem, Eze 11:22,23; and the prophet being, in vision, brought again to Chaldea, reports the whole he had seen to them of the captivity, Eze 11:24,25.